Don't need 8.1 to do a VM. Either use VMware or Hypervisor.

I may be incorrect in these assertions, but it is my understanding that:

* Hypervisor won't run on a Windows Home edition.

* VMWare would cost about 70 bucks.

Should if your motherboard and hardware allows it, additionally if you want something freeish (havent looked into it too much) try https://www.virtualbox.org/

I highly doubt Charles Proxy is a problem. It's exactly what its name implies: a proxy. Without some advanced wizardry, you won't be sending any data from the EQ client through the local proxy app and then onward to the EQEmu servers.

It's no different than running Wireshark at the same time. And if running Wireshark at the same time as EQ gets you flagged/banned, then I'm hosed. I use it on a daily basis for my job, for debugging personal apps, etc. I've not ever had any trouble.

You may want to ask this question in the tech forums and/or ask in the petition forums. May take a day or three for them to get back with you although

You won't get banned for using VPN software like BattlePing, so I don't see why this would be an issue. Anything that interferes with the EQ client's memory space, such as MySEQ, MacroQuest, ShowEQ or other utilities that are designed and have scripts to target the EverQuest client are grounds for bans though.

Now, if you modify Fiddler to read EQ traffic, that's probably not the brightest idea and will get you banned. If you use a proxy to bypass the 2 boxing restriction, you'll be banned as well, so don't even try that.

As long as they don't directly interfere with the EQ socket connection, give unfair advantages in gameplay, modify or read memory, or intercept packets that are designated for and to the eq client, I think you should be just fine.

You have no excuse for not running VMWare if you are that paranoid though; it's free for personal use.
https://my.vmware.com/web/vmware/fre...are_player/6_0

Google TinyXP rev 9. Install ISO. Move EverQuest to freshly installed TinyXP. Enable virtualization of 3D graphics. Done.

EQ also runs great under GNU/Linux using WINE if you prefer to virtualize something other than a pirated OS :D

VirtualBox is pretty good virtualization too (and has 3d support last I checked).

Thanks all who replied and extra thanks to those who provided technical information on top of opinion. Special thanks to Secrets, whose reply was probably the most incisive of all.

I'd still love to have the word of he-that-feeds-hamsters, but I'm feeling better about it. I think it will be safe, especially if I simply remember not to run them simultaneously.

I doubt they scan for things you just have installed. A lot of people play P99 as well as other custom servers which allow programs like MQ2 as a boxing tool. The problem would be running those programs concurrently with P99.

This