Hi people!! My english is horrible but i will do the best to be as accurate as posible.

I have been reading here (in superuser) some questions about the necessity of antivirus software in Windows and some doubts arise.

As far as i know (and imagine) virus software can only be harmful if I download any type of infected executable file and then I RUN IT. I mean that if i have the infected executable in my desktop but i leave it there for years without clicking it, I won't be in danger...

My question is: How can i be in danger browsing the so called "malware pages or sites"??.

If i am just browsing an "infected site" how could I be affected by a virus. In any moment the browser is asking me for the permission to download "something", so how could it be?? Although i don't give permission to the browser to download 'something' is data being downloaded to my computer?? Its some kind of cookie?

I will ask in another way... What is the level of riskiness if i get inffected in a malware site compared with the level of an executable virus??

Thanks a lot!