Accidently extracted a .exe mod file for a singeplayer game into Steam’s files. Could I be VAC banned for this?

[JJ]

I accidentally extracted a Fallout New Vegas mod file into Steam’s files, rather than Fallout’s. The mod file was an .exe file, made to go around the limitation of how much virtual memory Fallout can use and let it use all of it. I originally just uninstalled Steam via grabbing all the files and deleting them, then checking control panel, and reinstalled it afterwords, thinking this would be enough. However, I’m not sure considering the file was an .exe file and feared this would be seen as modifying Steam. About 3 days later, which is now today, I’ve decided to format all of my drives multiple times due to the fear of possibly receiving a VAC ban. Have I done all I possibly can to make sure I don’t receive a VAC ban, was it ever even possible for me to receive one (considering Fallout is a single payer game) for this accidental mistake of mine?

[JJ]

If you need further information, please ask.

[mimizukari]

Look on the store page to see if the game you're modding has VAC support.

[JJ]

Originally posted by Kurumi Tokisaki:

Look on the store page to see if the game you're modding has VAC support.

Fallout New Vegas isn’t a VAC supported game, but I fear I will receive some type of ban since it was in Steam’s files, rather than the game’s files. I also don’t remember if I immediately uninstalled Steam afterwords or not, but I most likely did.

[JJ]

Basically, I fear that since it was under Steam’s files and not the game’s files, I will be VAC banned if I so happened to have played a VAC game before I uninstalled Steam.

[mimizukari]

https://support.steampowered.com/kb/7849-RADZ-6869/

[Brian9824]

Originally posted by TheBusyNightOwl:

Basically, I fear that since it was under Steam’s files and not the game’s files, I will be VAC banned if I so happened to have played a VAC game before I uninstalled Steam.

Vac bans detect KNOWN hacks. It doesn't ban based on random exe files.

[JJ]

Originally posted by politediligence:

VAC detects known cheats. Simply putting a .exe file in the Steam folder will not result in a VAC ban. Moreover, all VAC bans are game specific, and since the only game affected by the mod is Fallout: New Vegas, which is not VAC protected, you cannot receive a VAC ban for the mod.

This makes sense to me now, but does it matter I gave the file administer permissions before I had noticed it was in Steam’s files.

[JJ]

Originally posted by politediligence:

No. VAC only bans for known cheats, when running a VAC-enabled game. Not only was your mod not a known cheat, Fallout: New Vegas is not VAC protected.

A problem I’m having is I don’t remember if I immediately uninstalled Steam or didn’t. But if I had played a VAC game before I uninstalled it, will I possibly be banned, will I just have to wait and see?

[JJ]

Originally posted by politediligence:

Did you install a cheat? If yes, and you ran a VAC protected game, you will most likely receive a VAC ban in the future.

Did you not install a cheat? It won't matter where you installed it, when you installed it, what permissions you ran it with, what games you did or didn't run, etc. VAC exclusively bans based on known cheats. Not just files that aren't where they should be, or that modify a game. It has to be a cheat, and you have to run a VAC protected game to get banned.

I don't know how else to explain this. You either installed a cheat or you didn't. Only you know what you installed. If it wasn't a cheat, you will not be banned.

I’ll just wait and see.

[MancSoulja]

Originally posted by TheBusyNightOwl:

Originally posted by politediligence:

No. VAC only bans for known cheats, when running a VAC-enabled game. Not only was your mod not a known cheat, Fallout: New Vegas is not VAC protected.

A problem I’m having is I don’t remember if I immediately uninstalled Steam or didn’t. But if I had played a VAC game before I uninstalled it, will I possibly be banned, will I just have to wait and see?

You seem confused. You can put any files you like in Steam's directory, it's your computer. Why would Valve care if you accidentally put a file in the same directory as Steam.

You only get banned for cheating, piracy or fraud. People who write on forums that they got banned for playing CS:GO with discord running or some crap, they're all lying.

The only way to get banned is by doing something dishonest, not accidentally unzipping a file in a directory.

[JJ]

Originally posted by TheBusyNightOwl:

Originally posted by politediligence:

Did you install a cheat? If yes, and you ran a VAC protected game, you will most likely receive a VAC ban in the future.

Did you not install a cheat? It won't matter where you installed it, when you installed it, what permissions you ran it with, what games you did or didn't run, etc. VAC exclusively bans based on known cheats. Not just files that aren't where they should be, or that modify a game. It has to be a cheat, and you have to run a VAC protected game to get banned.

I don't know how else to explain this. You either installed a cheat or you didn't. Only you know what you installed. If it wasn't a cheat, you will not be banned.

I’ll just wait and see.

I’m actually not sure if I would even be banned, it was a mod from Nexus Mods, and I’ve been told by multiple people that modding a singeplayer game with a Nexus Mod file doesn’t usually get you banned.

[MancSoulja]

Originally posted by TheBusyNightOwl:

Originally posted by TheBusyNightOwl:

I’ll just wait and see.

I’m actually not sure if I would even be banned, it was a mod from Nexus Mods, and I’ve been told by multiple people that modding a singeplayer game with a Nexus Mod file doesn’t usually get you banned.

It's literally impossible to get banned from a single player game, what would they ban you from? there's no online interaction.

[mimizukari]

Originally posted by MancSoulja:

Originally posted by TheBusyNightOwl:

I’m actually not sure if I would even be banned, it was a mod from Nexus Mods, and I’ve been told by multiple people that modding a singeplayer game with a Nexus Mod file doesn’t usually get you banned.

It's literally impossible to get banned from a single player game, what would they ban you from? there's no online interaction.

tell that to Diablo 3.

[wuddih]

some file idling around in a directory is not gonna trigger anything.
VAC does not care about files that "are not doing anything".

[JJ]

Originally posted by MancSoulja:

Originally posted by TheBusyNightOwl:

I’m actually not sure if I would even be banned, it was a mod from Nexus Mods, and I’ve been told by multiple people that modding a singeplayer game with a Nexus Mod file doesn’t usually get you banned.

It's literally impossible to get banned from a single player game, what would they ban you from? there's no online interaction.

Because the mod was in Steam’s files and not the game’s own files. I don’t remember if I had played a VAC supported game before I had noticed this.