Process Hacker, and VAC

[Joker]

I'm just curious if using a program called Processor Hacker (its an advanced Task Manager basically. It can show process details like threads, network connections, etc) to measure detailed resource usage of a VAC-secured game would be considered cheating or not. I want to try to measure the performance impact of running a server with VAC on vs off, but I don't want to risk getting VAC banned for experimenting.

[Snaggle]

You won't get a VAC ban for it but you may get a VAC error which kicks you from the game instead. Process Hacker has been known to cause issues with VAC, but it's nothing that will harm the account.

Edit: If you get kicked too many times while in a competitive game (CSGO) you may end up with a temporary ban on joining the comp mode. So keep that in mind.

[The Giving One]

As the good Snaggle said :

"What typically causes this error?"

There are a number of common software conflicts that can cause this error. If you are running any of the following software, please disable it while playing:

CCleaner
Powershell
Sandboxie
Cheat Engine
IObit Start Menu 8
Process Hacker <-------------------------------------------
DLL Injectors
Hypervisors
Steam Idlers

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=2117-ilzv-2837#software

[Commander Makara]

Let's not be disingenuous here.

Your only interest is to investigate VAC and its operation more with a view to workarounds and cheat development.

Whilst process hacker is an extremely useful tool (I have used it myself in replacement of the Windows Task Manager for nearly 20 years) the fact that it can be "abused" to identify means
to possibly circumvent anti-cheat technology is a risk Valve are not willing to take (understandably) - therefore, accounts are not permitted to connect to secure servers whilst this is a live process.

[A 4to]

Originally posted by The Giving One:

As the good Snaggle said :

"What typically causes this error?"

There are a number of common software conflicts that can cause this error. If you are running any of the following software, please disable it while playing:

CCleaner
Powershell
Sandboxie
Cheat Engine
IObit Start Menu 8
Process Hacker <-------------------------------------------
DLL Injectors
Hypervisors
Steam Idlers

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=2117-ilzv-2837#software

True, but there are OTHER Injectors/software that were NOT name in the list. So therefore some of them may work for you. If you get caught, its buh bye felicia.

[Joker]

Originally posted by Commander Makara:

Let's not be disingenuous here.

Your only interest is to investigate VAC and its operation more with a view to workarounds and cheat development.

I am actually NOT looking to circumvent it. I have no reason to as I do not cheat online, nor do I have any respect for those who do. I simply want to know what kind of performance impact VAC has because in some games (i.e. GMod) VAC is useless, and running a server without it might be a good idea.

But from the sounds of it, I should probably find an alternative way of measuring resource usage.

[Commander Makara]

Originally posted by Joker:

in some games (i.e. GMod) VAC is useless, and running a server without it might be a good idea.

Obviously there is an amount of resource expensditure for VAC. So if it is truly useless, there will always be some savings by disabling it. You don't need any gauge to figure this out.

The amount of saving is kinda small, though. VAC detection tests are drip fed for purposes of:

a) Minimising the latency impact
b) Against efforts to retro-engineer functionality

So the actual resource usage is kept pretty minimal. So minimal in fact, that general other process activity and latency issues will far outweigh any effects by VAC and this is obviously true for clients, but also generally applicable to server too.