False VAC Ban

[Rennmniscant]

I have always been an honest player, and never even considered cheating. But now I log into steam after not playing an online game for the better part of 6 months, and I'm apparently banned for something I didn't do!

Is there anything I can do to lift this ban that was placed for something I didn't do? I've sent off an email to Steam Support to see if they know of something I can do to rectify the situation, but my hopes aren't so high as that they'll just hand back my ability to play online.

I'm not a cheater, I keep my details like passwords and such to myself, and there's nobody else that even uses this computer, let alone steam that could possibly have done it while I wasn't looking. On the other hand, I run my virus scanner, I don't download stupid programs that might keylog me, etc...

Any suggestions?

 

[giant384]

you dont have to download programs for a keylogger to get on your pc. if you truly didnt hack or anything then my guess would be that someone used your account and did something to ban you.

 

[kineaesth]

Oh My God! You DID invent Mecha-Breen! HOLY CRAP!

 

[golden_fang]

contact their customer support.

 

[Rennmniscant]

you dont have to download programs for a keylogger to get on your pc. if you truly didnt hack or anything then my guess would be that someone used your account and did something to ban you.

I realise that much, but I do try to keep those nasty buggers out. I keep my virus protector up to date (PC-Cillin) and all that jazz. I'd try not to speculate, but that seems most likely to me, mainly because I haven't played an online game on steam for a number of months! But even assuming that someone DID get into my account, is there a way I can get myself unbanned from that?

Thanks for the advice though!

contact their customer support.

Done and done. Waiting for a response.

Oh My God! You DID invent Mecha-Breen! HOLY CRAP!

Yeah... don't know if I should be proud of that or what...

 

[The Brick]

VAC is fail-safe. There was something that messed with the game files while you were playing. Too bad.

 

[Dekstar]

Or someone brute forced your account.

 

[PimpinPenguin]

You will not get much help from Steam support VAC bans are final they can't remove it. http://support.steampowered.com/cgi-bin/steampowered.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=589

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

Any suggestions?

Quit cheating, is the obvious suggestion.

Everyone all has their story "I wasn't cheating blahblahblah" their always lying.

One less cheater ingame, I'm happy

 

[Rennmniscant]

Quit cheating, is the obvious suggestion.

It's all fair that you may assume that (although I'm quite insulted)I may be someone pretending I don't cheat, but I wasn't even playing any online games for a period of a number of months when I was banned.

And just for the record, I don't know how to cheat even if I wanted to, which also - for the record - I don't.

 

[The Brick]

As I said, VAC is only triggered when you play a multiplayer game while there is something directly messing with the core game files. There's no other way to get banned except using recognized cheats. Otherwise someone else must have cheated on your account. Too bad.

 

[Rennmniscant]

As I said, VAC is only triggered when you play a multiplayer game while there is something directly messing with the core game files. There's no other way to get banned except using recognized cheats. Otherwise someone else must have cheated on your account. Too bad.

So I've lost CS: S and HL2: DM, anybody have any suggestions how to prevent this happening again? (Assuming that I would fork out for another Valve product ever again...)

I've given up on hoping for a response from Valve. I followed the procedure for posting a query by giving proof of purchase and more ID numbers than you can poke a stick at. I haven't had a reply in 4 days and counting.

My forum posts on the official steam forums have fallen on deaf ears. So deaf in fact that my posts have been removed, my thread on the topic gone, and my account deleted.
Yep.
Gone.
Can't log in, or even ask for my password with my email. You can check for yourself, try searching for any posts by Rennmniscant on steampowered.com

Is it worth getting a new account and re-buying, or will I just get banned for no particular reason again despite my efforts?

 

[The Brick]

Have you even read this?
http://support.steampowered.com/cgi-bin/steampowered.cfg/php/enduser/std_adp.php?p_faqid=370

There is no way to appeal your VAC ban, since it can't turn up a false positive. Your thread on the steamforums were probably deleted because you didn't read the FAQ.

 

[Rennmniscant]

Yes, I have read that FAQ, and I made it clear in the post on steam forums that I had. I was asking to see if there was another avenue to take, or some way to make an appeal.

I didn't keep a copy of my post on the forums, but it was based on my support request I sent off.

I feel I have been wrongly accused of cheating on a secure server by the Valve Anti-Cheat System. I fully support the system, although I have not played an online game for a number of months. I was checking through my account details when I realised there has been a ban placed on me for some VAC servers for a cheating infringement I did not do. I am the sole user of this account, and nobody else knows my password, or even has access to this computer. I myself have never cheated, nor wanted to, and have no knowledge of how to do so even if I wanted to.

Is there anything I can do to lift this ban? I am aware that Steam Support cannot lift the ban, but is there another avenue that I can take?

After some more browsing on the forums, I found a template for support, so I attached it to my query with all necessary information.

In search for an answer on a forum, I was linked to this list of what information may assist in resolving my situation.

1. Steam account name.

****

2. The last e-mail address you used on the account.

****

3. You must provide verification for the account:
* If you registered software purchased at a retail location, please include a digital photo or scan of a CD Key registered to your account. Please write your Steam account username on the quick reference card or CD Key sticker below the code in permanent ink.

See 4 jpeg attachments. I was given a copy of Half-Life 2 Collectors Edition as a Christmas present in 2004, which included Counter-Strike: Source, and Half-Life 2: Deathmatch. With the exception of a brief playing of a demo of the mod titled Dystopia, those are the only 2 games I have played online through Steam.

4. Approximate timeframe of hijacking. (Provide the date and time if possible)

I have not played an online game on Steam for more than 5 months. I recall playing Half-Life 2: Deathmatch once during late April/early May this year only, and both Counter-Strike: Source and Half-Life 2: Deathmatch during 2004, 2005 and 2006, during which times I was able to play without a ban. Today, the 11th of October 2007, is the first time I have encountered the ban. I have never been kicked from a server for cheating or misconduct, and only a small number of times for latency issues.

5. The method the hijacker used, if you know how your account was compromised.

Nobody other than myself has ever had any form of access to my account. My steam password is remembered so to avoid key loggers, and is protected by my windows login password, which is different to my Steam password. I have an installed subscription to PC-Cillin virus protector and firewall, and have all recommended Windows Security features enabled. How a hijacker could access my account is beyond my understanding and control.

In my steam forum post, I also detailed visiting that FAQ and others related to submitting a query. And also, since submitting my inquiry, I found my playing history, which says the last time I played was 7th of April 2007, CS: S at 12:56am, and HL2: DM at 1:38am.

And is asking questions about bans seriously a reason to delete an account on a forum? Fair enough they may delete or censor a post, or a thread in the most extreme cases, but any trace at all of my presence on the forum?

 

[Dekstar]

Tips to make sure your account doesn't get stolen again: make your password better/stronger.

 

[Rennmniscant]

Tips to make sure your account doesn't get stolen again: make your password better/stronger.

My issue still remains: The password I have is as long as a wet week, and as obscure as these references, but still my account has (possibly) been compromised.
Great advice for anyone reading this though.

Does anyone know of maybe a known program, or list thereof, that can have a negative effect on steam?

 

[DiSTuRbEd]

Does anyone know of maybe a known program, or list thereof, that can have a negative effect on steam?

You only get a VAC banned when a known cheat is hooked onto your dll files of your client.