How to remove nGameGuard entirely.

[Ashkins]

NOTE: Non-specific Tutorial found here.

STEP 1

Remove Alliance of Valiant Arms from your Steam library by right-clicking on it and selecting "Remove local content".

STEP 2

Browse to C:\Program Files\Steam\SteamApps\Common.
Remove the file called "ava" and empty the recycle bin to eliminate it completely.

STEP 3

If you have a 32-bit system, go to C:\Windows\System32 and carefully remove the files "npptnt2.sys" and "nppt9x.vxd" from the folder. If you have a 64 bit system, do the same thing on your 64 folder.
Empty the bin again to ensure complete removal.

STEP 4

Open the registry editor by clicking on the Start menu and typing in "regedit" on the search bar.
If you have an older OS, open "run" fist, then type "regedit".

This is the hard part. Be extremely careful.
On the registry editor, browse over to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\servic es\npggsvc and remove everything BUT the first file. (Which should be called "default" or something like that.)

Afterwards, close the editor and browse to C:\Program Files\Common Files. There'll be a folder called INCA Shared.
Remove it and emtpy the bin once again.


Reboot your computer.
Ta-♥♥♥♥ing-da.


Thanks for the Knife, Valve. ♥

[MafiaGuy7]

Enjoy your rep. Thank you for posting this.

[Atylonisus]

I can't help but wonder, why EXACTLY was a keylogger necessary to begin with?

[Cimlite]

Originally Posted by Atylonisus

I can't help but wonder, why EXACTLY was a keylogger necessary to begin with?

Game Guard itself does not contain a keylogger... but apparently in some titles it has been bundle with another tool called Keycrypt. It's function is to stop keyloggers from reading your keystrokes.

The way it does this is to function like a keylogger itself, capturing the keystrokes before any other program can get at them and encrypting them.

As to the "why?", I'm assuming it's to protect users entering their login information in the games it comes with.

Problem with that is of course that if you don't trust the company behind this software, their promise of increased security means nothing. It's the same thing as Game Guard, it's meant to help you... but since it's made like a rootkit and we can't even see if it's running it just feels shady.

Originally Posted by JosephLeakey

I deleted everything in that particular branch. What disadvantages am I exposed to?

None what so ever, it does not matter.

[UKCS-Alias]

Originally Posted by Cimlite

As to the "why?", I'm assuming it's to protect users entering their login information in the games it comes with.

No, by encrypting the keystrokes it becomes alot harder to mimic inputs using other programs. Basicly what bots do in some games. So on that part you basicly ensure that its a player.

It has to take the keylogger place to ensure its the first program to touch them.

EDIT: Even though its more likely it just uses the keys it gets using that way which basicly just excludes the other method. And then encrypting isnt even needed.

[ton de mo nai]

Originally Posted by Cimlite

Game Guard itself does not contain a keylogger... but apparently in some titles it has been bundle with another tool called Keycrypt. It's function is to stop keyloggers from reading your keystrokes.

The way it does this is to function like a keylogger itself, capturing the keystrokes before any other program can get at them and encrypting them.

Stopping keyloggers is stated as a feature of GameGuard on the nProtect website, so why would this extra tool be bundled with it?

[Tilown]

Hang on does removing Game Guard remove the key logger too?
I hope so.

[done goofed]

Originally Posted by Tilown

Hang on does removing Game Guard remove the key logger too?
I hope so.

^ this

[Cimlite]

Originally Posted by UKCS-Alias

No, by encrypting the keystrokes it becomes alot harder to mimic inputs using other programs. Basicly what bots do in some games. So on that part you basicly ensure that its a player.

It has to take the keylogger place to ensure its the first program to touch them.

EDIT: Even though its more likely it just uses the keys it gets using that way which basicly just excludes the other method. And then encrypting isnt even needed.

It might make it harder, sure... that's not what that particular software is for. It's also used in a lot of non-game services etc.

Originally Posted by ton de mo nai

Stopping keyloggers is stated as a feature of GameGuard on the nProtect website, so why would this extra tool be bundled with it?

Keycrypt is not only used for games, they sell this software to lots of other sites and services. They also don't work the same way. GameGuard is focused on blocking certain software from running, where as Keycrypt is focused on making it hard for running software from interpreting your keystrokes.

Originally Posted by BYTG_Then_Run!

there is no such thing as system64. you will have a system32 no matter what bit your windows OS is.

couldn't find the files mentioned in that folder on windows 7 64bit but the file responsible for the service is GameMon.des which resides in C:\system32\

Check "C:\Windows\SysWOW64" as well on a 64-bit system.

[BYTG_Then_Run!]

Originally Posted by Cimlite

Check "C:\Windows\SysWOW64" as well on a 64-bit system.

thanks forgot about that syswow folder
but why didn't search bring up the files (found them) in that folder?

[Kitteh of Doom]

When i go to the npggsvc folder i have folders called WOW64,Start,Type and Objects Name, Error Control + all the GameGuard files. Can I really remove the files? I get a message that says that system can be unstable if I remove them. I really dont want my new PC to crash... Plz help!

[JosephLeakey]

Originally Posted by Ashkins

On the registry editor, browse over to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\servic es\npggsvc and remove everything BUT the first file. (Which should be called "default" or something like that.)

I deleted everything in that particular branch. What disadvantages am I exposed to?

[Trogdor1983]

Originally Posted by JosephLeakey

I deleted everything in that particular branch. What disadvantages am I exposed to?

Yeah me too

[MafiaGuy7]

Researching myself, I also never saw anything that said anything but to delete everything in the branch. Why wouldn't we want to delete the first file?

[sboles66]

I looked in my systyem 32, and i didn't have npptnt2.sys or nppt9x.vxd in it. is that good or bad?