VAC banned for no reason wtf?!

[94jp]

It's 2:17 AM.. with cold I can't sleep now that I am VAC banned

I was looking at my tf2 backpack to find out that I only had 5 items, so I quickly logged into the game seeing that I had 0 items. Then I finally realized that I was VAC banned.

I know that I didn't download any weird programs lately.
I know that I didn't hack .. or use any kind of mod.
I did however use sv_cheats previously (rarely) on my own server.. which shouldn't account for VAC ban correct?

I have already sent the ticket, but I am afraid of not getting ban lifted....
I did nothing wrong.. omg i can't sleep (((
and I am kinda sad and jarateed.

Does this happen? like .. false VAC ban? Isn't VAC like automated so there shouldn't be false positives?

Edit: Now to read that they are extremely rare... and that this happened to me only out of all friends on my steam, ahh!!!! so much stress. I am willing to provide EVERYTHING that I have done as far as I remember .. to get this unfair ban out of my way T_T .. Also if this is about trading, I have done some on tf2outpost and .. did buy one item from steam forums user with cash transaction through paypal.. (hope that's not bannable..)

[lillythemoogle]

Using cheats on a VAC secure server is grounds for a ban.

Edit: It's possible you got phished on that third party website. Paypal trades are not a good thing to do either.

[frankenchrist]

Remember that 'undetected' hack you used a month or so ago? Yea that one. Turns out it is detected after all.

[CTRL ALT DEL !]

Have you let anyone else use your account, do you use steam guard. Have you try to get free games lately and it didn't work? Have you played at someone else's place. Have you installed any modes on anything to the game.

It is highly unlikely it's a false ban, but they can happen, you only option if to ask support to look at the ban and verify it was a cheat and not a modified file.

If it was a modified file there is a possibility that something else other than you modified it, but I have yet to see a virus that modifies game files.

Try scanning your computer, if you have an infection and it is in tf2 and it did affect a game dll or exe. Maybe you didn't cheat. I would though zip you dll and exe files and upload them for support to look at if they are infected or altered.

If you do upload them please link me the download so I can check them out. You never know you may have the first of a series of false bans like in MW2 some time back.

For your sake I hope it's VAC making a mistake, but for Valve I have to hope you are lying, that cost them a lot last time.

[Tito Shivan]

Considering VAC bans for cheat detection on your machine. It's highly likely that you have some sort of stuff running on your machine VAC picked up.

Running Sv_cheats commands in a server you run is not grounds for a ban. However, enabling them in a server without privileges (a somehow well known source cheat) will indeed grant you a ban.

Wait for support response, they will verify the validity of your ban.

If you cheated, learn the lesson and move on.
If you didn't (unlikely but possible), hope you get things sorted out.

/inb4 BurtonJ appearance

[quickanddead]

Originally Posted by 94jp

It's 2:17 AM.. with cold I can't sleep now that I am VAC banned

I was looking at my tf2 backpack to find out that I only had 5 items, so I quickly logged into the game seeing that I had 0 items. Then I finally realized that I was VAC banned.

I know that I didn't download any weird programs lately.
I know that I didn't hack .. or use any kind of mod.
I did however use sv_cheats previously (rarely) on my own server.. which shouldn't account for VAC ban correct?

I have already sent the ticket, but I am afraid of not getting ban lifted....
I did nothing wrong.. omg i can't sleep (((
and I am kinda sad and jarateed.

Does this happen? like .. false VAC ban? Isn't VAC like automated so there shouldn't be false positives?

Edit: Now to read that they are extremely rare... and that this happened to me only out of all friends on my steam, ahh!!!! so much stress. I am willing to provide EVERYTHING that I have done as far as I remember .. to get this unfair ban out of my way T_T .. Also if this is about trading, I have done some on tf2outpost and .. did buy one item from steam forums user with cash transaction through paypal.. (hope that's not bannable..)

Get well soon,being sick is bad,especially clogged nose.. But i am sorry,you got banned,gues for what?(*thinking why is vac banning people actually*) For cheating,believe it or not,there is 0.000001% of chance that you are banned by mistake and that VAC has gone frenzy,but as i said,statistics doesnt take your side this time.

[polka]

if items have been removed from your backpack, then someone else has had access to your account, maybe they cheated on your account?

vacbans aren't instant though, there's normally a delay.

[Tito Shivan]

Originally Posted by polka

if items have been removed from your backpack, then someone else has had access to your account, maybe they cheated on your account?

vacbans aren't instant though, there's normally a delay.

VAC bans carry the removal of the banned user's backpack contents (Except Store Bought Items, not sure about achievement ones)
If he got a TF2 ban, losing your items is part of the deal.

[polka]

Originally Posted by Tito Shivan

VAC bans carry the removal of the banned user's backpack contents (Except Store Bought Items, not sure about achievement ones)
If he got a TF2 ban, losing your items is part of the deal.

ah, I didn't know that, thx for that

[94jp]

Firstly, thank you all for replying.

Originally Posted by lillythemoogle

Using cheats on a VAC secure server is grounds for a ban.

Edit: It's possible you got phished on that third party website. Paypal trades are not a good thing to do either.

Even if I were to cheat, I am not dumb to cheat in VAC secure server. I may have been phished if the "steam login" just like "facebook login" from thirdparty website (tf2outpost.com)is a phishing site, but I thought many people use it.
Paypal trade was done, and if the steam chat is recorded, then they can look at history and I can tell you trade went well. He even left me a message on my steam profile (and this was only time)

Originally Posted by frankenchrist

Remember that 'undetected' hack you used a month or so ago? Yea that one. Turns out it is detected after all.

OH Thanks? lol I never used any sort of hack for tf2. What is the need? .. It's so gonna boost my medal count. Have I ever visited those "hacking" sites? I don't even know where they are and never attempted to even search them.

Originally Posted by CTRL ALT DEL !

Have you let anyone else use your account, do you use steam guard. Have you try to get free games lately and it didn't work? Have you played at someone else's place. Have you installed any modes on anything to the game.

It is highly unlikely it's a false ban, but they can happen, you only option if to ask support to look at the ban and verify it was a cheat and not a modified file.

If it was a modified file there is a possibility that something else other than you modified it, but I have yet to see a virus that modifies game files.

Try scanning your computer, if you have an infection and it is in tf2 and it did affect a game dll or exe. Maybe you didn't cheat. I would though zip you dll and exe files and upload them for support to look at if they are infected or altered.

If you do upload them please link me the download so I can check them out. You never know you may have the first of a series of false bans like in MW2 some time back.

For your sake I hope it's VAC making a mistake, but for Valve I have to hope you are lying, that cost them a lot last time.

I haven't let anyone else use my account except let my little brother play L4D2 and Portal 2. I did go to a very close friend's house several times, but I used my own laptop. I haven't installed any mods for the client.

HOWEVER, I do have sourcemod for my tf2 server, but taken down since mvm update, because it malfunctioned. Also tf2 server folder is a separate folder than the client folder. I installed this map: http://gamebanana.com/maps/50116 directly to my client folder. Other than that, nothing else. This is .bsp (map file), and I don't think this would have infringed any sort of VAC system.

Originally Posted by Tito Shivan

Considering VAC bans for cheat detection on your machine. It's highly likely that you have some sort of stuff running on your machine VAC picked up.

Running Sv_cheats commands in a server you run is not grounds for a ban. However, enabling them in a server without privileges (a somehow well known source cheat) will indeed grant you a ban.

Wait for support response, they will verify the validity of your ban.

If you cheated, learn the lesson and move on.
If you didn't (unlikely but possible), hope you get things sorted out.

/inb4 BurtonJ appearance

I know everyone's skepticism, but I would be too.
When I run sv_cheats, it disables the achievement system or something on the whole server, and this was done through server console, not through client.

Originally Posted by quickanddead

Get well soon,being sick is bad,especially clogged nose.. But i am sorry,you got banned,gues for what?(*thinking why is vac banning people actually*) For cheating,believe it or not,there is 0.000001% of chance that you are banned by mistake and that VAC has gone frenzy,but as i said,statistics doesnt take your side this time.

Thanks.. :O

Originally Posted by polka

if items have been removed from your backpack, then someone else has had access to your account, maybe they cheated on your account?

vacbans aren't instant though, there's normally a delay.

Okay. I still don't know what would infringe. For month or two ago, I played on my private server for mvm or duel with my friends, or get on trade server.


People also talk of something installed on my computer.
I am an website administrator on one of the website, and I take security seriously. There is no guarantee that I don't have a virus, but I am confident enough. I also host game server (MineCraft), so I try not to use my computer so often. It lags when I get on tf2.


Another question. The only most suspicious activity I have done is idling. After searching more efficient way to idle, I have found that you can just idle in your single player, then someone told me to do this.

cd "c:\Program Files\Steam"
start steam.exe -applaunch 440 -textmode -nosound -noipx -novid -nopreload -nojoy -sw +map "itemtest"

This is a setting I can do without installing any 3rd party programs. (well other than windows batch file -> command prompt)
Preloaded into steam, I don't think this will also cause me of VAC ban.

[eram]

The forums can't help you with a VAC ban. Youll have to wait for steam support to confirm the ban.

[Captain Ladle]

Originally Posted by eram

The forums can't help you with a VAC ban. Youll have to wait for steam support to confirm the ban.

Eram you forgot to lock it


Or at least I think you did

[cylon]

May as well be closed. We've had the helpful posts, the only thing that's going to come now is a steady steam of "lolz you cheated n00bz" posts.

[Lmb440]

Originally Posted by Captain Ladle

Eram you forgot to lock it


Or at least I think you did

Maybe he didn't lock it as it's a pretty civilised VAC ban thread.

It makes a nice change to be honest.

[Duckzyx]

Don´t know if this was posted already,but I´ve got some good and some bad news for you:

The bad news is this,taken directly from Steam Supports FAQ:

Regardless of who was using your account at the time it was banned, the use and security of your Steam account is your responsibility.

Even if Steam Support assumes that you were not the one using cheats on your account (because everyone´s innocent until proven guilty) they aren´t likely to lift the ban because of this very rule.

For future accounts I recommend you create a new,safe e-mail and use the steam guard function in order to minimize the chances of your account getting jacked.

This way someone will have to break into your house in order to steal it l0l



As for the good news:

Being a tf2 player I know how valuable items can be to most people.
In fact some spend most of their time trading instead of playing.
If you are one of them this should cheer you up:

(taken from steam support FAQ again)

We will investigate your account to confirm the hijacking took place and restore any items lost during the hijacking. If we cannot confirm your account was hijacked we will let you know and not restore any items.

So if your account was really jacked you´ll get your items back. Yay


Just see it positive: Your account has been VAC-banned but at least you get your items back,and then you may just transfer them to a new account and play on that one.

I hope your case gets solved