Worried About Exe. Files(Dangerous)

[Kifflom112 355]

This is a little off topic, but haves to do with SC4 Deluxe, the one I bought at Best Buy, not downloaded. I like to download good stuff from the STEX and the LEX. And that good stuff so happens to be exe. files, which could be dangerous. Well think they wouldn't be because both of these sites are safe sites but my dad doesn't want me to download them and I have to get rid of them because my dad says they are not safe. Well, I'd like to say to him that when I install the exe. files they just turn into readmes and dat. files and I delete the exe installer, but keep the dat. files, so I still have my stuff. Well, my dad uses some sorry excuse that his laptop is acting up due to these exe. files when I made sure that they are safe with Norton, but he says it acts bizarre. I can prove him wrong. I played on his laptop before and after I installed SC4 and got exe. files, but I found nothing different. The laptop acts a little supid like before, but it has not acted different, I only say High CPU usage by SC4. So I really need somebody's advice who has knowledge about exe. files or has downloaded many. Have any of you experienced anything weird. And are the exe. files on this site dangerous?

[Yarahi 1,823]

I feel sorry for you Zulu! I have dl'ed & installed more than 4 Gb of files for SC4 from both Stex & Lex & loads of foreign sites.. Never experienced any problems with them.

[CaptCity 4,893]

Like Yarahi, I've downloaded and used/tested gigs and gigs (I couldn't even guess) of files from all of the major SimCity exchanges (foreign and domestic - except EA) and have never had any issues. I guess if you wanted to be safe, you could stick to manual zip files (no executables). Almost all files on the STEX are of that type. If it's NAM and it's related addons you're concerned with (which do use executables), they do come in a manual versions also.

[Kifflom112 355]

Thanks, I'll show this to him. I have not experienced any problems but he claims he has. But I might get my own computer so oh well.

[Mister Giggles 310]

This site, as well as SC4devotion, have an impeccable record for the cleanliness of their files. To date, I've yet to encounter one with a virus in it. I, too, have downloaded gig upon gig of material. I estimate thousands of files over a 6 year downloading lifetime.

If your father is still concerned (And his concerns ARE valid, if his methods for protection are not), he may consider installing additional precautions such as Spybot: Search and Destroy:

http://www.safer-networking.org/en/index.html

And Malware Bytes:

http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free

Obviously they come in .exe form, and he won't trust them, but a simple Google search will confirm these links as being clean and the programs valid. The idea here is that they are additional layers of protection for your computer.

  Edited August 7, 2011 by Mister Giggles  

[Kifflom112 355]

Okay, I'll try.

[Mister Giggles 310]

As bizarre as this may sound, if he still does not believe you/us, you could ask him to directly express his concerns to me in this thread and I will do my best to assuage them.

No one should be denied the STEX. <_<

[Follarch 327]

Don't download Malware Bytes, you can't trust it. I've used it and it wasn't useful at all. Had a virus on my laptop once, scanned with Malware Bytes and told me my computer was fine while it was still infected.

Use Microsoft Security Essentials. Free, and it's from a major corporation. Been using it for a while and it catches a lot of stuff and gives you realtime protection, it'll tell you something's wrong as it's happening and gives you the option to clean it without manually scanning.

[theman2000 0]

Simtropolis, SC4Devotion and all other popular websites mentioned shouldn't pose a viable threat to your laptop. Just dont go to the official site that EA set up, after they abandoned ship on this hallmark game the download site was allowed to run rampant -- and host viruses.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

If you have Norton and don't trust it, scrap it and go to McAfee. This is the same company, but McAfee is more for a commercial user than a home user. I suspect it costs more too. I used it when I was on Windows because the college where I was working used it, so I got it free. They trusted this product to protect the entire school net of over 1,000 terminals including the WiFi net.

In the past, I found that the overheads and mothering in Norton were more than I could bear, but then I've been a computer professional for fifty years.

[Jamesrules90 133]

Norton and Mcaffe and anywhere near as cpu and ram intensive as they used to be, but you have to remember that programs like malwarebytes and spybot and tailored specificly for spyware and things not for conventional viruses and the same for Norton and Mcafe being aimed at viruses rather than spyware.

[Mister Giggles 310]

There is also a free offering for anti-virus protection:

http://www.avast.com/en-us/free-antivirus-download

Solid anti-virus, I've used it for years.

Microsoft Essentials, by the way, is also a good program. It doesn't matter what you use, though, for the most part...as long as you keep it updated and use it.

[Blood_Avenger 1]

As far as the entire community is concerned: SC4 is safe and everything from the STEX is secure.....so i think we covered the base problems that your dad has, anything else should be ignored

[jacksunny 741]

Don't download Malware Bytes, you can't trust it. I've used it and it wasn't useful at all. Had a virus on my laptop once, scanned with Malware Bytes and told me my computer was fine while it was still infected.

Really? When I first downloaded and ran Malwarebytes, it found 10 things that MS Security Essentials didn't.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Notwithstanding all the flack about .exe files being dangerous, getting out of bed in the morning is dangerous. You might trip over your socks and hit your head on the bedstead.

If you have a decent active virus scanner, you can always individually scan any file you download, probably for the second time. People should not run without a trusted virus scanner and proper software daemons for protection. There are too many evil intents out there.

However, the player-based exchanges we all normally use are moderated, and are therefore supervised with respect to content. No shred of taint has ever been attached to the STEX, LEX or PLEX.

Any other attitude is simply paranoia.

  Edited August 9, 2011 by A Nonny Moose  

[jacksunny 741]

Just don't download from the exchange on the official site and you will be okay.