dslreports logo
 
    All Forums Hot Topics Gallery
spc
Search similar:


uniqs
6337

KoRnGtL15
Premium Member
join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR

KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

Leave anti-virus running when playing online games?

I was curious. Can you get a virus when playing online games? Especially using Steam? Not sure to leave my anti-virus program running when playing or disabling it? I have heard when playing games. It is best to close every thing and disable anti-virus for issues do not occur.

dandelion
MVM
join:2003-04-29
Germantown, TN

1 recommendation

dandelion

MVM

I have always played games with firewall and antivirus on without problems.
maxey13
Premium Member
join:2001-06-02
Anderson, IN

maxey13 to KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

to KoRnGtL15
Never have disabled anti-virus with steam. Are you running low on memory?

KoRnGtL15
Premium Member
join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR

KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

No memory issue. I have 3.0gb. I was just curious if mainly anti virus running can cause game issues and if you can get a virus with it disabled. When playing online against people.

Thug21
Just Chillin'
Premium Member
join:2005-08-21

1 edit

Thug21

Premium Member

It might depend on the particular AV, PC specs and game. I always leave my AV on.

Telly Boot
Premium Member
join:2002-05-15
Vancouver, BC

1 recommendation

Telly Boot to KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

to KoRnGtL15
Leave it on, do not disable it.

You can get a gaming version of NAV that supposedly is better, possibly it doesn't do any alerts or background scanning while you are playing:
»www.symantec.com/en/us/n ··· -edition
But you can also set other standard NAV versions like NIS or Norton 360 to 'Gaming' or 'Silent' mode.

KoRnGtL15
Premium Member
join:2007-01-04
Grants Pass, OR

KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

I am using Avira 9 Premium Edition. Do not see any kind of game mode or any thing like that.

Smith6612
MVM
join:2008-02-01
North Tonawanda, NY
·Charter
Ubee EU2251
Ubiquiti UAP-IW-HD
Ubiquiti UniFi AP-AC-HD

2 edits

Smith6612 to KoRnGtL15

MVM

to KoRnGtL15
I never disable my anti-virus unless there are severe false positives going around (I use Avast! and a few weeks ago during that FP fiasco I disabled it overnight). Even then, it's only for a few hours where I'm not doing a single thing on the Internet. In games, my box is fast enough to the point where regardless of the A/V being on or not, it doesn't affect the speed at which things run, even during scans running in the background.

goalieskates
Premium Member
join:2004-09-12
land of big

goalieskates to KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

to KoRnGtL15
If it came to a choice of playing a game or running my AV, I'd run the AV. No game's worth the potential trouble of being infected.

Keizer
I'M Your Huckleberry
MVM
join:2003-01-20

Keizer to KoRnGtL15

MVM

to KoRnGtL15
Click for full size
I leave both my firewall, and AV on during a gaming session. I'm running Avast 5 beta, and it has a "Silent/Gaming mode" setting which is great for game play. No message interruptions.

Thug21
Just Chillin'
Premium Member
join:2005-08-21

3 edits

Thug21 to KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

to KoRnGtL15
said by KoRnGtL15:

I am using Avira 9 Premium Edition. Do not see any kind of game mode or any thing like that.
Do you mean the AV only or the suite?

I don't think I've seen a game mode for an AV, just a suite with a firewall. I use Avira as well and have no issues gaming with it on.

Game mode is available by right clicking the tray icon and then firewall->game mode. Just don't leave that mode on as it turns off outbound access pop-ups for the firewall.

If your programs are already allowed through, no need for game mode. And you can always add a program to be allowed in the Avira configuration before you even launch the game.

I also have AV updates set to invisible.
nonymous (banned)
join:2003-09-08
Glendale, AZ

1 recommendation

nonymous (banned) to KoRnGtL15

Member

to KoRnGtL15
How can you call yourself a gamer. They run naked no av, no firewall, no nat. They need those last milli seconds to compete.
wolfy339
join:2005-04-30
Edmonds, WA

wolfy339 to KoRnGtL15

Member

to KoRnGtL15
I keep my AV and FW running while I play any game online, especially games like Counter-Strike which are known to download content such as audio and maps. The simple reason is that while Valve may claim that there is no possible way you can get a virus, I don't trust them enough to let the protection that my AV and FW provide go by the way side, I simply see no reason to disable AV or FW ever.

Weasel
Premium Member
join:2001-12-03
Minnesota

Weasel to KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

to KoRnGtL15
Run with it on, its fine.

Mr Fel
INTJ - The Architect
Premium Member
join:2008-03-17
Louisville, KY
Asus RT-N66

Mr Fel to nonymous

Premium Member

to nonymous
There are gamers, and then there are gamers who know better

@ OP I've been a gamer for years and never have disabled my AV while running, with the one exception of my computer not being hooked up to the internet at the time.

caffeinator
Coming soon to a cup near you..
Premium Member
join:2005-01-16
00000

2 edits

caffeinator to KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

to KoRnGtL15
My A/V and Firewall are never off, especially when playing possibly vindictive & hostile people online. Things like MMOG's attract hackers like flies.

I do turn down the alerts/notfications and such though so things like update notices don't bug me.

An A/V does ya no good being off.

Remember, it's just a game...your computer's health and security is more important.
quote:
I have heard when playing games. It is best to close every thing and disable anti-virus for issues do not occur.
Sure, they'd love to p0wn ya...it'd be best for them alrite.
You know how much a WoW account sells for on CL?

DrModem
Trust Your Doctor
Premium Member
join:2006-10-19
USA

1 edit

DrModem to KoRnGtL15

Premium Member

to KoRnGtL15
said by KoRnGtL15:

Can you get a virus when playing online games?
No.

Edit: epic paranoia in this thread.
wolfy339
join:2005-04-30
Edmonds, WA

wolfy339

Member

said by DrModem:
said by KoRnGtL15:

Can you get a virus when playing online games?
No.

Edit: epic paranoia in this thread.
I Must respectfully disagree. Granted, I will say that the risk of getting a virus from playing a game like Diablo or Diablo II over battlenet may be low, there are other games out there that download maps and other content for use by the game. I am not going to say anything in this thread about security vulnerabilities (discovered or not) in game clients as I believe this would be more appropriate for another thread. I may sound paranoid here, however, when a game like counter-strike (1.6 or Source) is downloading maps, graphics, sounds, etc from a server you play on (i.e. not Valve's CDN) how do you know it does not contain a virus? The overarching point I am trying to make is: how are you sure you cannot get a virus from playing games online (especially ones where content is downloaded)?

Mr Fel
INTJ - The Architect
Premium Member
join:2008-03-17
Louisville, KY

1 edit

Mr Fel

Premium Member

I've seen that happen with downloaded user content on Garry's Mod.

Edit: My grammar skills suck today.

DrModem
Trust Your Doctor
Premium Member
join:2006-10-19
USA

1 edit

DrModem to wolfy339

Premium Member

to wolfy339
You find me one person who had a clean PC and was infected through an online game and I will retract my statement.

In 5 years of gaming I have yet to run into that person.

Mr Fel
INTJ - The Architect
Premium Member
join:2008-03-17
Louisville, KY

Mr Fel

Premium Member

I can introduce you to several.
wolfy339
join:2005-04-30
Edmonds, WA

wolfy339 to Mr Fel

Member

to Mr Fel
said by Mr Fel:

I've seen that happen with downloaded user content on Garry's Mod.

Edit: My grammar skills suck today.
To be clear: you have seen what happen? a computer get infected by content (maps, graphics, sounds, etc) downloaded for use by the game?

DrModem
Trust Your Doctor
Premium Member
join:2006-10-19
USA

1 edit

DrModem to Mr Fel

Premium Member

to Mr Fel
said by Mr Fel:

I can introduce you to several.
Mind recounting some stories? I'm skeptical.

If this was doable, I would think that it would be happening with frightening regularity, but like I said I have never seen it happen to a single gamer or even heard of it happening to a gamer until you said it just now.

caffeinator
Coming soon to a cup near you..
Premium Member
join:2005-01-16
00000

1 edit

caffeinator to DrModem

Premium Member

to DrModem
said by DrModem:

You find me one person who had a clean PC and was infected through an online game and I will retract my statement.

In 5 years of gaming I have yet to run into that person.
Lets not forget the gaming as an attack vector...while gaming you'll likely to be on IM/TS/Etc. talking to multiple people you don't really know. People you'd otherwise not trust at all.

I do know people who've been owned because so-and-so teammate said to download this map/skin/cheat or what not...guess what, it was a trojan.

DrModem
Trust Your Doctor
Premium Member
join:2006-10-19
USA

1 edit

DrModem

Premium Member

said by caffeinator:

I do know people who've been owned because so-and-so teammate said to download this map/skin/cheat or what not...guess what, it was a trojan.
That's not being infected while playing the game. That's being infected by downloading 3rd party files and opening them while out of the game. That happens all the time.

Mr Fel
INTJ - The Architect
Premium Member
join:2008-03-17
Louisville, KY
Asus RT-N66

Mr Fel to wolfy339

Premium Member

to wolfy339
Friend decided to try a new map from a server, which has been taken down since then, that didn't have the Valve Anti-Cheat turned on. A few moments after it downloaded and while the supposed map was loading the screen went to bsod. Turned it off and turned it back on to see that the pc was now stuck into a continuous reboot cycle. Had to go back home to pick up bootable AV disc and let it run its course.

So I now strongly recommend staying away from any server not running Valve Anti-Cheat on it.

caffeinator
Coming soon to a cup near you..
Premium Member
join:2005-01-16
00000

caffeinator to DrModem

Premium Member

to DrModem
Wrong. It was during a game.

You never have IM or other apps open while gaming?

DrModem
Trust Your Doctor
Premium Member
join:2006-10-19
USA

DrModem

Premium Member

said by caffeinator:

Wrong. It was during a game.

You never have IM or other apps open while gaming?
I have IM apps on.

caffeinator
Coming soon to a cup near you..
Premium Member
join:2005-01-16
00000

2 edits

caffeinator

Premium Member

Well, there ya go.

Elevated trust levels...team member sends you a file while playing, do ya open it?

Or, your distracted by the game, and just click where you might normally think about it more...

It's social engineering.

DrModem
Trust Your Doctor
Premium Member
join:2006-10-19
USA

DrModem

Premium Member

said by caffeinator:

Well, there ya go.

Elevated trust levels...team member sends you a file while playing, do ya open it?
So you are saying if I minimize a game to download a zip file from someone through IM and open it and it's a virus, it counts as being "infected by a virus by playing the game"?