A Word of Warning «12...Next Go

Bettyboop55

Apologies for no avatars but I have no computer at the moment.

Following a discussion here on the Forum I decided to download CUSTARD. Not because I use CC but because I like to upload to the Exchange and wanted to offer reassurance to all those who believe anything uploaded is riddled with bad CC.

So I got an MTS account read instructions and tried to download the programme. I never got the programme what I got was two Trojans. Fortunately my vc did its job but the laptop has to be disinfected. This is going to cost me serious money and I am not best pleased.

Let me say there is no problem with CUSTARD but there is a problem with the MTS site. If you can find a way to safely download and use CUSTARD then do. I am not clever with IT which is partly why I am in this mess. However there were no warnings about the potential dangers in the instructions or videos I watched.

Just a couple of things. I was definitely on the MTS site and I used a link I found on the Forum to get there. I was logged in and I definitely tried to download CUSTARD.

Those who feel the need to be sarcastic or who want to poke fun need not respond. I am not a troll and I have not banged my head recently.

I will repeat again there is nothing wrong with CUSTARD.

As for me the repair shop says my saved games can be sorted out so my latest project is safe (one world 2 houses and 30 sims so far). I will continue to play vanilla. And from where I am standing the Exchange seems a much safer bet than anything else.

Zeri

thank you for the warning! i used to use custard but dont haven it anymore and considered downloading it again. ill be extra careful. it was/is a useful tool for managing simpack content

TreyNutz

I've never had problems with MTS from viruses or trojans. The Exchange, on the other hand, has given me very objectionable CC along with the things I've tried downloading. I won't touch it now.

Brennachan

I had the same problem last year -- the exact same thing happened to me. It completely destroyed my computer. I feel for you!

Rflong7

Hi

That's terrible! I'm glad your saves are okay and sorry about your computer.
Hopefully mts will fix it. If it's from an ad or a bad link- I'm not knowledgeable about it.

Hopefully I won't need to download it again.

ceejay402

sorry to hear, but i too have never had an issues with MTS and i have been using them for years. i suggest you contact MTS folks - posting it here wont resolve the problem but also know if you have an outdated system or browser you can get infected anywhere on the web, good luck

Bettyboop55

I don't know what happened. I clicked download then agreed to the end user agreement . The laptop went crackers as the vc kicked in. Perhaps I was just plain unlucky. Both vc and browser are up to date. I think my agreeing to the end user was the way in. My brother who is in IT says these things are tricky but I should not have been so stupid to download from an unofficial site.

As some of you know I am normally v cautious which is why I keep my game vanilla. It is a pain because some CC is beautiful and lots of friends have never had a problem with MTS.

As for MTS I will post there when calmer. I was definitely logged on when this all happened I don't think MTS will know what happened either.

The laptop is with the experts now and I will have my saves. Right now I am grateful for that

Seera1024

MTS is the official site for CUSTARD so it isn't because you downloaded it from an unofficial site. Hopefully the issue is fixed sooner rather than later with whatever has stowed away with the download.

I have also not had an issue with MTS. At least not related to viruses, but it's been a little while and I was going after Sims 2 CC and not CUSTARD. My problem is it's too easy to go on a CC spree there and end up with too much CC.

Bettyboop55

Hello Seera the vc stopped and isolated the Trojans so the matter is sorted. I am leaving it to the experts and paying a lot of money for them to remove and disinfect.

Unofficial in this context means non EA. MTS actually says that in the disclaimer.

I have no problem with CUSTARD and I am sure friends would not have encouraged me to use MTS if they had problems with the site.

All I ask is people take care when downloading

There is plenty of good CC out there but also some really bad which means it is not worth the risk for some of us

igazor

I just went to the MTS site and found the page for Custard. There is a nice, big, friendly looking green button on the right that says "Start Download (for free)!" That is not Custard, that is an ad encouraging you to d/l something totally unrelated -- possibly this is where you got your EULA and trojans from?

Under the Files tab, there is a download called CUSTARD.rar. That is MTS content. There is no EULA to agree to associated with this download.

I hate those misleading looking ads as much as the next person, but MTS uses that ad service to pay their bills as do many other sites. They have no direct control over what kind of bad stuff gets displayed there (actually, in this case GoogleAds does).

Bettyboop55

Hello igazor you may be right as I remember a green button. It wasn't very well signposted as an ad. Still the damage is done and I am paying for the mistake. People still need to take care perhaps even more so because it looks all very innocent.

I will not be using MTS again. Once bitten and all that.

As I keep saying there is no problem with CUSTARD.

ajaxpost

A lot of 'free' download sites use deliberate misdirection to get you to download something else that they (presumably) get paid for instead of, or at least, as well as the file you actually went there to get.

On any of those site you have to be very careful to check that you only click the link that goes specifically to the file you want and that is usually the smallest, most hidden way link on the page!

Glad to hear that your AV software managed to spot it in time.

igazor

MTS could perhaps be faulted for not subscribing to a more sane ad service to pay their way. But honestly, those misleading ad buttons are all over the Internet. Whenever downloading from a site one is not all that familiar with, it's a good idea to hover the mouse cursor over the d/l button to see if the address it's pointing to makes sense. Others prefer to use a browser that can make use of an ad-block extension (such as Firefox) so they don't have to see the ads in the first place.

Bily_jednorozec

Hi, Betty! I'm sorry for what happened to you.
Yes, sometimes is very hard to find right download button. You have evaluate so much, where clicking something. This is for me too irritating - because requested button for free download is obviously less colourfull and near hidden (not speaking only about MTS) - especially on free sites or where you haven't premium = no-adds membership (or on sites with discutable content).
1) You may still right click on button, from where you wanted to download - and copy link. (or link of page, from where you want download). Then past it here
http://www.webutations.info/ or here http://global.sitesafety.trendmicro.com/ and wait for result.
2) If is this ok, proceed with left click on download button.
3) After downloading make scanning all downloaded files with antivirus AND antimalvare - before installing (or opening images)
4) If is this OK and you don't know nothing about downloaded program, copy the whole name of the downloaded thing and past it in http://lmgtfy.com/ "what does <name of the downloaded thing> on my PC?" (by this way I've saved myself from using RegCureProSetup.exe linked on MIcrosoft site)
5) Decompress it and scan it again
6) Then you can proceed with installation
Be aware (I think I don't let my children use my PC on I-net autonomously untill they will reach at least 30 years) - it requires to be still awake

KATENESS

Recently on MTS I had several times where I tried to look at something (one time it was just the next page) and it took me to a different site and it said something about Google catching it as bad. Of course now I forget the word it used. I want to sale it was something like Malware or Trojan. See how tech savvy I am?

Anyway, every time I wouldn't click anything and just used the back button to get out of it. But after it happened enough times I just closed out of MTS for that day. I have't had any issues, but it was pretty annoying and vaguely scary.

MelanieSimlish

I've never trusted MTS either, but I especially don't trust the Exchange. I would highly, highly recommend that you stay away from it, because I and countless other Simmers have gotten tons of corrupt CC into their games from the Exchange. It always manages to find its way in—even if the item itself didn't have CC in it, you still wind up, 9 times out of 10, with a piece or two of bad CC floating through your game. I mean, download from it if you want, but I'm warning you that it is even more unsafe than MTS.

TadOlson

I've never had any of those issues since I got adblockers for my browsers.I did get a serious issue once when my game started to patch to 157 through the launcher and AVG warned me about something called Hotshot downloading with the patch file.I was lucky to have created a system restore point just before the launcher tried to patch my game without my wanting to patch.I ended up having to do a system restore to reverse the situation and manage to open my launcher with internet off and turn the automatic update off.I also found out I was patched to 155 after the system restore.I was just one of a large group to be affected by the corrupt game patch.I heard of others having computers destroyed by this hotshots and I was lucky the first time it got in from a Google search.It just caused a major annoyance that time and was just an inconvenience the second time it tried to get in.

SimsplyRuth

Downloading from MTS is easy if irritating to me. At the top of the first page - the one that describes the mod/object/download - is a tab that says "Files" - you find the download on this page. Anything else that says "download" is not the created item. I have never had any problems with any lot/cas item/mod/etc. which I have downloaded from MTS. They even tell us when a creator has not been on the site for a while so you know the download may not be up to date with the game version. - I did have problems with every "free" download from TSR, including the infamous doll and several malwares plus a virus.

Snosrap522

I have used MTS from Sims 2 day's never had any problem always go to files for your downloads they are always ZIP/RAR files never buttons. The community would have many more problems and issues without Delphy on MTS.

WaytoomanyUIDs

Yeah, that sounds definitely sounds like a dodgy ad. But if you don't report it to ModTheSims, then they can't report it to Google Adsense, so it won't get fixed. Although Google are pretty lax about taking down those ads.

SimChic1

Thank you for posting this. I'm leaning more towards it having been the ad but better safe than sorry so I'll be holding off downloading Custard for now Good to hear your saves and such will still be there

Bettyboop55

Thank you all for coming back to me with helpful and positive responses. Thanks also for not calling me stupid

The latest news from the IT people is the Trojan called astronomers is proving difficult to remove and that they may have to restore. This is not good as I have not backed up for a while please keep all fingers and toes crossed. They have also recommended AVG and I see some of you already use it.

I appreciate some of you are a lot more computer savvy than me and I am very glad. For the rest of us it is a case of take care.

I will repeat I play vanilla but I know of plenty who use CC without problems. I also know of those whose games have been corrupted by bad CC. The choice of how we play is a personal one and I think CUSTARD offers more safe playing choices.

As for MTS my first and only visit was not a success. The site may not control what is advertised there but what is to stop them posting a health warning ? I will be posting there once I have my laptop back with its super strength vc

pepperw1

Not all virus software, no matter what they say or promise, can prevent all viruses or trojans. If you read carefully, they all will tell you that.

Bettyboop55

Hello Pepper I agree about the software, the one I have at the moment did a reasonable job in isolating the problem but I want something a little stronger the best situation of all is not to put it to the test. I could kick myself

pepperw1

Please don't take this wrong, but think about this. If a computer tech can't get rid of it without formatting it, no anti virus software can. I had to format a friend of mine's computer not long ago do to one. I tried various anti virus and trogan remover programs, to no avail. I still had to format it. I'm very sorry this happened to you.

Bettyboop55

I have learnt a valuable lesson my brother did warn me a rebuild might be necessary. I am speaking to the owner tomorrow and if he says restore then that's what needs to happen. I have some of the sims in my studio but more importantly my rescue sims are on the external hard drive.

18 months ago I watched my previous laptop crash and burn when the motherboard blew. The IT shop managed to recover some of the sims and they are safe. It is all very sad and I am annoyed at the expense but it is survivable who knows what rises from the ashes might be much better )

You are good and kind friend