File from disk (because technically I did break it)

[lgfuad]

I wasn't sure if I should post this here or in the wcif thread. I have kind of an odd, probably not allowed request.

My first disk of the Bon Voyage is damaged. I tried doing the manual install, but there is one file that won't copy onto my hard drive. I was wondering if it was possible for someone to share the compressed file on disk one? Or would that not work because of the serial number? Well, if anyone could or would I'd appreciate it. 

[jolrei]

Conversely, you could simply "arrr" a copy of the EP - no more disk problems evar!  Get a no-cd crack and get rid of suck-u-rom while you're at it.

[lgfuad]

I did "arrr" Ikea, AL, and FT, but I'm nervous about it because presently, my new comp doesn't have antivirus.

Kind of off topic, but what were those things you were talking about? Do I have to download more stuff in order to play these "arrred" games? I didn't have to do that with the Ikea one.

[jolrei]

IKEA is a stuffpack, not a full EP.  All the EPs have their own Sims2EPX.exe file which is what loads the game.  If you run from the original .exe file, you will end up with Securom DRM software stealthily loaded onto your system.  If you have arred AL, you are already likely running from a no-cd crack, so you might be okay.  If you have questions about this, you should read the "how to get rid of Securom now" thread, which is stickied in the Podium.

Stuffpacks do not run "on their own".

As to your point about not having antivirus, there is no excuse for this.  There are a bunch of freeware, or cheap as free versions (Avast, Avira, and others) which will do the job and are available for download.  For suggestions, search MATY for "antivirus".

[lgfuad]

I just got the comp two days ago. I have to go buy the antivirus tonight. I didn't install the arrred al or ft yet. Just downloaded them. But one says it needs to be mounted on a disk, which is what I did for Ikea. I guess I'll have to obtain BV that way too.

Thanks for the help.

[Marhis]

I just got the comp two days ago. I have to go buy the antivirus tonight.

Buy? Seriously? Avast is free http://www.avast.com/eng/download-avast-home.html

[morriganrant]

I just got the comp two days ago. I have to go buy the antivirus tonight.

What is this buying of an antivirus that you speak of? With most of them, you are paying for a resource hog that doesn't even work like it should. Norton's own uninstall doesn't even work and you need a third party removal tool. Most of the time, you end up having to pick up a freeware program to fill in the gaps that the virus scan that you payed for is missing. Get Avast, it works well and has an extremely useful scan on boot option. Malwarebytes is good for removal viruses or trojans that you know that you have, or that you don't. AVG is a good choice if you can't be arsed to run a virus scan once a week or so and would prefer to set a schedule for the virus scan to do it on it's own. Complete this with something like Adaware are you are good to go.
The only problem with AVG or Avast is that it might mark any cracks you have a false positives, but so does Norton and MCafee. However, there are plenty of viruses and trojans out there that specifically target both Norton and Mcafee, rendering them even more useless then they were.
Seriously, the only time I had a virus(and the virus scan just skipped over, and ignored) was when I had a payed for and updated Norton.

[lgfuad]

I was thinking of NOD, is that what it's called? I've done the whole downloading antivirus programs things. That's how my last comp died. Which makes sense I guess. The best place to hide a virus is in antivirus software. I know Norton or whatever is terrible, I had it. I just want to be extra safe this time.

[dragoness]

 

The idea is that you download well-researched and well-known antivirus programs such as AVG, Avast and the others mentioned in this thread. You do not download and install ZOMG ANTISPYWARE 2009 or whatever the trojan-of-the-week is the moment you get a popup ad warning you of your "infection."

[jolrei]

I just got the comp two days ago. I have to go buy the antivirus tonight. I didn't install the arrred al or ft yet. Just downloaded them. But one says it needs to be mounted on a disk, which is what I did for Ikea. I guess I'll have to obtain BV that way too.

You read, but the meanings do not stick in brain.  As mentioned, you do not buy antivirus, unless you enjoy parting with money for no apparently good reason.  You download the free ones.

As to arrred versions of the game, the easiest thing is to mount the torrent image onto a virtual drive - get Daemon Tools for this.  Faster and saves the step of burning anything onto a physical disk.  And yes, get BV that way - the disks have SecuROM.  The Arrr version is therefore the superior product.

[lgfuad]

^ Thanks, but I'd still have to burn it to put it on the new comp.

I had Avast and I got a virus. And I don't really trust free downloaded software from the internet. I'm actually apprehensive over these arrred games.

[witch]

^ Thanks, but I'd still have to burn it to put it on the new comp.

I had Avast and I got found a virus. And I don't really trust free downloaded software from the internet. I'm actually apprehensive over these arrred games.

1) Why would you have to burn it to put it on the new PC?
2) Try reading comments from people, on both torrents and software. Scan the downloads with Avast, or whatever, before using them.
3) Check out reputable sites, like PC World for example, to see what they say about the software. Check comparison reviews from reputable sources.
4) Do not install Norton. This software is a system hog, can mess with your internet settings and is not particularly efficient - plus it is not free. People in the know have been dropping Norton in droves since about 2003.
5) Try reading and comprehending this thread.

[lgfuad]

Thanks for the info. I think I've absorbed it. Basically, don't pay for antivirus find a free one and the same goes with the eps. I got it.

I'd have to burn the files or whatever on a disk because I wouldn't be downloading the eps directly to my new pc. No antivirus = No internet.

[morriganrant]

I had Avast and I got a virus. And I don't really trust free downloaded software from the internet. I'm actually apprehensive over these arrred games.

Paid antivirus or not, you are going to get a virus sooner or later if you don't take the precautions, and sometimes even if you do. They are inevitable. Adblock for firefox is one good precaution, just being paranoid is another. I have a friend who's computer I have to work on every few months because she gets a virus ...or several. She doesn't even go anywhere online, so it is beyond me how she manages it, I blame myspace. A good antivirus is one that can tell you that you have one and get rid of it for you. It's not necessarily going to prevent them from happening at all. The thing about antiviruses is, you have to actually update and run the things. I use Avast and Malwarebytes to get her pc running smooth each time. The reason why she keeps getting them, to the point where I have to come and take care of it? She never runs or updates the fucking antivirus until I come over and do it for her. I use Avast on my pc and my boy uses AVG, neither of us has gotten a virus that can't be taken care of with what we have. He looks at porn on his and hasn't picked up anything as nasty as the stuff my friend manages to.  Avast's scan on boot option is awesome, and malwarebytes is also awesome, you just have to be diligent about running scans about once a week and updating.

[lgfuad]

I'll give Avast another chance. I downloaded adblock yesterday and love it. And I'll try Malwarebytes.

Yeah, I freak out if someone checks their Myspace on my comp. It's like looking at someone coughing and full of snot. Dangerous and contagious. I was super paranoid about protecting my computer. I still am. But I just found out that those sweepers/file/registry cleaner things can be dangerous. So the things I thought that were good aren't. 

[lgfuad]

Sorry, I'm confused by this whole downloading the game/CD crack thing. Can someone give me a link to directions on how to do it? Yes, yes, I'm an idiot. I downloaded torrents for FT and AL. One says mount the image, which is what I did for Ikea, I think. For Ikea all I had to do was mount it on CD, put it in the computer, click on this crack icon thing and it generated a working serial number for the game. But AL is different. Help?

[dragoness]

How is it different? what files do you have?

[Exiled]

Paid antivirus or not, you are going to get a virus sooner or later if you don't take the precautions, and sometimes even if you do. They are inevitable. Adblock for firefox is one good precaution, just being paranoid is another. I have a friend who's computer I have to work on every few months because she gets a virus ...or several. She doesn't even go anywhere online, so it is beyond me how she manages it, I blame myspace. A good antivirus is one that can tell you that you have one and get rid of it for you. It's not necessarily going to prevent them from happening at all. The thing about antiviruses is, you have to actually update and run the things. I use Avast and Malwarebytes to get her pc running smooth each time. The reason why she keeps getting them, to the point where I have to come and take care of it? She never runs or updates the fucking antivirus until I come over and do it for her. I use Avast on my pc and my boy uses AVG, neither of us has gotten a virus that can't be taken care of with what we have. He looks at porn on his and hasn't picked up anything as nasty as the stuff my friend manages to.  Avast's scan on boot option is awesome, and malwarebytes is also awesome, you just have to be diligent about running scans about once a week and updating.

See, this is why I like Norton Antivirus 2009.  I had to recently install it because my thumb drive was infected with a virus and I couldn't figure out how to configure MacAfee to scan the drive.  NAV 2009 runs LiveUpdate several times a day so I always get the latest updates.  It also will do system scans wihen my system is idle, usually doing 2-3 5,000-item scans a day.  Yesterday I had the computer on all day and it did a full system scan.  I'm lazy but NAV takes care of it.

[jolrei]

Norton is a memory pig that uses too many system resources relative to its actual effectiveness or benefit.  There are free and "cheap as free" alternatives that will to as good (or better) a job at keeping your rig safe from the nasties.  Also, Norton will mess up your registry with all sorts of garbage kits that are nigh on impossible to remove (even with the famed Norton Removal Tool) short of zorching your system and starting over. 

I gave up Norton when a virus waltzed through it and my firewall and hijacked my system.  To get rid of the virus, I had to use a number of anti-malware and anti-virus tools (including Avira and Malwarebytes) to clean up.  The free tools are still on my system because they work.  Norton charges money and may or may not work.  Even if it works, it CHARGES MONEY.

The economics of this situation are clear.

[Rhayden]

I did "arrr" Ikea, AL, and FT, but I'm nervous about it because presently, my new comp doesn't have antivirus.

Kind of off topic, but what were those things you were talking about? Do I have to download more stuff in order to play these "arrred" games? I didn't have to do that with the Ikea one.

I don't see how piracy and a lack of antivirus are conficts for you. If you pirate correctly, there is no need to worry about viruses; this is, in fact, true for most of your interactions with the internet.

[morriganrant]

See, this is why I like Norton Antivirus 2009.  I had to recently install it because my thumb drive was infected with a virus and I couldn't figure out how to configure MacAfee to scan the drive.  NAV 2009 runs LiveUpdate several times a day so I always get the latest updates.  It also will do system scans wihen my system is idle, usually doing 2-3 5,000-item scans a day.  Yesterday I had the computer on all day and it did a full system scan.  I'm lazy but NAV takes care of it.

So would AVG. Avast just doesn't have those settings, I told her that when Avast need registering again, she could choose to switch to AVG instead. AVG can be set to run on a schedule and will update. She instead let Avast lapse and went without a anti virus completely for like a week. I left Avast on there because she kept getting the same trojan and Avast had been proven several times to get rid of it. I had Norton when I was young and didn't know any better, I still got the Sir.cam worm with an updated antivirus, even with scanning at least once a week. The damn thing is a resource hog too. Avast seems like it as well, but at least I know it works.