I am uncertain this is where I got the virus but a few days before it took hold I had clicked MediaFire link to download custom content for Sims 2. It is the free MediaFire that has much popups of adds. I got the add where you cannot leave the screen you are trapped and when you click the X it downloaded on my PC an execute (.exe) file. So I deleted it right away (I did NOT click it). This happened several times as I was getting I believe skins from GoS (Garden of Shadows) site? But MediaFire adds are random so GoS is not the blame. MediaFire's careless free, we will make you suffer advertisements punishment is where I think the virus came from.

Of course always when such happens I have been very busy on my PC so I cannot know for sure. I had also in those few days been installing DAZ3d Art Studio plus it's downloader and recommended Audio Playing files from Amazon.com audio division (which I found out I did not need and uninstalled). And who knows what else I cannot remember but I think it was this Mediafire add that did bad.

So to warn you all of custom content searching it is not so safe thing be careful. Good luck all!


Also, if you share cc you made on your own blog it might be good idea to use more than just MediaFire for options. Also maybe other hosts like DivShare or DropBox so collector can choose what link they feel is safe. And let the collector know what service you are using in the link.

I recommend using AVG Anti Virus and AdblockPlus when downloading from Mediafire and all those sorts of websites. Just turn Adblock on when you start opening links to download, and if anything downloads accidentally, AVG will pop up and go 'This is a virus/trojan/malware, I will get rid of it for you' and it wipes any trace of the virus away. It's also good for cleaning your pc of already installed viruses, if you just hit the 'Scan PC' button and it'll show you all the viruses/etc. and wipe them out for you.t'll show you all the viruses/etc. and wipe them out for you.

@>> LaurellKH>> Media Fire have been giving out virus for a good while now, no matter who the creator is if their items are on Media fire, you "will" get popup. Which is nothing but virus / malware, sure you do get the download or items you want, but at the price of getting their viruses. You "MUST" have a very good protection on your computer to "Block it and wipe it out. I do have that, and nothing get pass my protection, I have two protection on my computer and one is" Malwarebytes Anti- Malware Pro" which is known to be one of the best.

As soon as the virus try and I do mean try to get into my computer my malware quickly shut the door on it. ( like Slam ) but still I always run a Scan it good to do so.
It is a shame Media Fire have turn getting Sims items into a place to catch all kinds of virus and malware to creep into your computer. If you do not have an excellent protection think twice before you go there to download, think do you really
need or want that item. If you want the item you better Scan your computer right away.

I get popups with Mediafire even with Adblock on. My advice if you run into them is to never close pop-up windows by clicking the red X in the corner. Right click on the pop-up window's tab in your task bar and choose Close Window from there.

Always use adblock on Mediafire. You can get Adblock for most of the available browsers. I keep mine on at all times, because you never know when a random popup will appear. Plus, I don't feel like seeing ads if I really don't have to. Makes things like Facebook a whole lot more tolerable as well.

Vladora, if you do see ads or get popups on Mediafire, Adblock isn't running properly. Mine is completely ad-free. I also right-click the download link and choose "save as", because this makes sure the download actually runs properly, particularly if the download is moody and doesn't start when you left-click the Download button.

Also set your browser's popup-blocker to the highest settings.

I've only had one virus warning ever since I started using Adblock, and that wasn't an ad (not entirely sure it was a virus, but I didn't take any chances). I've not even had any random popup windows (the kind with ads in them). So it's a very good tool.

And also, never download EXE files unless you're absolutely sure it's a program file that you intend to install on your computer. Random EXE files tend to be viruses.

For uploading I prefer Box and Dropbox. No ads, and no random popups on the download pages.

Vladora: Mediafire's pop-ups would open for me too, despite adblock +, but not anymore with adblock's "Pop-Up Addon".

Well crap - I have stuff up on Mediafire. I registered an account because Megaupload went tits up. Does anyone have any recommendations for alternatives?

Dropbox is a good alternative.

Here's another fun warning: In the past couple of days while searching for download sites via Google, by simply clinking on the link to a site, a file was downloaded to my computer. Luckily, AVG came up with a warning right away with the option to remove it.

My browser never downloads anything without pestering me with at least one "do you want to download this file?" box. It even stops regular downloads, just in case I don't want to download them. Maybe it's your internet settings? Pretty sure mine is set to never download anything automatically.

Also, be careful with the Google searches. Recently the searching method they're using puts up everything that is only remotely related to your search, and a lot of the hits are weird, not particular trustworthy sites.

The safest way to download from MediaFire is to right click on the download link and open in new tab and the download shows up and not the pop-ups.

Thank you for the tips! I've yet to get a virus from the pop ups, but I did get at least 10-20 tries before the bloody thing deigned to DL for me when left clicking.

I have Kaspersky Internet Security, and it does an excellent job at pouncing at malicious files as soon as it sees them. I recently used it to expunge adware that was bundled into a download from CNet.com, and I was quite amazed at how efficiently it handled the situation. Even though I Google'd over and over doing research on the adware, it all wasn't necessary in the end. I have confidence it will protect me as well here, but as well all know, the best way to keep a clean computer is to not download any viruses or malware in the first place. Thanks!

I got the same security software as the OP! and, it's is pretty good, but it is betterto run it on advanced Microsoft membership, in the MAPS section of settings IMO, My pc is faster with MSE too!

LaurellKH you may not like me to say this. But why do you have so many severe viruses, Trojans, and worms in your history?

it is better to remove them off quarantine just to be safe and to get rid of them off your hard drive (edit) like you did. and use advanced Microsoft membership under the MAPS section of your settings. It's free and makes Microsoft security essentials easier to find viruses. and report them to Microsoft on contact. Also any other problems it seems to fix it right away, because, It don't always show what it picks up. Today my windows was jammed It started to lock on me so i opened MSE and ran a scan i said nothing was there but the problem was solved after i started part of a quick scan. (creepy but true) everyone free to disagree, but I have used other mal-ware protection and I like Microsoft Security Essentials the best. (this is another fix on contact anti-malware program)
I posted before on this but this is what the OP and I has

:http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/...ntials-download

also a good online scanner that I use is: http://www.microsoft.com/security/s...us/default.aspx


(I had people disagree with me on this but I'll stick to what the paid techs taught me)
I stay with Mod the sims for downloads mostly because I can trust this community, lots of nice people, and few of the opposite. In fact I had my doubts, but I feel comfortable here when it comes to downloading after a night mare of bugs and mal-ware from The Sims Resource Site. I can't trust the sims resource like I can MTS so far.

The history was all on the same day and all of them said that they were removed.

Any time you get a virus you may want to download and run both of these free programs.
SuperAntiSpyware http://www.superantispyware.com/sup...efreevspro.html the free one and if you like it then go ahead and get the best one.
Malwarebytes. https://www.malwarebytes.org/ also has the free one and again if you like it, it is better to get the best one.

Wow, I've never gotten a virus and I use Mediafire all the time; but I have McAfee and AdBlock, so that may be why

Adblock and a good antivirus program usually does the trick, along with acting smart on the net ad not click on stupid links or everything your Email snaps up (here's where being a little paranoid actually is a good thing). I've only gotten glimpses of viruses that my antivirus program got rid of before they did any damage.

And frequent backups. Not only helps if you ever have to do a computer recovery because of viruses, but is good to have if anything else happens to the original files, or if you temporarily or permanently have to use another computer. In the case of simming, always have backups of your favorite downloads, because at the rate sites have closed down lately, you're not much likely to relocate the items.

You can even do image backups of the entire harddrive. But do that when the computer is not infected, or you're stuck with the same problem (duh!)

Google Chrome is suppose to have a popup blocker but it did not help. It really was not the popup that offended. It was the download. I wish that I had a download blocker that would not allow downloads unless I gave the okay. I am on Windows Vista. I think maybe I am done playing TS2. This scared me sick and I have not been the same.

I have my browser set to automatically delete cookies and browsing history on close, to not download anything without confirmation, etc, under options. I don't know where you'd find it in chrome, but under tools-->options is where I have the choice to set download preferences. I've never had a virus: I use a browser built off of Firefox called Pale Moon--which only works for certain versions of windows. I run adblock plus and noscript.
Laurell, before you get so upset, try downloading Firefox or one of the spinoffs, installing noscript (read the instructions) and adblock plus (read the instructions). I have to individually allow scripts on sites to get the site to show at all, frequently, but no script means nothing happens. So here on MTS, I have allowed four scripts from google and MTS, and have not allowed facebook or something called lijit.com--no idea what that is--that would be a site administrator question, but whatever it is I don't need to allow it to see the site. If I go to download something on Mediafire, I only allow mediafire itself to run a script, none of the twenty-odd other linked sites. I've had a tendency to skulk around the back corners of the internet ever since, and so far, this has worked for me. Even good, major websites can get hacked, so being a touch cautious pays off.

Pfth. Google Chrome gave me popups and virus warnings the first time I used it, and I've been skeptical of it ever since. I'm using a mix of Firefox and IE at the moment (my settings for IE are bordering on highly paranoid, just so that's said). I delete history, cookies, and other deletable items once in a while, have Adblock for both of them turned on for everything I visit, and try not to visit any sites that can be a possible threat.

I'm running right now with: PrivDog, Ghostery, Adblock and NoScript, all at once. I know it sounds like overkill, but you would be amazed at how many sites are running scripts and advertising software, as well as just plain tracking software.

Don't ever assume that they're not..because Google is one of the major players in the tracking field, and if they do it, it's because they make money from it. Get as much protection against this stuff as you can, because they're all capable of embedding things on your computer that you never would notice until the AV pops up.

If you're on Chrome .... Poper Blocker has worked for me with Mediafire. I use PB in addition to AdBlock. At least Poper Blocker worked two weeks ago, when I last downloaded anything from that service. I cannot under any circumstances guarantee it works right this second, or even will work in a couple of weeks. I found that in time, Mediafire's pop-ups/unders eventually manage to evade any form of Adblock I've tried (and I've tried them all) and almost all anti-popup/under apps, no matter which one I use. I must have tried just about all of them on Chrome. Mediafire even evaded NoScript on Firefox for a time. (I believe Firefox fixed that ... not sure ... but there is always the possibility Mediafire will be up to its old tricks again one day.) Mediafire is sneaky .... and relentless. Very relentless. I loathe it with a passion. I know that if I download anything from it, I can never be complacent that anything I currently have works, and I've used so many suggested apps for both Chrome and Firefox that I lost count.

I've run paid versions (trial) of my AV and of Malwarebytes, and Mediafire even found a way to circumvent those in time. It almost seems like a game. Firefox/Chrome apps, AVs, Malwarebytes find a way to squash Mediafire popups/unders and Mediafire finds a way to get around them. I have this image of a room stuffed with people over at Mediafire whose primary job is to work around any attempts to stop these foul ads. And Medafire seems to have no conscience as to the ad content.

My advice echoes that of many here. If someone offers alternate links on their download in addition to Mediafire, such as Dropbox, choose those links first. If you have to try again later, do that. If you have to wait a week or two for the bandwidth to reset, do that. Mediafire is awful, IMO.

I find if I download anything off Mediafire, even if everything seems fine at the time, I frequently do a quick virus scan and use Adw Cleaner, just in case. (Takes all of ten or so minutes.) Mediafire has made me that wary.

NOTE ... JUST tried a Mediafire download with Poper Blocker on. No pop-ups/unders. Scans were clean. Whew. So at this very second, Poper Blocker seems to do the trick with Chrome. But again, Mediafire is persistent. I can only vouch for this very moment.

Do you left-click on the download link?
I always do "save as" when I have to download from mediafire, and close down the site as soon as I've done it, so as not to linger around too much there.

I'm not happy with Mediafire at all. I used to have downloads up there, back before all these ad problems started. Then they suddenly decided to delete random accounts, because of violations to some imaginary rules, and my entire account was wiped off with no warning what so ever. I only had sims-stuff up there, and still have no idea what was so wrong with that. I try to avoid downloading from there if I can, and have not made a new account, nor will I. Dropbox and Box are both better sites (and as good as ad-free).

Don't quit playing TS2. Playing the game is totally offline and totally safe. Just quit downloading from Mediafire if you're worried.