Football Manager has detected that you may not be playing an original version of Football

And like Keyser Söze it disappears, taking with it my unsaved game and hours of play time. Thanks.

So what's this all about? I have an original bought in a box like I have done with every version for the nearly the last 20 years.

Have had no problem before, and I reloaded and it seems to work fine.

Anyone know why it believed my version not to be an original?

Got to say, I have found the Steam aspect a minor irritant so far, but this is a different matter. I hope the old play-out-the-box way makes a return.

Hello,

Can you tell us where you bought the game from? Have you installed / logged in on more than one computer? If so, is it possible that someone has logged in using your account elsewhere?

Cheers

Matt

Hi both, it was a bought version from Amazon. Installed on one laptop, and as far as I am aware no-one has access to my steam account.

It's a new laptop and haven't installed any anti-virus yet and the McAfee isn't activated

I've played it daily since it arrived, so weeks of game time with no issues, and it was running for 8 hours before the message.

It loaded right back up afterwards with no issues. It was a bit disappointing that it just instantly vanished rather than at least save my game first.

Why would you run your new laptop with no anti-virus? You needed to go online to activate the game - you did that with no protection?

Can you check that Steam doesn't need an update?

Why would you run your new laptop with no anti-virus? You needed to go online to activate the game - you did that with no protection?

In my 10+ years of owning computers, I've never had anti-virus software and i've never had a virus. If you're careful, you can usually avoid it.

In my 10+ years of owning computers, I've never had anti-virus software and i've never had a virus. If you're careful, you can usually avoid it.

think of all the "adult material" ur missing out on though

think of all the "adult material" ur missing out on though

Who said I was missing out on any?

Can you check that Steam doesn't need an update?

How do I do that?

I only downloaded steam to activate the game so it's only a few weeks old..

Hi,

Same here. I was playing and all of a sudden, Steam tells me I may not be playing an original version of FM.

I've bought it through Steam, and now FM doesn't load.

Steam client is updated (I've checked).

If you continue to have this problem, please contact Customer Services - here:

http://www.sega.co.uk/support/

In my 10+ years of owning computers, I've never had anti-virus software and i've never had a virus. If you're careful, you can usually avoid it.

How do you know if you cant detect them?

How do you know if you cant detect them?

My thoughts exactly, I chuckled a little when I read that.

frankly... the op is in a better position than most of the people knocking him if your using bloatware like mcafree, norton, symantec or pretty much any other shop bought anti virus packages... they are resource intensive and usually not as effective as some simple bits of software you can use for free..

personally i use avg and malwarebytes and thats it... both run completely silently in the background and are just as, if not more effective than any of the crap thats out there right now that people are paying for.,, sillyness

AVGFree ftw! I've been using it for many years without any trouble.

I cringe when I read two things on forums.

1) People recommending AVG paid or free.

2) People saying "i've never used Anti-virus and I've never had a virus."

Wake up, please. (Or don't, people like you make me quite a bit of money ) Let me explain. Only the simple or quick-buck viruses do something that actually make you notice them. They're either a prank or are looking to make money quickly by making you pay for some fake software.

The nasty stuff does it's best to hide - trojans, key loggers, root kits are all designed to hide from AVs - so naturally if you're there with no AV you've got even less chance of spotting it. These are the malware that try to steal your personal info or make your computer part of a botnet that is used to God knows what.

You need an AV on your computer. It should be illegal (I'm serious) to run a computer without one.

I've known more than a handful of these people coming to me and saying "My details were stolen, I had to cancel my card but I don't understand. I don't have an AV but I don't need it if I don't go on porn sites - so I don't know how they got my details." Or someone has hacked their email address or someone has hacked there Steam account or so on and so forth.

There's nothing clever about trying to sound smug when even security specialists wouldn't dream of going anywhere on the internet without an AV installed. Unless of course you are the most proficient IT security expert in the world and you have some sort of psychic ability to detect which website or file is infected before you visit / download. Then we should all bow to you as our new overlord.

Whats your issue with AVG? I have used it for years now and never had a (known) issue with it, i also use Trend Micro housecall but it has never picked up anything AVG has missed. But i would be very interested to know why you wouldnt recommend it, and what you would recommend instead.

Should add i also instantly remove norton or any of that crap when it comes with a new computer, awful awful programmes.

AVG has poor detection rates compared to most other AV software, and I have found their software to be unreliable at best when it does find something - ie. it will tell you that something has been removed successfully when all it's done is send a shortcut to the recycle bin.

It's certainly nowhere near as good as MSE, Kaspersky, Avira or NOD (at this point in time anyway). It used to be great, sadly it went downhill rather quickly but opinions don't keep up with the times.

Its funny you say that, the last issue i had was with a file in my recycling bin, i had no idea how it got there or anything, it could have been related.

Which free one would you say is the best current option? Might try something else for a tester, but i refuse to pay for one.

I always stick to MSE. It's by far the lightest and least intrusive and it has good enough detection rates.

cheers ill have a look at downloading that tonight and take off AVG for the time being.

Is there an AVG removal tool? Use it if there is. I've had to fix a few computers that have been well and truly foobarred because someone dared to uninstall AVG.

hmmm good point, i know i had to use a removal tool for Norton when i bought my laptop as its a right pain to get rid off once and for all, ill have a proper dig around, if there is not i might not unistall as i dont want to run into any issues later on with two programmes interfering with each other.

I cringe when I read two things on forums.

1) People recommending AVG paid or free.

2) People saying "i've never used Anti-virus and I've never had a virus."

Dont forget Norton which is just as bad as a virus itself. I use Comodo which has a firewall too, people think they are safe with a router but youd be amazed what is dialing out all the time reporting home. A router will not stop that.

I used to (correction - my wife used to) not have anything on the PC at all. She did has Norton a few years ago but she hated it as viruses still got through undetected. It wasn't until I had a problem back in May of this year before I done anything about it. Well, the computer shop staff done something about it for me as part of their service was installing anti-virus and anti-malware software onto the PC.

Currently I have AVG (had absolutely no problems and actually it's rated one of the best anti-virus software programs) installed with real-time shields up and running, AVAST! anti-virus software, Malwarebytes Anti-Malware (with real-time protection running), Spybot anti-malware, and SUPERanti-spyware. All of these programs were installed by the people who fixed my computer and NOTHING has gotten through since them being installed BUT had a few viruses/malware programs TRY to get through but Malwarebytes instantly stopped and blocked them. All of this may be a bit of over protection but I'd rather have that than the pain in the arse time I had back in May.

The thing is nowadays you don't even have to go to a porn site to risk the PC being infected as the b****rds that do these viruses/malware find new ways to infect the computer even through seemingly innocent sites. Better safe than sorry in my opinion.

On topic though - I just hope I don't have these sorts of problems when I buy the game. I'm not planning to buy the game until it's been fully updated with all the patches/fixes etc. I downloaded the demo when that came out but I have never had a problem with that running even with my anti-virus & anti-malware programs running so I'm keeping that as a good sign that nothing will happen when I buy the full version.

You can't have two AVs installed at the same time, that will cause problems at one point or another.

You can't have two AVs installed at the same time, that will cause problems at one point or another.

Not having a problem at all with them both installed and they have been on the computer since May.

I'm running AVG real time shield but not the real time shield of AVAST. I had a problem when the two shields were running at the same time but I switched one off and left the other. No problems.

I don't bother with anti-virus of anti-spyware software. I just use this: http://www.sandboxie.com/

Combined with NoScript, it keeps things very safe indeed, without the monitoring overhead of bloated anti-virus software.

File I/O is of course slower, but considering I mostly just browse the Internet nowadays, it's meaningless.

the only thing out of everything that I have that is paid is the full version of Malwarebytes which is how I get the real time shield for from it and that was only $19.99 I think it was for the year.

How bloody off-topic did this thread go?! I've had exactly the same issue happen as the OP and I'm pretty pissed off. I've paid for this game, just like anyone else. Played 332 hours and now - all of a sudden - it accusses me of having an illegal copy! The most ironic thing is that the pirates - for who this measure was intended - probably never see this stupid message!!!

Hello,

Does this help?

http://community.sigames.com/showthread.php/279162-Football-Manager-2012-*OFFICIAL*-FAQ?p=7194268&viewfull=1#post7194268

Cheers

Matt

Wakers how do you feel about Avast? (We shall remain off topic).

It's OK.

The detection engine is probably about equal to that in MSE - it's just slightly more resource hungry and really, really gimmicky in a way that turns me off it. "Your virus database has been updated" (people will know what I mean).

I know exactly what you mean

No, that would have been an option if I had actually installed this program.

I've just booted up the game and all of a sudden, it works again. I've changed nothing before it happened and I've changed nothing after it happened. Maybe some authentication issue? Busy Steam servers? Couldn't clarify it otherwise.

I have just got that message same as the OP, this is the 1st time i have had this message an i bought the game legitimately. I have only installed it on one computer an no one has access to my steam account, i do have NOD running as my anti-virus so i will try an disable it when playing football manager an see if that stops the message from appearing.

one word: play offline.

I think that more often than not when this happens it's a glitch with Steam. I would recommend closing the Steam client completely and restarting it, or google how to verify a game's cache within Steam. That might stop it from happening.

just dont use steam online. that prevents you from being treated like that.

one word: play offline.

How many words?

one word: play offline.

Ah but - see what I posted on another thread:

I was happily playing the 12.0 version [offline] because I could use Genie and old FMRTE. Then Steam pulled this stunt on me and I could only continue by verifying my cache which meant having to go online and being forced to update to a patch I didn't want. Now I can't use the in-game editor. I resent being cajoled by Steam's incompetence and am not sure if I'm motivated to continue my save - or indeed FM12 any more. I reluctantly accepted the need to activate via Steam to keep piracy at bay, but frankly, they take the p*55.

I always play offline and i still got that message.

Ah but - see what I posted on another thread:

strange one. i didnt have any problems with steam trying to get online. maybe you accidently clicked play online when starting?

my apologies

I've been using Kaspersky for 3 years now, I get it free every year through being a Barclays bank customer. I find it excellent at most things, only bad point points being, it's very slow to load up when you first boot and holds everything back until it's running and the auto update is a pain in the ass 'coz it just fires up when it likes and slows everything right down again until it's finished. I've got used to these two annoying things now and just put up with the fact it happens. I've certainly got no plans on changing, Kaspersky is very good!

AVG has poor detection rates compared to most other AV software, and I have found their software to be unreliable at best when it does find something - ie. it will tell you that something has been removed successfully when all it's done is send a shortcut to the recycle bin.

It's certainly nowhere near as good as MSE, Kaspersky, Avira or NOD (at this point in time anyway). It used to be great, sadly it went downhill rather quickly but opinions don't keep up with the times.

Do you have any statistics to back up these claims?

I used to use AVG religiously until a big scandal a few years ago that I can't even remember remember the details of now. Having experimented with a few other AVs in that time and never been particularly impressed I've just bought a new PC and thought I might as well see how AVG works these days. It's been a bit annoying so far, although nowhere near as bad as Avira's daily spam.

You need to look through some comparison sites to get an overall picture of av reliability. Takes about half an hour of googling and it can be immensely boring. But you can't really just use one link because every test is different and use different versions of av suites and whatnot.

MSE is all you need. The detection rates are good and it has the lowest impact on performance of any av, paid or unpaid. I still wouldn't recommend AVG at all. Avira is good but some people seem to get intensely annoyed by the appearance of an advert once a day.

Started to get this error today. Game quits and automatically starts again.

I have same configuration, same software for almost a year. Nothing newly installed and I have 160+ hours of FM12 play time.

And why the hell Steam/Sega/SIGames directly assume that I illegally own the game when it is all their fault?

If you treat your loyal paying customers like thieves, we might decide to live up to your expectations in the next version. Just saying.

It's likely to be an error - I'd suggest verifying your cache and it should go away. It's unfortunate that Steam throws it up but it's fairly straightforward to fix. Let us know if you have any further issues.

Thanks Matt. I verified the cache and it did download something very small, about 5-6 seconds. Hopefully that does it.

But I strongly suggest you to change that message to something else. It is a very rude way to treat your users/customers.