[Question] What is the safest way to play a game that uses a modded Steam_api.dll to avoid getting banned?

Hypothetically, if someone were to download a Steam game from FG what's the best operating procedure to avoid being Steam banned? For example, I understand that steam_api.dll will often be quarantined by MS Defender because the game uses a modded version of that file. Once it's restored what steps would you take to proceed? Log out of steam? Disable internet access? Kill all Steam processes?

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I've never heard of a Steam ban for running a pirated game that uses cracked steam_api.dll. The whole point of the cracked .dll is that it doesn't communicate with Steam anymore.

You won't get banned if you properly apply the crack. It won't contact the steam servers anymore.
- I'm not certain, but perhaps some games are pre-cracked. For instance, some from that girl who's fit.
  
  I know you’re trying to be delicate, but all this information we’re sharing is publicly accessible and likely indexed by something so you just end up making the conversation harder to follow
  Just my 2 cents

10+ year steam account. 10+ years of pirating.
If you start a game that isn't cracked or doesn't have a crack applied, Steam will pop up and say you don't own that.
Never have gotten as much as a warning for that ever.
If a game already has a crack applied. You don't have to worry about bans ever. The whole point is to not communicate with the servers and let you play the game.
Steam emulators like Goldberg work in very much the same way. Except now you can "crack" most games with a simple dll change.

Ideally you'd boot into a separate OS without internet connection, or if it's checking for that, log into a secondary steam account not linked to your original one in any way.
- So sandbox completely? That's doable. I imagine to have a Steam account completely separate from your primary account, you'd need to never share libraries and avoid matching IPs. Do you think Steam looks at hardware MAC addresses?
  
  At that point why don't you just play a pirated version on the game lol it seems like less of a hassle
  
  Windows 10 already gives you the inhouse option to randomize MACs, and I believe it's even switched on by default. So even if they check it, it probably wouldn't do any good. Doubt IP addresses matter since plenty of people use a VPN or shared connections in a house with multiple occupants, student dorm and whatnot, so I don't think they link those.

12 comments