HoMM 3 mods and virus warnings: What you need to know
In recent weeks, I’ve noticed in HoMM 3 groups and on Reddit that less experienced users are afraid of viruses in the installation files for Horn of the Abyss, the HD Mod, and other modifications.
I’d like to share my own experience with this “issue”
I’ve been installing and testing HoMM modifications for over 12 years on various computers, one of which is even a company PC (please don’t tell my boss). If these installation files were infected, I’d be the first to know. 🙂
My personal PC and laptop only use Windows Defender, while the work device has ESET Endpoint AV. I’m confident that if your antivirus flags a potential threat, you’re likely using one of the free versions, such as Avira, Malwarebytes, Bit Defender, Avast, or AVG (the last two, by the way, were recently caught selling your data to third parties—just a little something to think about regarding those “antiviruses”).
I’m not saying you should recklessly install everything; you can never be too careful. However, the modifications you find on the Heroes 3.5 WoG Portal are sourced from platforms like GitHub, where they are uploaded directly by the authors. The same applies to the Horn of the Abyss and HD Mod installation files.
Why do false positives occur?
I’m not a security expert, but we’re talking about modifications for a 25-year-old game here. These are installation files that are not signed by Microsoft and actively modify files on your computer in real-time.
It’s therefore understandable that simpler antivirus programs (i.e., their free versions) may flag these files as potential threats.
Even the creators of Horn of the Abyss mention this in their FAQ, specifically in point 29.
So, download modifications only from trusted sources and enjoy this incredible game in its best form over the past 25 years!
Calm down and have a nice cold beer.
WoG Folder – All HoMM mods, one cloud
Since HotA 1.7.2, the campaign editor and the template editor are classified as dangerous from windows 10 and quarantined. It took me a while to figure this out. I can restore the editors, but this happens once every one to two weeks. At first I thought that they were not installed.