Why has my mod been quarantined?

All mod files shared on our website must pass through several security checks before they can be downloaded by the community. If any of these checks fail during the upload process, the file will be quarantined and will be unavailable until it has been reviewed by a moderator. 

There are a number of common reasons for files to be quarantined that the uploader may be able to overcome.

Too many virus scan hits

All files on Nexus Mods feature an icon next to the file name to indicate the virus scan status. This is usually a white cross in a red circle or a white tick in a green circle. Clicking on the icon will open the VirusTotal scan result page where you can see which anti-virus engines consider the file potentially unsafe. The uploader may wish to contact the vendors who have flagged the file to ensure it isn't flagged again when it is rescanned. 

Nested archives

So that mods can be scanned properly, we reject any upload that features additional archives inside the mod structure. For example, if a mod file was called MyMod.zip but that ZIP file also contained SomeAssets.zip, the internal archive cannot be properly scanned and the file will be rejected. The solution to this is to reupload the file with the internal assets extracted or removed. Remember, mod pages allow you to upload multiple files so it shouldn't be necessary to include multiple mod archives inside a single download. 

Password protected archive

It is against our File Submission Guidelines to upload archived files that are password protected. This is because the contents of the archive cannot be properly scanned before the file is made available. Please ensure any passwords have been removed before uploading your content. 

Unrecognised archive format

The uploader will attempt to generate a preview of the files inside all files (except EXEs). If this process fails, the file will be blocked as this can be an attempt to manipulate the file headers to throw off the scanner. In most cases, it is likely that the tool used to create your archive has done so in an uncommon format, perhaps using some kind of compression our system cannot decode automatically. A solution to this may be to simply repack your mod and reupload it. It is recommended that you use either the built-in ZIP functionality of Windows, WinRAR or 7zip for best results. 

Potentially malicious file types

Some file types are very commonly used by malicious actors attempting to share malware. For the safety of everyone in the community, these file types will be blocked in most scenarios. Generally, any kind of self-extracting file that has the potential to cause damage to the download's PC will be marked for review.

How to get a file unblocked

Our moderators periodically review the list of quarantined files, however, it's faster and more convenient to contact us when this happens. You can email support@nexusmods.com or contact a moderator on the website. Please make sure to include a link to the mod page in question when reaching out. Where possible you should not delete the file that has been blocked and wait for a moderator to review it, otherwise, this can mess with the version history on the mod page and prevent users from receiving the correct updates.