READ-Games protected with SafeDisc or SecuROM won't run on Windows 8, 7 or Vista now either

Microsoft Disables Safedisc DRM On Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1, & Windows 8/8.1

Last month, we informed you about a Windows 10 update that disabled Safedisc DRM on Microsoft’s latest operating system. Well, it appears that Microsoft has applied this security update on all its other operating systems as well. This basically means that the Safedisc DRM is disabled on Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1, thus rendering a number of games unplayable.

As Microsoft noted for this security update:
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http://www.dsogaming.com/news/micro...windows-vista-sp2-windows-7-sp1-windows-88-1/

 

MORE INFO THAT'S WHY THEY UN BLOCKED IT

Windows 10 Won’t Run Games Using SafeDisc Or Securom DRM

Windows 10 won’t run games that employ SafeDisc or certain versions of Securom DRM, rendering hundreds of old disc-based games potentially unplayable without complex workarounds. Games which used these forms of DRM range from Crimson Skies to Grand Theft Auto 3, Microsoft Flight Simulator 2004 to the original The Sims. Yet despite this change coming in Windows 10, blame can’t likely be placed at Microsoft’s feet. For one, SafeDisc is notoriously insecure and Microsoft’s decision to block it from their new operating system will likely protect more users than it hurts.

More details below.
http://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/08/17/windows-10-safedisc-securom-drm/

 

Microsoft update breaks Safedisc games on Windows Vista, 7 and 8

A recent security patch released this month, MS15-097 Vulnerabilities in Microsoft Graphics Component Could Allow Remote Code Execution, breaks computer games that rely on the DRM system Safedisc on Microsoft's Windows Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 operating system.

Games that rely on Safedisc include the Age of Empire series, Battlefield 1942, Civilization 3, various Command and Conquer games or Microsoft Flight Simulator. These are all old games released more than 10 years ago but still playable on modern systems.

The security bulletin itself mentions that the update resolves vulnerabilities in Microsoft Windows, Microsoft Office and Lync which attackers could exploit to run code remotely on affected systems.

The description on Microsoft's Knowledge Base adds that the security bulletin "addresses a defense-in-depth update for the secdrv.sys driver, a third-party driver" by turning the service for the driver off.

The driver secdrv.sys is used by Macrovision's SafeDisc copy protection scheme.

This has the consequence that games that rely on Safedisc won't work anymore on all systems the patch was installed on.

The same Knowledge Base articles offers a workaround to play these games on patched systems again. The caveat is that doing so will render the systems vulnerable again. Microsoft states explicitly that it does not recommend the workaround because of this.

The workaround requires that you start the driver before you play games that require Securom and stop it again the moment you are finished playing these games.

All commands require an elevated command prompt. On Windows 8 press Windows-X, and select Command Prompt (admin) from the context menu. In earlier versions of Windows, tap on the Windows-key, type cmd.exe, right-click on the result and select "run as administrator".

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http://www.ghacks.net/2015/09/24/microsoft-update-breaks-safedisc-games-on-windows-vista-7-and-







Games protected with SafeDisc or SecuROM won't run on Windows 8, 7 or Vista now either

Following our report last month highlighting the fact that SafeDisc and SecuROM DRM support was completely removed in Windows 10 - meaning older games from the noughties could no longer be played in the new OS - Microsoft has now gone ahead and disabled it in Windows Vista, 7 and 8 too, by means of an update.

The update responsible is MS15-097 and is a "security update for the graphics component in Windows". Microsoft says the update "addresses a defence-in-depth update for the secdrv.sys driver, a third-party driver. The update turns off the service for the secdrv.sys driver." In addition, the document also helpfully points out that "This may affect the ability to run some older games."

However, even if you have installed this update, unlike in Windows 10, there is a workaround to get it working again. Since Microsoft does not actually remove the secdrv.sys file, the service can be enabled (and disabled) manually in a command prompt, to start the service:

sc start secdrv

And after you have finished playing your DRM protected game, you can stop the service with the following command:

sc stop secdrv

Although Microsoft does publish this workaround along with the details for the MS15-097 security update, the company warns users that it "may make a computer or a network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses."

This is just another example of the negative effects DRM has on the consumer, and aside from having to buy the game a second time digitally (if you can find it) it certainly shows how technology, even in software, can artificially shorten the shelf life of said product.

Or, as we said before, there's always the NoCD patch route that (might) be available.

Source: Microsoft via Hexus
http://www.neowin.net/news/games-pr...m-wont-run-on-windows-8-7-or-vista-now-either