Win8 Surprise

[Kapitan Klaffmuschel]

Originally Posted by Kapitan Klaffmuschel

Recently replaced my desktop from XPsp3 to Win8. Installed SH4 to 1.5 and plugged my mods in (RFB, RSRD, plus some others). All appeared well.

Two weeks into a campaign, running it DAILY, SecureROM pops up on start and says I can't run the software in a virtual machine.

Anyone experience this? Any workarounds? I haven't been able to find anything on this and I haven't seen any posts from anyone whose experienced this.

Two weeks mind you. Not 20 minutes. Not A day. Two weeks. I've since wiped it off the machine, but it's all there for a reinstall if I can get past the surprise element.

Thanks to those who took time to post.

Since no one has reported the same error (Can't run in a VM). I'll consider this an issue of configuration and regard the matter closed.

[merc4ulfate]

https://support.securom.com/removaltool.html

While this removal method is for a bioshock demo it can give you information on removing securom from your system.

Like many others I installed the Bioshock demo, played it and then later uninstalled it. Much to my horror I later discovered that even the demo installs Sony's Securom DRM sh*tware and, whats worse, leaves Securom on your system even if you uninstalled the Bioshock demo!

This is a security risk!

So without further ado:

Securom uninstallation instructions for Windows XP SP2

Disclaimer 1: Only attempt these uninstallation instructions if you are reasonably computer literate and have backed-up your entire system.
Disclaimer 2: Only attempt these uninstallation instructions if you have no games installed which require Securom to be present.
Disclaimer 3: Only attempt these uninstallation instructions if you previously had to authorised [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]your [COLOR=blue !important]PC[/COLOR][/COLOR][/COLOR] with Securom before you could play a game and that game is now uninstalled.

* Step 1: Uninstall the Bioshock demo.

* Step 2: Remove the Securom registry entries.
The Securom registry entries are deliberately made non-removable by default. In order to remove them [COLOR=blue !important][COLOR=blue !important]download[/COLOR][/COLOR] the http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sysinternals/Miscellan... RegDelNull registry editing utility from Microsoft and install it on your C partition.
Run the following two commands from a Windows command prompt: "C:\regdelnull HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SecuROM -s" and "C:\regdelnull HKEY_USERS\<Computer specific key>\Software\SecuROM -s" where "<Computer specific key>" can be determined by searching the registry for the "Securom" directory key. This "<Computer specific key>" typically has a form like "S-1-5-21-2052111302-1757341266-724545543-500". Once these two RegDelNull commands have been successfully issued the registry should be checked to confirm that these two keys have been deleted. If they are still present they will now be removeable due to the action of the RegDelNull utility.

* Step 3: Removal of the Securom service and related utilities.
Open a Windows command prompt and change directory to "c:\windows\system32". Type "uaservice7 /remove". This will stop the Securom user access service, and clean up its relevant registry entries. On the Windows command prompt type "regsvr32 /u cmdlineext.dll". Reboot and then manually delete the files "uaservice7.exe" and "cmdlineext.dll" from "c:\windows\system32". Note: Both of these files are Securom installed files which can be verified by checking their file properties (Right click - Properties).

* Step 4: Removal of Securom files under "C:\Documents and Settings".
Securom installs a hidden directory with 6 files under "C:\Documents and Settings\<Your Administrator name>\Application Data\Securom". The first 4 ordinary text files can simply be manually deleted once Windows explorer has been configured to show hidden files and folders. The two remaining malformed nominally unremoveable files require a special method to delete: Invoke a Windows command prompt with full Administrator privileges by typing the following into a Windows command prompt: "at <your current time + 1 minute> /interactive %systemroot%\system32\cmd.exe" e.g. "at 9:02pm /interactive %systemroot%\system32\cmd.exe". This will open a new Administrator command line when the time set has been attained. In this new command prompt change directory into the Securom folder e.g. "cd C:\Documents and Settings\<Your Administrator name>\Application Data\Securom". Issue the following command to show the two remaining hidden malformed files: "dir /A". To delete the two remaining hidden malformed files issue the following command: "del /F /AH *". Confirm "yes" for each of the two file deletions of the malformed files. Finally, the directory "C:\Documents and Settings\<Your Administrator name>\Application Data\Securom" can be deleted as per normal practice from within Windows explorer.


Why are people even getting this garbage on their system in the first place? I downloaded SH4 from UBI ages ago and I do not understand why people go to steam and other web sites of that nature to get products that can be had straight from a manufacture or at least buy the disc off EBAY.

This list shows the securom is asking for a disc check on silent hunter 4.

http://www.reclaimyourgame.com/conte...uROM-7-List#DC

Known issues for PC gamers as found by RYG:

• Earlier versions of SecuROM 7+ can have hardware-binding capabilities, which will affect activation limits;
• Will install hardware-binding drivers;
• Will reinstall problematic and specific registry keys if not removed properly;
• Can blacklist certain diagnostic softwares;
• Can blacklist certain disc-emulation and/or disc-copying softwares;
• Can reconnect to in-house servers upon each game launch even after a successful online activation has been made;
• Later version of SecuROM 7-8+ will perform dual online activations: 1) to determine the validity of the game's executable and 2) to determine if the game was purchased before the general release date;
• Will leave activation information on users systems, even after a successful deactivation of the game itself;
• Known to have performance-degrading issues in comparison to a DRM-free copy of the same game;
• Inconsistent support pages, particularly if developers and/or publishers opt to implement their dedicated SecuROM-support pages;
• Inconsistent customer / technical support

If this was a legitimate disc with the activation completed before the two week period I do not think you would be seeing the message.

These are known DRM FREE games from UBISOFT

Blazing Angels 2: Secret Missions of WWII
Call of Juarez: Bound in Blood
CSI: NY
Ghost Recon: Advanced Warfighter 2
Far Cry 2 [patched]
Heroes of Might and Magic V [patched]
Lost: Via Domus
Prince of Persia
The Settlers: Rise of an Empire [patched]
Shaun White Snowboarding
Silent Hunter IV: U-Boat Mission
Tom Clancy's EndWar
Tom Clancy's H.A.W.X.
Tom Clancy's Splinter Cell: Double Agent [patched]
World in Conflict [patched]
World in Conflict: Complete Edition
World in Conflict: Soviet Assault


Silent Hunter 4: Wolves of the Pacific looks like it may have had SecuROM patched out in v1.3.

You can find the GOLD edition of the game on amazon for $11.59.
http://www.amazon.com/Silent-Hunter-...+hunter+4+gold

[merc4ulfate]

AS TO THE VIRTUAL MACHINE ISSUE

I would try this first every time:

Right click the Programs EXE file and go to PROPERTIES
Click the COMPATIBILITY tab
CHECK the box next to Run this program in compatibility mode for: and use the drop down arrow to set it for Windows XP SP2
Check the box next to Run this program as administrator

Click Apply, click OK reboot and run the program

You might have to adjust which compatibility mode works best for your system.

you might also have some luck reading through this:

http://www.subsim.com/radioroom/showthread.php?t=133290

and remember there are others who are running windows 8 and using the simulation.

By the way when you installed 8 did you notice whether you installed it as a virtual machine or not and are you using HYPER V? HYPER V doesn't include an XP mode.

http://www.labnol.org/software/insta...machine/20919/

[ETR3(SS)]

My .02 on the SecureROM and other DRMs. Many people don't realize you have the legal right to make a backup copy of whatever media you have. Be it a game, DVD, or CD. Doing so saves your original media from damage as you're not using it, but are instead using your backup copy. All my games for PC are backed up. The aim of the software companies like Sony using or producing these programs is to make you wear out your original and then buy a completely new one again, putting money in their pockets. Some of these programs by definition are malware. To this day I no longer have SH3 on any of my machines because of starforce. Sure I can "remove" starforce after installation but it never should be installed in the first place without my consent and being made aware of what is being installed.

[Rockin Robbins]

Thank you for giving me the chance to sound the alarm, which hasn't been clanged in quite a while. It is Sony who is denying you the use of the game you bought. If you're not running SH4 Gold, you should try it. SecuROM may be gone from it there. If you are already playing SH4 Gold please say so so we can include it in the warning that buying anything from Sony is you paying them to cheat you.

You also never said outright whether you were running SH4 in a virtual machine or not, only that SecuROM said you were. Either way, a piece of trash company is denying you lawful use of your computer and the software you purchased in good faith. It is not a bug, it is a purposeful act with malice by people who feel that if you are stupid enough to buy their product, you deserve it.

[Kapitan Klaffmuschel]

Originally Posted by Rockin Robbins

Thank you for giving me the chance to sound the alarm, which hasn't been clanged in quite a while. It is Sony who is denying you the use of the game you bought. If you're not running SH4 Gold, you should try it. SecuROM may be gone from it there. If you are already playing SH4 Gold please say so so we can include it in the warning that buying anything from Sony is you paying them to cheat you.

You also never said outright whether you were running SH4 in a virtual machine or not, only that SecuROM said you were. Either way, a piece of trash company is denying you lawful use of your computer and the software you purchased in good faith. It is not a bug, it is a purposeful act with malice by people who feel that if you are stupid enough to buy their product, you deserve it.

Not using the Gold version.

Original 1.0 CD, patched to 1.5

And that concludes my participation in this thread.

[BigWalleye]

ETR3(SS), may I suggest you go to Amazon (use the link at the top of the page) and buy a DVD of SH3 v1.4. NO STARFORCE. No other DRM, either. It'll set you back less than dinner for two at Mickey's, and you will again be able to enjoy a great game. I commend you for standing by your conviction to not reward publishers for their use of obnoxious and intrusive DRMs. You are fighting the battle for all of us. (I only wish some of the Steamfans understood what it is they are supporting.) But there is no longer a need. Ubi has done away with Starforce and you can again enjoy this game without abetting their bad behavior.

[Rockin Robbins]

Can anybody state for sure if SH4 Gold is entirely free of SecuROM? Can the only way not to be punished be to steal a pirated copy of the game? That is one thing I will not do, even if that were the only way I could play SH4. And of course I have reduced the effect of SecuROM to amusing nuisance, so I really don't need to do anything.

[CapnScurvy]

I broke down and bought a copy of SH4 Gold Edition DVD a year ago, just to shelve my original DVD SH4 version 1.0 because I was tired of fooling around with the Direct2Drive "upgrade" of the U-Boat Missions that brought the game up to version 1.5.

What's the best way of checking if SecuROM is running on your system? Would it show up in the registey?

I'm like aanker, I never use the gu.exe "shortcut" to start my game. I always go directly to my Silent Hunter Wolves of the Pacific folder and use the sh4.exe icon file to start the game. There are two .exe files for starting the game, I only use the sh4.exe file.

[Rockin Robbins]

hehehehehe! Sure fire way. Load up a program by Mark Russinovich! Go to Microsoft's http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/s.../bb896653.aspx and download and install Process Explorer. (Look it over closely--there's a lot of stuff built into it that you'll like a lot if you enjoy figuring out why things don't work right on your system, and I'll bet you do).

Now start Process Explorer (red meat for SecuROM--may Mark Russinovich burn in Hades says Sony!) then start SH4. If you don't see.


And you can do this


Running Process Explorer and SH4 concurrently would definitely show that SecuROM is not working at all.