SECDRV.SYS Not Loading in Windows 10; this will break thousands of older games.

So i have this same problem, but i'm on windows 7.

I've been using noCD's  with my disk based games forever. I have about 80 of them via Mega Games,

and never had  an malware/virus (I've never had one full stop).

As with many download sites the noCD sites may have software that can be 'accidentally' downloaded

(because the Big Green/Red download button is very often a link to an unwanted software

• Many sites get their revenue from the publishers of these downloads).

These 'PUPs' (potentially unwanted software) can be a nuisance, and difficult to remove.

People come by these forums now and then asking how to remove this or that software, particularly

but not limited to, 'free' system 'optimisers' and registry 'cleaners'.

• A good example of fully legitimate (and pretty much compulsory)  software that comes with a PUP

is Adobe Flash Player.  It has the Chrome browser download/install ticked  automatically, so the user

has to be ever vigilant when doing Adobe, or any software download or installation.

"you paid for game legally, shouldn't have to go pirating"

If you have a legit copy of the game using a noCD is not pirating.

Win10's DRM Blocking issue is not the first time a noCD was required to get a game going due to dodgy DRM.

I have several games that would not run on 64bit Windows due to DRM

(I believe StarForce was the worst with the 64 bit issue).

In this instance a noCD is the only redress for draconian DRM that prevents people playing a game they paid for.

Using a noCD is also the best way to avoid having to dig through a collection of disk based games when

wanting to play. It allows for more spontaneity.

I am far more likely to replay an old game, or romp though a favorite save when not having to use the disk

than when I have to (eg- still like doing the PT boat mission in MOH-PA now and then).

It also helps when troubleshooting issues for people on these forums.

• As much as I hate not being able to buy second hand games any more due to on line activation allowing

only one account per game, I prefer this new regime because even with a disk based version you don't

need to use the disk when a game gets activated on Steam, Origin or Uplay.

Best of all is "Good old Games" - No DRM at all.

• This DRM Blocking is completely bogus. It does not prevent installing the DRM driver (thankfully ).

It only blocks it when reading the disk to load the game after installing.

I don't believe there has ever been a virus/malware that has invaded secdrv.sys to date.

• I really believe DRM Blocking is nothing more than an attempt to make disk based games redundant.

A form of extortion aimed at getting people to pay for games again.

.

http://gamecopyworld.com/games/gcw.php

Game Copy World is where I get my new exe files.

Scan them of course with Bit Defender before use.

Also I recommend using an add-on like WOT to avoid going to sites known to distribute viruses.

It will ask before allowing a re-direct to a known bad site.  And rank sites on your google searches.

Very helpful bit of software, which has helped me to avoid untold headaches.

www.mywot.com

Also Ghostery, Adblock, WOT and Antivirus will all kick in if you hit a 'bad' site by mistake.

Last time I had a virus issue, almost nothing happened as the combination of these four pretty much stopped the trojan in its tracks before it could do any damage.  Was easy to clean up after.

By the way there is a lovely independent site that ranks antivirus software.

Failure rates vary by orders of magnitude.

I don't think I have had a virus while using Bit Defender free.

https://www.av-test.org/en/antivirus/home-windows/

Good luck.

no cd cracks are not necessarily free and easy. I can speak from practical experience I have had to reinstall a computer operating system and all programs from scratch as I could not completely rid my computer of all viruses and the 2 that remained kept propagating.

I borrowed a DVD drive through my home group for my Win10 Tablet to install CIV IV and CIV III (with a no CD crack from a respected site).  My 4 core i7 portable 'work station' provided the donor DVD drive.

Also bought a cheap external DVD drive for my daughters ultra-book spec i7, so she could load some games that were still on DVD and watch movies that were not on Net Flix.  Was also useful to install the old 2010 office software.

My guess is that this policy of dumping secdrv is part of the new business model from MS of 'software as a service'.

In the 'old' days of 2010 I bought a 3 license home MS Office edition on DVD.  This keeps my 3 main home machines happy, supplemented by Thunderbird for the email (who wants Outlook anyway?).

On my work machine I have the Pro version, but also use Thunderbird (I hate Outlook).

I use Open Office and the free 'mobile' office on my Win 10 Tablet and Open Office on an old portable.  2003 Office on my old XP and Win 7 desktop machines.

I will wait a very very long time before I pay for software as a service.

So I am sure that software producers are embracing MS's philosophy of generating a stable cash flow by forcing you to pay annual fees to use your software.  You can expect the 'buy once' model to disappear in the coming years.

If you are in the USA you are more likely to suffer from lack of bandwidth than anywhere outside of the 3rd world, due to oligopolies and lack of effective consumer protections. 

We will just 'suffer' with our fibre optic line to our house and dirt cheap unlimited data here in the socialist paradise of Norway.