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

32 bit vs 64 bit?

From my experience, works on 32 bit it Win 10 in compatibility mode, won't work on Win 10 64 bit because the driver isn't recognised as a signed driver (but it was OK in Windows 8.1 64 bit on the same machines .......)

Yes, the software  I'm using requires the DVD to be mounted. It is SafeDisk 4 protected and there are no cracks in the field for this type of software ;-) 

As far as "run as admin" is concerned, I didn't need to check this option in the compatibility mode window. Selecting Windows XP SP 3 was sufficient to have the software running.

I just don't know if for other types of protection (SecuRom ...) it would have worked. Probably not.

I am not sure games are specially targeted by MS. To be complete, let me tell you the whole story : I was involved in this problem on request of a friend running W7. KB3086255 was issued in november 2015 and his software didn't work any more due to disabling by MS of secdrv driver (but we didn't know it yet). So I proposed him to try it on my computer which was already migrated to W10. Good news ! Running the software in compatibility mode under W10 was ok on my computer. So we decided to migrate his computer to W10. On his machine, no way to have the DVD application running. I have been through all the errors you described : compatibility popup, run with admin right, nothing happening ... I installed the secdrv driver from my computer to his computer, updated the registry. Nothing did the job. So I totally agree with you when you write :

"Many many people have been left very confused, and disappointed after seeing this bogus 'run as admin' error, only find using that option does not help ...". This happens unfortunately too often. 

Having no time to deepen the question we finally tried VirtualBox with an XP virtual machine, which was ok, but prefered to reverse to W7.

So the question is : why a SafeDisk 4 protected DVD can run in compatibility mode without any problem under W10 on one computer and not on another one which is also under W10 ? Is it configuration dependent (32 bits versus 64 bits machine)? Is there a hole in W10? Is it because I installed this DVD from scratch on my computer and on the other computer the software was migrated ? Is it because the other computer was already in Threshold 2 ? Soon I'll give another try to this and hope to find at least a clue !

One more point : the "sc config secdrv ..." or "sc start secdrv" commands  work normally on my computer but receive an error message "service has been blocked" on the other computer.

Interesting. I would have thought there would be consistency across all software.

Does your software require a disk in the drive to load ?

If not, this would add credence to my suspicions that MS is using DRM Blocking on games in an effort to make

disk based games redundant and extort people into  buying games again via download.

Otherwise why would other software be able to circumvent DRM Blocking by simply using the 'run as admin' option ? Particularly as the whole weakness in the secdrv.sys file is supposed to be that it is allowed to run as admin ?

[EDIT: Well, could work either way. If there is a different form of SafeDisk on non-game software

that still requires a disk check, that could be also be an indication games are being targeted. ]

Fortunately games that use the old DRM will install and only get blocked when attempting to launch, so

while Windows is blocking the game from loading from disk, it still allows the suspect driver to be installed.

Some games also install a secdrv file in the games install directory, so there can be a number of these floating

around on a machine with a lot of games.

Games don't respond to the 'run as admin' option, but I agree, no harm in trying.

I have previously verified the 'run as admin' option does not work with ten (that have been checked for

secdrv.sys) of my games that have SafeDissk DRM.

I think it's pretty safe to assume that no game that uses this driver will load on Win10.

• With each game there is an error that says to 'run as admin', but when you use this option either nothing happens,

or you get the Compatibility trouble-shooter popping up. Which, of course never helps.

• I've used noCD fixes forever, so haven't been personally bothered by this DRM Blocking nonsense, but it has

caused lots of confusion for 'casual' gamers and Windows users, particularly as MS didn't have the decency to include a new error message that is truthful.

Many many people have been left very confused, and disappointed after seeing this bogus 'run as admin' error,

only find using that option does not help.

They are then left with no true indication of what is preventing them from playing their games. 

They are led to believe the games are no longer compatible, and are unaware of what has been foisted on

them via MS and this new malware 'feature'.

.

I think it's worth a try to test compatibility mode. It takes no time and if it works, it's all win. In my case I tried it on a Macromedia Safedisk protected DVD (not a game though but a topographic application dated 2005 with a lot of maps). It didn't run any more since the KB3086255 update on Win 7 so I had to issue the "sc config  secdrv start= demand" and "sc start secdrv" to get it working again.  I installed the same application on Windows 10 and ran the  executable  in compatibility mode without any problem.  Secdrv.sys was installed in the Windows\system32\drivers directory and, in the registry, the secdrv entry was created (KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Currentcontrolset\

Services). 

The secdrv.sys which was installed was version 4.06 (150 kb). I do not know to what level of the SafeDisk protection it is related, probably an older one, which might explain why it works.

Texan has another thread regarding The Sims Complete Ed, which I believe he may have been yelling about above.

This game uses secdrv.sys. 

Is this the game your Compatibility fix was successful with ?

A large number of disk based games (much larger than the 'handful' suggested by MS) have a

problem with DRM Blocking, and my understanding is The Sims is one of the games that is affected.

If a game uses the DRM  that MS has decided to block, and you are using Win10, no Compatibility setting

is going to circumvent Windows DRM Blocking.

With Win10 you either have to us a noCD fix/hack,  or buy the game via a download.

.