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

Anonymous
2015-08-01T20:13:40+00:00

Hello,

I have discovered an unfortunate problem with Windows 10.

Many games from the early-mid 2000's used Macrovision's SafeDisc (version 2) as a means of copy protection. At game startup, Windows loaded SECDRV.SYS to verify an original game disc was in the drive, after which the game would start.

When you try to run ANY game which uses this SafeDisc form of copy protection in Windows 10, the following happens:

 - You get an error window that tells you to log in with Administrator Privileges and to try again. This happens on any account, even those with Administrator access. The game fails to start.

 - If you then set "Run as Admin" compatibility mode on the game's startup file, the message disappears, but the game doesn't start.

 - Keeping a window open for C:\WINDOWS\SYSWOW64\DRIVERS shows SECDRV.SYS appearing at the moment you try to start the game. Based on its size, it appears to be the file that is present on the game disc (tested across several games), even though I see no disc activity and cannot find the file elsewhere on my system.

 - The Windows event log shows that SECDRV.SYS failed to load.

 - This happens both with an upgraded install (Windows 8.1 > Windows 10) and with a fresh Windows 10 install, with one of the games being installed immediately upon the fresh install completing.

 - On my Windows 64-bit 8.1 system, C:\WINDOWS\WINSXS has a folder called amd64_macrovision-protection-safedisc_31bf3856ad364e35_6.3.9600.16384_none_4e6b3758913c9240 with a SECDRV.SYS in it, presumably the one that ships with Windows. Windows 10 had such a folder in early builds, but it is missing from the release build. It appears SafeDisc support is missing entirely.

OTHER TESTING I HAVE DONE:

 - I updated one of the games to a version that no longer required the CD check, and it started immediately and ran perfectly once the check was removed. However, this is possible only with a very limited number of games, or resorting to fixes that violate the game's EULA or put the user's system security at risk.

 - I tried disabling driver signature verification and installing one of the games again; same problem.

 - Multiple compatibility modes; same problem. XP (Service Pack 3) mode and / or Run as Administrator mode make the error message go away, but the games still fail to launch.

SIGNIFICANCE:

Unless this is fixed in Windows 10, a massive catalog of older games will cease to function in Windows 10 for the simple reason that they cannot pass the SafeDisc copy protection check. I am accustomed to some games breaking with every new version of Windows as technology progresses (for example, the loss of the ability to run 16-bit programs in 64-bit Windows), but this seems to be an unnecessarily harsh change.

Windows for home | Windows 10 | Gaming

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-08-11T18:34:00+00:00

    Yes, come on Microsoft.  It's been 2 weeks since the Windows 10 release and this issue was reported almost immediately.  At least let us know your position on this.  Other posts indicate that this driver was present in pre-release versions of Windows 10.   Strange that it would be removed in the RTM release.

    My issue occurs on a new laptop running Windows 10 right out of the gate.  Even paid extra for an external DVD drive just to run these games.  It is very frustrating that Microsoft appears to have dropped support for this.  I understand if it is simply a bug in the new OS but then MS should acknowledge the problem at least so people know where they stand on the issue.  Their silence on these forums is maddening.

    I have three more machines to update at home but will certainly wait to see how MS responds to this.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-08-13T19:23:54+00:00

    Please fix this. I love everything about windows 10 it's a great release but I will have to stay on windows 7 if we don't get this driver back.

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  3. Anonymous
    2017-02-18T06:27:59+00:00

    I don't like using no-CD crack, this may include malware. Try this to force windows 10 to load SCVDRV.sys and play your old games using SafeDisc or SecuRom DRM https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9tqNyqQLzE

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  4. Anonymous
    2015-08-17T18:06:19+00:00

    You can use the file secdrv.sys from old windows.  You can right click the file and go to properties, details to see that it is version 4.3.86.0.  It has been this version since 2007 I think.  

    You dont open the file, you copy it to the folder I mentioned above.  (Where it was removed by Microsoft)

    Adrian

    I dont know how to avoid the test signing.

    Eric.  I agree this wouldnt target everyone.  I wish such a solution existed.  I think we would have to rely on Microsoft for that, but I am not holding my breath.

    I posted as a more conveneint solution than the F7 startup trick.

    As for security, driver signing enforcement has only been around since what Vista?  If you dont download and run anything you come across without knowing what it is you should be relatively OK.

    I think the enforcement was prompted by the many viruses that modified cdrom.sys and atapi.sys in XP.

    So if you do disable driver signing or test sign a driver with a public cert, just be carefull what you run or install, which you should be doing anyways.

    I dont think the risk is that great.  The whole issue is annoying though.  I bet they removed it on purpose to break old (good) games so they wouldnt compete with new (bad) games riddled with RMT.

    Perhaps the best solution is to revert back to Windows 8.

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  5. Anonymous
    2015-08-13T21:59:00+00:00

    I googled secdrv.sys. It does have vulnerabilities that could be used by a virus. Perhaps this is why it was not included in Windows 10.

    However, Microsoft should reply to this thread if it has a reason it wasn't included.

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