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
    2017-01-12T10:53:27+00:00

    This issue is really problematic for me, because I have a LOT of older games that simply will not run on Windows 10 x64, due to secdrv.sys being blocked by Microsoft.

    Right now, I have 2 computers for gaming. One has XP SP3 (32-bits), which is locked down, and I never add anymore updates to it. The other dual boots between 7, and 10 (both 64-bits). Soon, I'll be upgrading my primary rig to a machine that will only have Windows 10, thus eliminating all versions of Windows between XP and 10, and thus all games that require higher than XP, but lower than 10 to run. In order to run those games/apps, I'd have to have THREE computers for gaming, which is definitely overkill, especially since I don't physically have room to add a third computer for this purpose.

    I've just added the following post about this in the feedback hub for Windows 10 for the USA region, with the following Category: Security, Privacy, and Accounts > All other issues. Please upvote!

    EDIT: Added a comment to the post in the feedback hub, pasting this post URL in the comment, because the URL was cut off in the original feedback. The entire URL shows in the comment.

    Title: Windows x64, SafeDisc/SecuROM Copy-protection (SecDrv.sys), and older games

    Post:

    Many older games use secdrv.sys copy-protection to ensure that users are running a LEGALLY LICENSED copy. Microsoft has gone out of it's way to block the secdrv.sys driver from loading in Windows 10, despite that there are official microsoft workarounds for allowing this same driver to load in older versions of windows, allowing users to take the risks.

    Give Windows 10 users the same option granted to users of older versions of windows, in regards to this driver, or do what you've done with it on multiple occasions in the past. PATCH THE VULNERABILITIES, instead of recommending ILLEGAL no-cd patches!!! Stop blocking LEGALLY PURCHASED older games!!!

    This is considered a problem, because a VAST number of PC users are gamers, and this issue cripples ALL games which require secdrv.sys to run, including old MICROSOFT games.

    Reference this Answers post for more user input: https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/forum/games\_windows\_10/secdrvsys-not-loading-in-windows-1

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  2. Anonymous
    2016-12-07T10:10:13+00:00

    What really, really **** me off about this is that it is one of Microsoft's own games  - FSX - that is , for me , the main problem. I can get the program itself to run on Windows 10 - especially the Steam version. But is my pile of add-ons like scenery, planes, Traffic that are, effectively, banned by Microsoft. I feel that FS2004 is a better all round game but this cannot be run on Windows 10 at all. I spoke to Customer 'Care' last year about it and they really couldn't give a stuff.

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  3. Anonymous
    2016-12-04T02:46:17+00:00

    Unsubscribing

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  5. Anonymous
    2016-12-04T00:18:46+00:00

    **** you talking about, I spend hundreds of pounds on equipment and should research /  test any possible solution to Windows becoming Apple. ****, back home on 7pro, it works. 8 was crap replaced by 8.1 all of that for toy computers. Now Windows will download auto and destroy anything they can't make money on, you'll have no choice. Apple was a no no at one time, Windows sadly have joined them.

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