SafeDisc DRM crippled by Windows Update KB3086255, also affects Windows Vista through 8.1
5 replies, posted
[url]http://www.geek.com/games/microsoft-kills-safedisc-drm-on-windows-7-and-8-1634869/[/url]
[quote=Geek.com]SafeDisc and SecuROM are two of the most reviled DRM technologies to ever hit Windows, and gamers had plenty of reasons to dislike them. Microsoft isn’t keen on them either.
When Windows 10 arrived, gamers found that some of their favorite older games would no longer fire up. Microsoft, it turned out, had declared both SafeDisc and SecuROM to be security risks. To that end, they made sure neither DRM scheme would function on Windows 10 systems.
Now, they’ve decided to extend some of that protection to previous Windows versions, too. Microsoft has pushed a Windows Update to Windows 7 and Windows 8 that cripples SafeDisc. That’s good news from a security standpoint, but what if you feel like firing up some of your classic games that happen to rely on its DRM?
Microsoft has provided a workaround. In the notes they provided for update MS15-097, they’ll walk you through the steps that are required to make SafeDisc functional again.[/quote]
good riddance, they were functionally rootkits. If you still wish to play older games that haven't had it patched out then just get a noCD crack from "someplace" and don't worry about it.
Now this is something you don't see every day, someone is actually later than PCGamesN.
[url]https://facepunch.com/showthread.php?t=1486803[/url]
what is safedisc drm exactly? I rarely hear about it, since I never use discs
[QUOTE=J!NX;48756773]what is safedisc drm exactly? I rarely hear about it, since I never use discs[/QUOTE]
Years ago, a few programs had a DRM scheme that would check for a signature on the disc to see if it was legit, and was supposedly difficult to duplicate. It installed itself at a very low level on your machine, essentially as a rootkit. However vulnerabilities were found that compromised the security of your PC. SecuROM had an enforced activation limit. Giving you X amount of installs before it breaks.
It hasn't been relevant for many years after such a huge backlash against it. But I suppose it is good that MS "broke" it.
[QUOTE=Demache;48756816]Years ago, a few programs had a DRM scheme that would check for a signature on the disc to see if it was legit, and was supposedly difficult to duplicate. It installed itself at a very low level on your machine, essentially as a rootkit. However vulnerabilities were found that compromised the security of your PC. SecuROM had an enforced activation limit. Giving you X amount of installs before it breaks.
It hasn't been relevant for many years after such a huge backlash against it. But I suppose it is good that MS "broke" it.[/QUOTE]
Holy hell, I've just remembered the black magic I had to do in order to play my original copy of cossacks 2 (I believe it was that game, or some other with SecuROM). My CD-drive wouldn't work no matter what, so I had to install some shady programs to disable some IDE drives or ATAPI or something techy like that, mount an image to a virtual drive and PHYSICALLY UNPLUG the power connection to the device, so I had to have my case opened to be able to access it.
It was such a hassle for me, as a paying customer, to set up everthing in order whenever I wanted to play, and considering where I got the workaround from, I guess it didn't do much to help the companies defeat piracy.
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