It seems that you're using an outdated browser. Some things may not work as they should (or don't work at all).
We suggest you upgrade newer and better browser like: Chrome, Firefox, Internet Explorer or Opera

×
Community
General discussionMicrosoft Disables Safedisc DRM On Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1, & Windows 8/8.1(59 posts)(59 posts)
(59 posts)
Pages:
1
2
3
4
This is my favourite topic
Posted September 24, 2015
avatar
phaolo: Allow me a big LOL.
Thank God for Gog XD
avatar
stg83: There is a GOG game that is affected by this as well and maybe more will be reported later once they are found out.
http://www.gog.com/forum/general/help_suddenly_cant_play_games_due_to_adminstrator/post2
(T_T)
Posted September 24, 2015
avatar
timppu: Because of what? Windows disables some Windows service that the GOG executable depended on? Microsoft might just as well remove the ability of running DirectX 9.0 or OpenGL games on Windows, and then lots of GOG games would cease to work as well.
Okay, I'll quote you in the future when someone claims that the reason DRM is bad is that it can cause your games to stop working. If that is not a main reason to go for DRM-free, then I'm not sure what is.
Posted September 24, 2015
avatar
ET3D: Anyway, isn't the point of buying a game on GOG that it won't suddenly break because of something like this?
It is pretty bad that games bought here are breaking because of DRM. Inactive DRM, sure, but if the games had it properly removed this wouldn't be an issue. Since the workaround puts your system at risk, I would think GOG's options are to either:

A. Fix this by properly removing the DRM, which would be necessary for Windows 10 compatibility anyway.

B. Remove Windows Vista, 7, and 8 from the "Works on:" list for affected games and offer refunds to people who already own such games.

I'm hoping they go with option A.
Post edited September 24, 2015 by Marioface5
Posted September 24, 2015
I just tested Age of Mythology and the expansion, and they no longer start unless i use the work around. Granted i hadn't touched it in years, and its one of the few games i still only have on disc, not digitally *hint hint gog release it hint hint*.

I guess its time to write down and store the workaround in case i need it, and another point for me not to upgrade to W10, or keep this pc with W7, and get anew one with w10.
Posted September 24, 2015
avatar
ET3D: Okay, I'll quote you in the future when someone claims that the reason DRM is bad is that it can cause your games to stop working. If that is not a main reason to go for DRM-free, then I'm not sure what is.
I'm sure you understand the difference, but you are arguing just for argument's sake.

Not being able to play your game because the digital store you bought it from ceases to exist, or because Microsoft retroactively disables a feature in the OS that the game depended on, are obviously two different things. As I said, the latter is more akin Microsoft suddenly making any DirectX9 or OpenGL games stop working in Vista and later.

And as I explained, it is possible to enable that service back and keep playing the game on those Windows versions where the game was working before, so there goes your nitpicking. Kudos for Microsoft for not actually removing the service from the older Windows versions, but merely disabling it.
Posted September 24, 2015
avatar
timppu: Not being able to play your game because the digital store you bought it from ceases to exist, or because Microsoft retroactively disables a feature in the OS that the game depended on, are obviously two different things.
You're right, but at least when it comes to my physical DRM'ed discs they will never cease to exist just because the store went away.

I understand the argument about Steam and such, I do understand the negatives of DRM (although in practice I don't care that much), it just pisses me off a little that GOG's "DRM-free" offerings aren't really that, and can still suffer from the issues caused by DRM.
Posted September 24, 2015
avatar
timppu: Not being able to play your game because the digital store you bought it from ceases to exist, or because Microsoft retroactively disables a feature in the OS that the game depended on, are obviously two different things.
avatar
ET3D: You're right, but at least when it comes to my physical DRM'ed discs they will never cease to exist just because the store went away.

I understand the argument about Steam and such, I do understand the negatives of DRM (although in practice I don't care that much), it just pisses me off a little that GOG's "DRM-free" offerings aren't really that, and can still suffer from the issues caused by DRM.
They are drm-free though. This was a system feature. GOG can't help it if Microsoft suddenly disables a feature they depend on. You can't reasonably expect GOG to have it fixed the moment it happens as these things need time. It's not like Microsoft told them beforehand.
Posted September 24, 2015
This is one of those situations where the problem has been addressed so late that the solution causes as many problems as the original problem did.

At least if MS adopt a policy against such DRM from this point forward then it has been worthwhile. But that said it could make publishers feel they're forced into looking more closely at always online forms of DRM.
Posted September 24, 2015
Looks like disabling Windows Update is another workaround.
Posted September 24, 2015
I'm so glad microsoft brings all the windows 10 features to older versions. I wonder if they also bring WDDM 2.0/dx12 ; ))
avatar
BlackDawn: Looks like disabling Windows Update is another workaround.
Use WSUS Offline Update. Who knows, ms might also bring another w10 feature..
Post edited September 24, 2015 by mike_cesara
Posted September 24, 2015
avatar
mike_cesara: I'm so glad microsoft brings all the windows 10
Why don't you go back in time and change it? Or would that create a time paradox the results of which could cause a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space-time continuum and destroy the entire universe because you then wouldn't have any reason to go back in time in the first place?
Posted September 24, 2015
avatar
ET3D: Anyway, isn't the point of buying a game on GOG that it won't suddenly break because of something like this?
avatar
timppu: Because of what? Windows disables some Windows service that the GOG executable depended on? Microsoft might just as well remove the ability of running DirectX 9.0 or OpenGL games on Windows, and then lots of GOG games would cease to work as well.

Anyway, for non-Windows 10 users, I consider this mostly a non issue now. Flatout wouldn't work at all for me, but using these instructions made it work fine.

So I guess I will just make a bat file that enables the service before it runs Flatout, and on exit it will disable the service again. I guess GOG could make a similar change to their Flatout launcher to make it work on Windows Vista/7/8.1. No idea how big a security risk it is that that service is temporarily enabled, just as long as you play the game.

As for Windows 10 users... I guess GOG needs to find a way to get completely rid of the inert copy protection to make it work in Windows 10. Maybe it is doable, considering there does seem to be other Safedisc games on GOG that apparently work on Windows 10.
Anyone tried the posted workaround on that page on windows 10? Don't write it off until you've tried it. Agree that all games with safedisc that aren't on digital distribution should be put on at least one platform (Steam, GOG, Origin, Uplay.).
Post edited September 24, 2015 by sherringon456
Posted September 25, 2015
avatar
mike_cesara: I'm so glad microsoft brings all the windows 10
avatar
0Grapher: Why don't you go back in time and change it? Or would that create a time paradox the results of which could cause a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space-time continuum and destroy the entire universe because you then wouldn't have any reason to go back in time in the first place?
I don't really mind about time paradox to be honest. Not going to help ms after they bought nokia and I've lost my hope for Maemo or at least Symbian.. Will observe with pleasure how they're losing market ; )
Post edited September 25, 2015 by mike_cesara
Posted September 25, 2015
avatar
omega64: They are drm-free though. This was a system feature. GOG can't help it if Microsoft suddenly disables a feature they depend on. You can't reasonably expect GOG to have it fixed the moment it happens as these things need time. It's not like Microsoft told them beforehand.
DRM-free by itself isn't a feature, it's what it implies that is. When I buy a game at GOG with disabled DRM I expect that disabled DRM to not have the negatives of DRM. If GOG fixes this, then great, but it does highlight that including DRM, even if supposedly disabled, is not the same as DRM-free.
Posted September 25, 2015
avatar
timppu: So I guess I will just make a bat file that enables the service before it runs Flatout, and on exit it will disable the service again. I guess GOG could make a similar change to their Flatout launcher to make it work on Windows Vista/7/8.1. No idea how big a security risk it is that that service is temporarily enabled, just as long as you play the game.
That won't work on most systems, as in their default configuration they require a restart after any service change. So there cannot be a quick enable->play game->stop service->disable run ;)
Pages:
1
2
3
4
This is my favourite topic
Community
General discussionMicrosoft Disables Safedisc DRM On Windows Vista SP2, Windows 7 SP1, & Windows 8/8.1(59 posts)(59 posts)
(59 posts)