This security update disables the copy protection for Civilization III, and apparently lots of other old games as well. This stops the program from running. I guess I should bow to the greater wisdom of Microsoft, and throw away all my old games that I like to drag out of the back of the closet occasionally.
But, you know what, Microsoft? Take this security update, fold it until it’s all sharp corners, and swallow it. I want to play my old games. So fuck off.
I am fucking sick of Microsoft’s “important” updates. A recent one screwed up my video drivers and I had to revert. I’ve changed my settings now to have MS ask before it foists anything on me, giving me time to check out any new updates thoroughly. It’s a setting and procedure I highly recommend.
I’m pretty sure that Microsoft isn’t thinking about 14 year old games written for XP that already have TWO sequels when they’re issuing their Windows 7 and 8 security patches.
I ran into the same thing with Medieval 2: Total War. I’ve already bought it on steam when my old PC’s dvd drive died but not on this PC so I hope I can download it and it will work, but still, I’m on bare bones DSL so it even if it works it will take a day to D/L.
Microsoft: Pushing users to piracy one patch at a time.
No, they very much were, since the update was specifically designed to cause this to fail. It’s not an accident. The protection is a huge security risk that is easy for viruses to exploit. It’s basically the same idea as the so-called Sony rootkit. It embeds itself really deep in the system.
Every single last one of those games has a commonly available NoCD crack that will allow them to run, and this is far safer than Microsoft’s way to reenable the service. The cracks have been used for years.
If the companies are still in business and care, they honestly should be pushing the cracks themselves. Not blaming Microsoft for shutting down a security hole.
You can read more about Microsoft’s decision to disable SecureRom & SafeDisc here -
Sorry about Civ 3, but it really is the right thing to do. Those copy protection schemes that burrowed deep into your computer guts were always a serious security risk. It’s just gotten worse over time as the support for those schemes has fallen off.
If you don’t want to hunt for a no-cd crack, GoG has the original Alpha Centauri & Colonization available, for $5.99 each. Perhaps those might interest you?
http://www.gog.com/games##search=meier&sort=bestselling&page=1
Oh - I just realized, you can get Civ 3 complete from Steam for $5. That ought to work, since it would use Steam as the DRM.
Go try to run a 14 year old game on OS X 10.9 and see how well that fucking works for you.
Then why wasn’t my computer taken over 9000 times in the last decade? I’ve run the game on XP, Vista, and 7. I am currently running the game on 7. Well, I was until now. If this is such a horrible, horrible risk, am I just lucky?
P.S. I don’t use Steam. I do use GOG. Thanks for the ideas.
it’s not just about you, you know. you’re not the only person in the world.
Shocker, I know.
I meant that Microsoft doesn’t give a enough of a shit about people playing 14 year old games to somehow remedy the security risk and keep the games playable.
In other words, the fact that someone can’t play Civ 3 after their patch isn’t even on the same continent as the list of the things they’re concerned about.
(we’re saying the same thing).
I believe the standard and entirely correct response in this day and age is “What makes you think it wasn’t?”
Well, nothing has happened to indicate that it has. If my computer has been taken over, they’re not bothering to do anything with it, or with the access to my bank account, etc. that they have, nor are they using my email addresses. So why should I care?
Because they don’t give a shit about your personal data. They want to use your computer to attack other computers and websites. To that end, they want to be as unobtrusive as possible; the best malware would never alert you to its presence.
He knows it’s clean because he makes regular payments to the tech security firm that notifies him each time his computer is infected with a virus.
Well, in that case, why should I care? If I don’t notice that it’s there, and it has no effect on me or on my personal data, I fail to see why it’s a problem.
To the best of my knowledge, my computer has been infected by a virus or malware exactly zero times in the last 24 years.
Because they are using your IP address for potentially illegal purposes. Guess whose door the FBI knocks on first when they start tracking down computers used in an attack on government websites?
We need the good old-fashioned roll-eyes smiley face back. The new one just doesn’t express my sentiments.
I have the Steam version. Which stopped working on Win 7 as well.
Good thing we have some old XP boxes.