How to get rid of SecuRom, NOW

[VioletKitty]

I guess I wasn't clear about what I was asking, which was is there a way to stop it before installing.  If the only thing I can do is install and then put in the cure immediately, am I still at risk?  I'm extremely gunshy about this malware because it has literally taken me 6 months to erradicate it from my machine and it seriously disabled my machine.  ad

I've already downloaded the no-cd fixes for all EPs and SPs.  I know I don't need them for Seasons and before, but I have them just in case.  The Seasons fix was broken anyway as was the Teen Style Stuff.  However, wouldn't I need to add the fix in for any SP following BV because those are now the run disks?  (or at least the one that is the run disk?)  I have Kitchens and Baths so that should be the run disk.

Thanks for all your help :-)

[Kazzandra]

Securom infests your machine the first time you run the non-cracked .exe.
So installing BV and FT will not install Securom.
Before you start it up, go get that BV crack and back up the Securom infested .exe. Make sure you do this on an Administrator account.

By the way, I've played for years *and never uninstalled and reinstalled ANYTHING.*
I'm either lucky, asinine, or extra careful. Or all of the above.

[VioletKitty]

Ah, gotcha, thanks :-)

As for the uninstall/reinstall, you're likely to actually notice an improvement if you do.  The game starts slowing down but it's imperceptible because you get used to waiting a little longer for lots to load, etc.  Not like to a standstill, just slower load times, etc.  I'm OCD about a clean system :-D At the time that I purchased this machine it was top of the line (purchased with TS2 in mind), but it's 5 years old almost.  My goal is to make it last for 2 more years.  Sadly, I hate Vista, and XP will no longer be supported after 2009.

[Kazzandra]

Well, I have 5 gigs of *compressed* downloads (20,000 packages), and 3,000 packages in my Saved Sims folder, and it's 15 minutes from start to lot. Now, I wonder how long it would take me to uninstall all of those stuffit packs and expansion packs... probably not worth the time.

Glad to help, anyway. Use Ubuntu.

[VioletKitty]

LOL, you're prolly right about it not being worth the time.

[sigh] I just installed everything to the T...and the bak file shortcut would not start the game.  I found a reg system that was supposed to help, so I added it and that didn't help.  In fact after I cleaned the system, I couldn't uninstall BV so I had to restore.  After all that, I unintalled what I tried to install today (BV, H&M, Teen, Ki&B).  Then I had to of course put back my saved games.  I wonder if I'll EVER be able to play these! 

I have a good contact at EA but I don't wanna be her whining board.  Ack...and I won't whine here either!  I'll just figure something out...

[Kazzandra]

No, no, no! You don't run the game from the backed up .exe! It's just there for when you need to patch your game, so the checksum comes out right. Run your game from a no-cd cracked Bon Voyage .exe!

Get one here

[VioletKitty]

Okay, I'm missing something then...grrr...since I'm working with a fresh install, I only had to follow the 4th step:

4. To not get it again, you need to start loading from a no-CD crack. I recommend the Fairlight version from http://www.gameburnworld.com/gp/gamefixes/sims2bonvoyage.shtml. There is now a version for the patched game available as well. Go to "C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Bon Voyage\TSBin" and change the name of the current Sims2EP6.exe to Sims2EP6.bak. Then place the crack in the same folder. Make a shortcut to this on your desktop, and run the game from this new shortcut.

So I got the no-cd cracks and placed in the folder...Oh I think I just figured out what I did wrong.  I was supposed to rename the Sims2EP6.exe to Sims2EP6.bak (after I saved the .exe to another file) but I made a shortcut to the .bak, I was supposed to shortcut the added crack? 

Thank you for your patience and help.  I'm sorry I'm such a bother...

[Kazzandra]

4. To not get it again, you need to start loading from a no-CD crack. I recommend the Fairlight version from http://www.gameburnworld.com/gp/gamefixes/sims2bonvoyage.shtml. There is now a version for the patched game available as well. Go to "C:\Program Files\EA GAMES\The Sims 2 Bon Voyage\TSBin" and change the name of the current Sims2EP6.exe to Sims2EP6.bak. Then place the crack in the same folder. Make a shortcut to the cracked .exe on your desktop, and run the game from this new shortcut.

Yes, the shortcut you make is to the cracked .exe. The .bak is there in case you need to patch the game in the future.
If you've done that, then you can play-- finally! <whew>

[jolrei]

Oh I think I just figured out what I did wrong.  I was supposed to rename the Sims2EP6.exe to Sims2EP6.bak (after I saved the .exe to another file) but I made a shortcut to the .bak, I was supposed to shortcut the added crack? 

Yes.

Back up the original Sims2EPx.exe (rename it "sims2EPx-exe.bak" or something else you will recognize) in case you need it again (i.e. when you load a new EP).

Install your no-cd crack - make sure it is named sims2EPx.exe  ("x" should be the number of your latest EP.  For example, if your latest EP is Freetime, it would be named Sims2EP7.exe)

Your shortcut should point to the no-cd crack file.

[J. M. Pescado]

A better approach is to rename the crack rather than the main executable, and just repoint your shortcut to the cracked EXE, like I do. Then the original EXE remains in place and unrenamed.

[witch]

So the game executable doesn't need to be the specific name, eg simsep7.exe or whatever?

[jolrei]

So the game executable doesn't need to be the specific name, eg simsep7.exe or whatever?

No, that makes sense.  The filename of the .exe is simply an identifier.  It does not affect the functionality of the file.  You could name it "FTno-cd.exe" and it would still work, provided that your shortcut pointed to that instead of the "Sims2EP7.exe" file.

This would also make it simple for patching and loading new EPs, as you would not have to remember to rename your original ".exe" file for that.

[Zazazu]

And Pescado proves that he's smarter than us once again. Brat. 

[talysman]

Of course he's smarter. The directions say to rename or move the original EXE because the directions are written for *dumb* people. People who would start the game from a shortcut that still pointed to the original, SecureROM-infected, EXE. Renaming the original EXE or moving it out of the folder and moving in the NoCD crack, keeping it the same name as the original EXE, is a safe-guard against stupidity.

[morriganrant]

I always renamed them so that I can actually remember to get another. You would think that this would be simple enough, alas, not for me.

[AnnaM]

Is this Securom thing a US concern only? I have all the EPs to Free Time installed (and none of the SPs), and I don't appear to have a Securom directory under Application data or the Securom files in the Windows\System32 directory. My games were bought in shops in Ireland. I seem to remember reading somewhere that Securom only applied in some countries.

Is this true? If so, would it be a good idea to explain it in the top post in this thread?

[Jemina]

It's definitely not a US problem, I had the thing from the German version of BV and FT. You can't normally see the Securom folders as they're hidden, you have to make them visible.

[morriganrant]

There are a random few countries that do not have them because Securom would be illegal there. There are however many many more countries where it hasn't been covered. Make all of your folders visible and look for the securom files, you will not see them otherwise.

[AnnaM]

My folders are all visible -- unless there is some arcane way of making folders visible beyond checking the "show hidden files" setting in Windows...

[AnnaM]

Curiouser and curiouser... I do have 2 Securom keys in the registry.

But I definitely do not have the Securom folder or the Securom files. I even searched the whole disk for them (with option to find hidden files/folder checked). Also no services running (which makes sense, since there are no files for them to run from...)

Also, why does this forum not let me edit my posts? I click the icon, edit the post, press the button, all seems well except my post isn't edited. Happened many times before, too, not just a fluke.

[bowrain]

My folders are all visible -- unless there is some arcane way of making folders visible beyond checking the "show hidden files" setting in Windows...

Sometimes you also need to uncheck 'Hide protected operating system files'.

[jsalemi]

Also, why does this forum not let me edit my posts? I click the icon, edit the post, press the button, all seems well except my post isn't edited. Happened many times before, too, not just a fluke.

The icon is bugged (has been for a while) -- you have to use the 'Modify' button at the top of the post to edit it.

[Kazzandra]

That edit button is a LIE! Click the word "modify" and all will be well.

Also, go ahead and get rid of those Securom registry entries following instructions at the beginning of the thread. Burninate them just because you can-- and it's better to be safe than sorry.

[Jemina]

I followed the removal instructions a while ago and re-tried. I can use my burner again, so that's an improvement, but every time I use that drive (for reading as well as for writing) my computer almost freezes. And the drive is slllloowww.... (max. read at 6 times when it used to handle 30 x).
I'm pretty sure it's still related to SecuRom because it used to work properly before that pest came onto my computer. Any ideas what else I could do? I can't find any of the files on my hard drives but something seems to be there after all.

[bowrain]

Maybe try to reinstall the driver?