How to get rid of SecuRom, NOW

[witch]

You probably just don't have that service. Different people have said they don't have all the bits listed. Probably depends on your setup. I'd just carry on with the rest of the instructions if I were you.

[Lord Darcy]

Anything done by Vitality is safe to download- I think they've done pretty much every expansion pack.

Not quite. Their Life Stories ISO and subsequent Repack got nuked. Eventually Reloaded released Proper.
Every major cracking group can drop the ball once in a while. Usually they release Repack, or other group will come up with Proper.

To be sure, you can always check whether any given release is Nuked (non-working, bad crack, etc.) or not at NFOHump. Hover over the nuke image to find out why it got Nuked.

Reloaded, is another name I've found reliable.

RZR DEV FLT. Ah good days.

[myskaal]

So I went through the steps in the topic post. At the end of it all I somehow lost my HAL.dll for windows.

Going through the steps to try to replace that now but as a heads up for less experienced users .. be careful what you're pressing and typing and if you're not sure find someone who's more experienced in deleting things through the command prompt.

I believe this problem occured when I went ahead with:

Issue the following command to show the two remaining hidden malformed files: "dir /A". To delete the two remaining hidden malformed files issue the following command: "del /F /AH *". Confirm "yes" for each of the two file deletions of the malformed files.

after not being able to find a SecuROM folder in my Documents and Settings subdirectories.

I only received one confirmation of a file to delete and simply following the instructions to confirm without actually looking at what it was I was confirming has created a massive mess I hope will not cause the loss of everything I had on my hard drive.


But thanks for this post. SecuROM is a nightmare and it's nice to have help around on getting rid of it.

[Kazzandra]

At the end of it all I somehow lost my HAL.dll for windows.

By chance had you recently installed Windows XP SP3?

[myskaal]

AFAIK, no. I will not say definately no. My computer did recently install some sort of windows update and reboot itself while I was at work. I only recall seeing the notice it had done so when I returned home and did not check to see what it had installed.

I've started a new topic in regards to my now totally borked computer on the Oops! board. After doing some research on the HAL.dll error I'm not sure if what's happened was caused by my removing SecuROM or if the messing around inside Windows' guts made the OS decide now was the best time to go tits up on me. (I've been waiting for it. I've gone a good 4 years on this install).
 

[J. M. Pescado]

Not quite. Their Life Stories ISO and subsequent Repack got nuked. Eventually Reloaded released Proper.
Every major cracking group can drop the ball once in a while. Usually they release Repack, or other group will come up with Proper.

As a general rule, it doesn't really matter if it got nuked subsequently, that just means you need to go get the good crack which will probably be up on GCW. The ISO itself is still good.

[Zilla]

I've know this has been discussed, but I need to know for fact rather than hearsay.

After 3 weeks of endless problems with my rig that runs on Vista, I went out and bought a IMac. I have zero regrets making the switch, but when I bought the system I also bought a copy of IWorks, Photoshop Elements 6 and the Sims 2 base game.  I don't have any problems with IWork or Photoshop Elements but I have yet to install Sims 2 due to fear that it will mess with my new system.

I've done searches to see if Securom comes on the Mac version of the base game and have come up empty handed. All I can find is mention of the PC version. Are my concerns just in my head or is there a valid reason for my unwillingness to install it without knowing what I'll be loading into my system? If Securom is on it, will it act like a feral cat locked in a small room or will it behave itself?

I'm still trying to work through the issues on my Vista system. It's been a major pain in the ass with no answers to be found anywhere, but if I can atleast get answers to some of it's problems I can always keep my pixel people on that system and not bother loading it into this one.

[seelindarun]

I don't have a definitive answer for you, but I have searched and asked all the macheads I know: the best information I have is that Aspyr has not used Securom on its ports of TS2.  The base game in particular has very little to no chance of having it, since even EA didn't use it until BV.  On mac versions just use your garden variety no-cd cracks on base game or any EPs.  No Suckrom exorcism necessary. 

[Amairani]

Hi there,

I'm about to buy Bon Voyage, so I've been reading (and re-reading) all 31 page of this thread for the past few days but couldn't find a clear answer to this question:

the patch for BonVoyage is .exe file, so "to apply a patch" means to run this .exe file, but if it contains SecuRom, as I understood, won't it be installed on my PC once I click on it?

I'd greatly appreciate if someone could explain it to me, if I'm missing something.

[Lord Darcy]

the patch for BonVoyage is .exe file, so "to apply a patch" means to run this .exe file, but if it contains SecuRom, as I understood, won't it be installed on my PC once I click on it?

Securom is activated the first time you run game executable (Sims2EPx.exe), not patch executable. Installing a patch alone does not activate Securom. If you put the NoCD right after installing a patch, you should be fine.

[Amairani]

the patch for BonVoyage is .exe file, so "to apply a patch" means to run this .exe file, but if it contains SecuRom, as I understood, won't it be installed on my PC once I click on it?

Securom is activated the first time you run game executable (Sims2EPx.exe), not patch executable. Installing a patch alone does not activate Securom. If you put the NoCD right after installing a patch, you should be fine.

Thank you for the prompt reply! Now I can safely install BonVoyage, apply the official patch v1.10.0.130, replace the original .exe file with the one from gamecopyworld and finally send my Sims to vacation 

Thanks to all people contributing to this thread, you all are truly awesome.

[Roux]

Amairani, as long as you're installing onto an Administrator account, you will be just fine. Also, make sure the cracked .exe is for the patched version of Bon Voyage.

If the account does not have Administrator permissions, SecuRom will be installed when the game is installed, i.e. before you even run the game. You'll have to remove Securom before applying the cracked .exe.

[Amairani]

Amairani, as long as you're installing onto an Administrator account, you will be just fine. Also, make sure the cracked .exe is for the patched version of Bon Voyage.

If the account does not have Administrator permissions, SecuRom will be installed when the game is installed, i.e. before you even run the game. You'll have to remove Securom before applying the cracked .exe.

Hey Roux

Administrator account is the only account I have, I'm the only one using my PC, so no problems here. As for the cracked .exe, it's "The Sims 2: Bon Voyage v1.10.0.130 [MULTI16] No-CD/Fixed EXE" on gamecopyworld. This one should replace the original .exe after I patch the game with official patch from Sims2 site and then make sure the desktop's shortcut point to that cracked .exe.

[Faizah]

You just need one no-CD exe, to replace the one you use to run the game. In this case, Free Time.

[Kazzandra]

Bastdawn: I see what you did there. And it saved my pointy stick from needing another sharpening.

[Craigbear]

I installed BV from disk and tried the no cd crack and keep comming up with this error i am a new poster on this site so please be nice. LOL anyway here is the error "failed to enumerate any directx9 graphics adapters on this system". Maybe i missed something im not sure.

Please help as i really liked playing with BV installed.

[jsalemi]

That happened with a bad crack, I think -- try getting a new version from gamecopyworld and see if that fixes the problem.  Also, make sure you start the game from the no-cd.exe, and not from the launcher.

[Craigbear]

Ok tried what you said and it worked except a few odd things. There is something called flt-tsbv on my desktop kind of looks like a monitor and also on the start menu instead of the picture at the top that i chose there is a circle kind of looks like a pie menu with green,red,blue and yellow and a green checkmark. Can you tell me what that is?

[talysman]

That happened with a bad crack, I think -- try getting a new version from gamecopyworld and see if that fixes the problem.  Also, make sure you start the game from the no-cd.exe, and not from the launcher.

No, it's caused by the crack being in the wrong folder. It has to go in the TSBin folder, where the SecuROM-infected EXE is. I made the same mistake, but fortunately remembered another thread that mentioned the same error.

I have no idea what Craigbear's second comment is about, but it sounds like, somehow, the system video tools are linked to shortcuts on the desktop. Pictures mean nothing. Right-click on the icon, select "Properties", and tell us what it says, Craigbear.

[Craigbear]

I fixed the problem thank you both for your help im just happy to ba able to play BV again.

[jsalemi]

You can add screen size on the command line (details in the readme that comes with the game), but it's easier (and permanent) to do it within the game.  Go to the graphics options and pick the size that's the same as your widescreen.  If that size doesn't exist, then you have to edit the graphicsrules.scr file in your games ...TSDATA/RES/CONFIG folder to add the proper settings.  Do a search on 'graphicrules.scr' here to find older messages with complete details on how to do this.

[Rhaevyn]

I have SecuROM.  I am going to be getting rid of it.  It's just coming down to a choice of going through the lengthy instructions here or a restore of my system and starting over.  But I have a question.  After reading through this entire thread, and some other information about this file, I'm curious what exactly has been happening to everyone as a result of this file - exactly, I mean, what are your personal experiences from having this file invade your computer?  From what I've read it supposedly keeps games from starting, or makes them crash.  Have any of you lost data or had any kind of damage?  I don't want it, I think it's very wrong for them to force it on us, but I really don't even understand what it does, to be honest, I mean the bad things it can do, not what THEY want it to do.

The only problems I've had so far, since installing the game on my newly upgraded machine, were the errors I shared in my other thread that I've had closed down (missing game files - per JM).  I've since spent a day re-installing, and now I'm getting an artifact on my cursor when I enter the game, along with a flickering mouse cursor.  It also started happening in another online game I play.  From what I can tell, it's not interfering with game play, it's just annoying as hell.

I had the computer looked over by the guy who built it for me.  He reinstalled the motherboard and video card drivers and was unable to determine what is causing the anomaly - it still lives.  Do you all think it's SecuROM?  If not, any suggestions?

[Jelenedra]

What kind of artifact is it?

[Rhaevyn]

The guy who built my computer said that's what it's called (an artifact).  My cursor flickers and has a squarish thing behind it wherever you move it.  It looks like it's trying to copy bits of the desktop or something.  It only happens when you launch a game.  I only have two games at the moment:  Sims 2 and WoW.  It doesn't happen anywhere else, like on websites or desktop.  Only in games. 

I entered a house in Sims and as I moved around the lot I noticed a circle around my cursor outside the house.  It was night time and there was snow on the ground.  There was a dark circle, like a shadow, around the cursor wherever I moved.  The cursor was flickering.

It's the strangest thing.  I've not stayed in the game for any extended period of time yet so not sure if it would actually go bonkers although the sound did stutter a bit upon loading, which it hadn't done previously.  I'm going to try and remove the dreaded file and get the crack first and see if that kills it.  And I'm still curious about my question.  I honestly want to know what this file does to people's computers.

If all else fails, I'll go ahead and do the wipe/restore.  I've just been through so much over the past few weeks since getting my upgrades done I'm exhausted and would like to actually play a game on my computer.  Novel concept as it may be.

[snowbawl]

Sounds more like a graphics issue...
SecuROM treats my drive as though it does not exist when starting my game.  Or I get the insert original disc message.  Simply put, I have to jump through hoops to start my game.  This has only applied to TS2.  I have never had any other problems with other games.