important Windows Update KB3086255 blocks SC4 from starting

[Cyclone Boom 17,031]

Following the trend of Windows 10, Microsoft has released security update KB3086255 for Windows 7, Windows 8.1 & Windows Vista.
Due to "security concerns", this intentionally disables the service which runs the secdrv.sys driver – a component of the SafeDisk protection which SC4 uses.

As a result, this prevents the disk-based (CD) version of SimCity 4 from running, and you may receive an "Access Denied - Please login with administrator privileges and try again" or similar permissions error. Many other legacy games are also affected.

It would seem the update simply disables the service, rather than removing secdrv.sys completely (like Windows 10 has).

NOTE: This shouldn't impact users of a digital based game, such as from GOG or Steam, as these don't rely on the same copy protection.

Full details of the update are as follows:

Security update for the graphics component in Windows
September 8, 2015 (KB3086255)

https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/kb/3086255

 

Workarounds

1)  Purchase SC4 digitally

Online retailers such as GOG or Steam offer a digital version of SimCity 4 Deluxe.

This comes as a download without the need for the CD to start. It's also fully patched and doesn't use the same method of copy protection, so you can install KB3086255 without issue and play the game as normal. In the case of GOG, the game is currently sold DRM free, meaning it starts by itself without a client service (e.g. Steam).

During seasonal sales, you can often purchase the game for as little as $5.

 

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2)  Redeem your SC4 Serial Number

You may be able to redeem your original Serial Number (product key), found at the back at the CD's manual. This may entitle you to a free digital copy of the game, with the same benefits of not needing other workarounds.

With Origin you can try contacting customer support, who can usually assist with this. As well as the serial number, you may need to provide physical evidence that you own the boxed copy, such as screenshots of the game's case & disks.

Other online retailers may also offer a similar option, so it's best to contact them directly.

 

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NOTE: Use at your own risk! 
The following suggestions will allow SimCity 4 to run, although they could potentially expose your system to security vulnerabilities (which the update intends to bypass). Therefore it's your own responsibility should any issues arise from not installing KB3086255, however the risk level of security flaws being exploited.


3)  Uninstall KB3086255

If updates are set to install automatically, you may have this update already installed.

In which case, to allow the CD game to start again, without the need for any workarounds, you'll need to uninstall the update:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/24373-windows-update-uninstall-update.html

A quick way to check if it's installed:
Enter KB3086255 in the "Search Installed Updates" box at the top right.

Note: To reduce the risk, it might be worth disconnecting from the internet whilst the game is running. Also it's recommended to ensure your anti-virus has the latest protection definitions.

 

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4)  Hide KB3086255

If you haven't installed KB3086255, it might be worth hiding it from the list of updates:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/24376-windows-update-hide-restore-hidden-updates.html

 

---

5)  Enable secdrv.sys on demand

However if you wish to retain the update, the below instructions (from the knowledge base article) describe how to start the service on demand, which should allow SC4 to run from the CD when you require:
 

Quote

Summary

In addition to the changes that are listed for the vulnerabilities that are described in Microsoft Security Bulletin MS15-097, this security bulletin addresses a defense-in-depth update for the secdrv.sys driver, a third-party driver. The update turns off the service for the secdrv.sys driver. This may affect the ability to run some older games.

 

Known issues in this security update

• After you install this security update, some programs may not run. (For example, some video games may not run.)
  To work around this issue, you can temporarily turn on the service for the secdrv.sys driver by running certain commands, or by editing the registry.
  
  Note: When you no longer require the service to be running, we recommend that you turn off the service again.
  
  Warning: This workaround may make a computer or a network more vulnerable to attack by malicious users or by malicious software such as viruses. We do not recommend this workaround but are providing this information so that you can implement this workaround at your own discretion. Use this workaround at your own risk.
  
  To do this, type the following commands at an elevated command prompt. You should press "Enter" after you type each command:
   
  • To disable the driver's service, type the following command:
    sc config secdrv start= disabled
     
  • To set the driver's service to manual, type the following command:
    sc config secdrv start= demand
     
  • To enable the driver's service (and to set it to automatic), type the following command:
    sc config secdrv start= auto
    Note: As per the proper syntax shown above, a space is required after the equals sign (=). This is omitted in error on the official knowledge base article.
     
  • To manually start the driver's service, type the following command:
    sc start secdrv
     
  • To manually stop the driver's service, type the following command:
    sc stop secdrv

 

Editing the registry

Important: This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs.

For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
322756 How to back up and restore the registry in Windows

To edit the registry directly, follow these steps:

1. Click Start, click Run, type regedit in the Open box, and then click OK.
    
2. Locate and then click the following subkey in the registry:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\secdrv
    
3. Right-click Start, and then click Modify.
    
4. In the Value data box, do one of the following:
   • Type 4 to disable the driver's service, and then click OK.
   • Type 3 to set the driver's service to manual, and then click OK.
   • Type 2 to set the driver's service to automatic, and then click OK.
      
5. Exit Registry Editor.

Source: https://support.microsoft.com/en-gb/kb/3086255

 

Using a script

Alternatively, see the following Reddit post for a way to start the service using a batch file:
https://www.reddit.com/r/simcity4/comments/3kmfmi/quick_and_dirty_solution_to_recent_windows_update/

 

List of systems the update is offered to:

Spoiler

Applies to

• Windows 7 Service Pack 1
• Windows 8 Enterprise
• Windows 8 Pro
• Windows 8
• Windows 8.1 Enterprise
• Windows 8.1 Pro
• Windows 8.1
• Windows Vista Service Pack 2
   
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Datacenter
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Standard
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Essentials
• Windows Server 2012 R2 Foundation
• Windows RT 8.1
• Windows Server 2012 Datacenter
• Windows Server 2012 Standard
• Windows Server 2012 Essentials
• Windows Server 2012 Foundation
• Windows RT
• Windows Server 2008 R2 Service Pack 1
• Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 2
• Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Service Pack 2

 

 

Feel free to post any comments, questions or suggestions below.

  Edited September 1, 2018 by Cyclone Boom  

[rsc204 21,866]

Honestly as soon as they started pushing the "upgrade to Windows 10" as a recommended security update I've stopped installing the darn things without checking them first. Prior to that I had confidence in MS in terms of their updates now I feel they are not to be trusted, it's a shoddy state of affairs. Then again, most people don't even bother to go through the update process, it's all handled for them automatically, so how many will notice before things break is another question altogether.

[Prophet42 1,503]

Just ran into the same issue.  KB3086255 installed and SC4 stopped working.  Luckily I always do a restore point before doing updates and restored back to when SC4 was working.  After my own investigating, came to the same conclusion as Cyclone did above (thanks for posting the info Cyclone )

I'm with rsc204, I am losing trust in Microsoft (they are becoming too 'Big Brother'ish for me).  I am starting to check every update before I install them.  This one slipped through.  Of course some of the updates come with such sparse descriptions that it can be difficult to determine exactly what it will do to your system.

I am sooooo glad I haven't upgraded to Windows 10 yet.  If Windows 7 had the same upgrade policy as 10 does, I would have been shmezled.

  Edited September 10, 2015 by Prophet42  

[raynev1 1,887]

I'm using an old vista machine , it got me too .

I have the option to uninstall this update , but am afraid of what may happen after . As I am not very computer savvy . Has anyone else tried to uninstall this update without problems .

Hope that the uninstall update option works , find out tomorrow . Good luck everyone .

[CMinVA 9]

raynev1 - yes, I have uninstalled this update on my Windows 8 PC.  So far, no problems.

[Indiana Joe 1,752]

Windows will function just as well as it did before you installed the update, if you remove it.  It's simply security updates, no content changes.  The only thing you are losing by no longer installing Windows updates is any protection from liability.

Microsoft won't provide you with any support, is the only thing.  If you get a virus or brick your computer, they will turn you away and offer no help.  Not that that's necessarily likely to happen, just imagine that it's like voiding a warranty.  Even if you just have some small problems, any support services you turn to will tell you to first fully update your computer.

Just thought that should be made clear before anyone recommends uninstalling security updates.  It's not meant to be scary, it's just liability information that you should be aware of beforehand.  Anyone who is still running XP will tell you that you can survive just fine without security support as long as you are careful.

 

I don't think it's as much a conspiracy as it is simply that few people use CD programs that need SafeDisc anymore.  It was clutter for the OS.  MS has had to cut off legacy support for many things before, it's nothing new.  They're just focused on the future and their core customer group.

Everyone was mad when their cassette tapes and floppy discs became obsolete.  In 10 years, USB flash drives will be replaced by something fancier and everyone will be mad that their are no USB ports anymore.  Such is technology.

There's lots of options for the time being.  If you have your original registration key (life pro tip:  "keep the receipt" for EVERYTHING) you can trade that in for a free digital copy.  Otherwise, just catch it on sale for 5 bucks.

 

Edit:  gonna update my Win 8 guide.

 

  Edited September 10, 2015 by Cyclone Boom  
Merged post from other topic.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Well done, gents.  This kind of explanation is something you are unlikely to get from MS because we are a group of people running legacy stuff and they can't bother with a minority as small as we.  I still think it is a 'dog in the manger' trick.

Once upon a time in my checkered career, I was the software manager for a large scale users group (a volunteer position) and the vendor wanted to discontinue magnetic tape production libraries which had been in use for pretty much the life of the current operating system.  There were many large corporate users who still used this system in canned JCL they had been running for years and would now have to maintain all of it, and the libraries, before they could update to the new version of the O/S.  There was a serious uproar because it was sprung on the user group at an annual meeting without any notice of any kind.  Sound familiar?  MS didn't even have the courtesy to warn people before hand, they just dumped it on you and headed for the bomb shelters.

This was a simple JCL change from one control record to a different one, but the implication was that all affected applications had to be recompiled or at least relinked to place these libraries on rotating storage.  This sold more disk packs and some disk drives as well.  And yes, it happened before most of you were born, sometime in the 1970s.  You don't want to know what those big disks cost in those days.

[Belfastsocrates 1,753]

Then again, most people don't even bother to go through the update process, it's all handled for them automatically, so how many will notice before things break is another question altogether.

I'm one of them, I played last night and the game loaded. I'll be checking when I get home later to see if this has been installed yet. I might be cheeky and email Origin and request a free digital version as I only purchased the game in 2013 to replace a lost disk. The worst they can say is no

  Edited September 10, 2015 by Belfastsocrates  

[rsc204 21,866]

I think the idea behind the free Origin version is more that if you install the client and update all your old EA games, you are more likely to use the service, it's a goodwill thing that so far as I can tell is being offered freely if you simply request it.

As for the MS conspiracy, I don't think pulling legacy support from a pre-established OS is a good thing, although the case with Windows 10 is different. I'd be happy to believe the security scare, it wouldn't be the first time unpatched holes made it through for ages, accept if that was the case why have support in every pre-release of Win10 right up until the release version when the files required for supporting old games were pulled? Simple answer, commercial decision, trying to push it onto Win Vista-8 users too leaves a bad taste in the mouth. If there is a documented security hole there, there is no information I could find on Google to suggest a bug-hunter had found it. The only thing I could find relates to a buffer overflow from 2007, I assume this isn't related given its 2015?

[jaycee585 4]

Hi folks. Previously unregistered lurker here.

I had to sign up so that I could post a HUGE thanks to Cyclone Boom!

My sc4 died a few days ago and like many others I suppose, I faffed around to no avail.

My gut feeling, due to the behavior and timing, was that it was a windows update that had messed things up. But, who dares wins, they say, I went to the extent of a reformat and re install of win7 (computer is only my boys toy, so nothing on the thing that could be missed).

Bingo, after the fresh install of the OS my new install of SC4 worked a treat.......until! Like a fool, I installed all 250MB's worth of the available updates! SC4 died again!

I was in the process of finding and eliminating the offending KB update by a painstaking trial and error when I found this thread! Saved me a shed load of time. Removed KB3086255 and hey! All is happy in my little SimCity world!

ps. my machine is windows 7 32 bit, so that update effects SC4 on both 32 and 64 versions.

Once again BIG THANKS.

[Jasoncw 11,949]

I wonder if they realized a lot of people with games from that time period weren't upgrading to 10 in order so that they could still play their games. This security update removes that from the decision-making process since now you can't play those games either way. 

I'm glad that I uploaded my BAT yesterday because if it had been today I wouldn't have been able to get screenshots of it. 

This is a very helpful announcement. This morning I saw that windows had updated, then I saw this, checked SC4, and sure enough it didn't start.

[Shy Dude 149]

So is Simtropolis now going to endorse a certain SC4 crack that was so blasphemous that  it was never to be spoken of?

  Edited September 10, 2015 by Cyclone Boom  
No, let's not go there... ;)

[SimCoug 5,976]

Thanks CB, MS snuck that update by me and killed my SC4... luckily by uninstalling the single update (KB3086255) I was able to get things rolling again without a hitch.  I owe you a beer.   

[MushyMushy 3,618]

Big thanks for this!

Glad I haven't tried to boot up SC4 in a while... just been modelling stuff. If I had tried to start it up (and it not work) before reading about this joke of a MS update I would've lost it.

[Cyclone Boom 17,031]

Glad this info is useful -- let's help spread the word to the wider SC4 community. Along with the news article, I've also duplicated this in the Omnibus. As we go along, I'm thinking the article could possibly be expanded, such as to include screenshots / video tutorials.

@jaycee585  No problem, welcome to the site!

A special thanks to rsc204 for providing the initial lead (in the other topic).

[linttu 0]

Raging! Installed SC4 for the first time last night, only got about two hours of gameplay before my laptop updated.

What's this about Origin though? Can I get a digital copy somehow?

[Tropod 144]

And this is why MS updates should be examined carefully before updating/installing them.

I remember years ago when doing an update for my XP PC, suddenly all admin access rights disappeared, I couldn't even do a rollback. I had to reinstall OS, very annoying.

 

[Indiana Joe 1,752]

Raging! Installed SC4 for the first time last night, only got about two hours of gameplay before my laptop updated.

What's this about Origin though? Can I get a digital copy somehow?

Actually most online vendors are pretty good about this.  If you still have the SimCity 4 product key that came with your box, you can often trade it in to them for a free copy.

 

For those who want to keep using the CD: at this point, the game's been on life support for a while but this is kinda the final nail.  You can't safely play it on your main machine anymore.  It's only going to go downhill from here; these programs are just not going to be supported by the latest Windows computers.  For the die-hard fans of old 90's/00's era programs, who can afford it, it's time to start looking into a cheap, old "legacy" computer.  Run Windows 98 or XP on it, and keep it disconnected from the internet.

  Edited September 11, 2015 by Indiana Joe  

[frdrcklim 139]

I check back here once in a while. It seems everytime I do, Microsoft throws another wrench. They sure have been fixing a lot of things that aren't broken lately. Kinda makes you wonder what other things they are  planning to fix.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

I am afraid that @Indiana Joe has the right of it.  The optical media era has ended and operating systems are simply going to stop supporting them.  In the near future I expect driver support will discontinue as well.  When was the last time you wrote anything on a floppy disk?

Cloud storage is something I try to avoid like a plague because I believe that it is an invasion of privacy at the very least.  I like to be able to touch the hardware my stuff is stored on.  Besides, what good is cloud storage if the Internet goes down?  This single point of failure could really be a problem.

When flash drives go away, and they will, what will people do for off-line storage?

[MandelSoft 2,775]

Too bad I have Windows 10 AND the disc version of SimCity 4. It looks like it's no SimCity 4 for me anymore then (and I'm not feeling too motivated to get it digitally now, since I rarely play it these days)...

It's quite sad to note that Linux now supports SimCity 4 better than Windows does, while Windows is usually the better bet for games...

  Edited September 11, 2015 by MandelSoft  

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Too bad I have Windows 10 AND the disc version of SimCity 4. It looks like it's no SimCity 4 for me anymore then (and I'm not feeling too motivated to get it digitally now, since I rarely play it these days)...

It's quite sad to note that Linux now supports SimCity 4 better than Windows does, while Windows is usually the better bet for games...

I think that MS and Apple are only interested in churning the market and not interested much in supporting legacy games.  The wine group have been doing their level best to continue to support everything under the sun (and under the moon, too!) with such expedition as a group of 1200 programmer/developers world wide can manage.  The size of the group may make things unwieldy at times, but they do get there.  So far, I have no information what they will do with the demise of the Safe Disk support in Windows (hopefully will ignore it.)

As far as running SC4 Deluxe is concerned, my friend, a  couple of days work and you can have it under Linux.  Take the tour.

[Mister Giggles 310]

Linux runs SC4... mostly. On Mint, using the Nvidia official drivers, I currently have some edge of screen tearing and an odd issue where the clickable area for buttons is lower than the actual buttons.

Allowing the game to change resolutions seems to be somewhat terrible for Mint as a whole, though, what with the system freeze.

  Edited September 11, 2015 by Mister Giggles  

[Tys 1]

Wait a second Cyclone Boom, since I don't want to do a workaround, how exactly do I uninstall this nagging update???

Honestly, I was really looking forward to playing Sim City again. I downloaded all of these awesome buildings too. I also tried the digital copy on Origin, but that didn't work.

So I ask again - how exactly do I uninstall this nagging update??

[Cyclone Boom 17,031]

Wait a second Cyclone Boom, since I don't want to do a workaround, how exactly do I uninstall this nagging update???

Honestly, I was really looking forward to playing Sim City again. I downloaded all of these awesome buildings too. I also tried the digital copy on Origin, but that didn't work.

So I ask again - how exactly do I uninstall this nagging update??

Hi,

This article has quite a good summary:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/24373-windows-update-uninstall-update.html

A quick way to find it is to enter KB3086255 in the "Search Installed Updates" box at the top right.

I'll add this to the initial post.

[Tys 1]

Awesome Cyclone Boom.

Thanks a lot!!

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

@Mister Giggles:  What version of wine are you running? 

I am running wine-1.7.50 on Ubuntu 15.04 using an AMD RS750 embedded chip with the X-Org default driver (AMD no longer supports this chip set). 

I do not have the problem you've described running with the DirectX 9.0c interface.

I did run Mint for a month or so, but concluded that, since it is a Ubuntu derivative, I'd rather deal with the front of the horse.  Debian is too elementary.  Whatever floats your boat.

[raynev1 1,887]

MS did it again , they even reset my settings on updates to "update automatically" . So I set updates to , not at all . Funny that I played SC4 last night , but could not load game this morning . Finding this very discouraging . I hope that the most resent updates don't continue to reset my update preferences . I am using my second purchased copy of SC4 , even though nothing was wrong with the first . Just letting everyone know to check their Update preference . Good luck everybody . 

[unnamed 174]

Wait a second Cyclone Boom, since I don't want to do a workaround, how exactly do I uninstall this nagging update???

Honestly, I was really looking forward to playing Sim City again. I downloaded all of these awesome buildings too. I also tried the digital copy on Origin, but that didn't work.

So I ask again - how exactly do I uninstall this nagging update??

Hi,

This article has quite a good summary:
http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/24373-windows-update-uninstall-update.html

A quick way to find it is to enter KB3086255 in the "Search Installed Updates" box at the top right.

I'll add this to the initial post.

I tried that, I can't find it. I searched that and it's not one of my installed updates. Help please.

[A Nonny Moose 8,262]

Which version of Windows are you on?  If it is 10 this cannot be undone.