Securom Technical FAQ

What´s an Sblade´s site without its Securom Technical FAQ? an omelette without eggs...

All this writing is applicable to Securom V7.X games as Securom V5 and lower have not Blacklisting and many others methods that cause hardware/software issues.

Due to lack of time and testing it has not been possible to me to determine why some burners work with NWN 2 and why some not. For example My LG DVD RW-120D does not work in my computer with NWN 2 but works nice in one friend of mine.

Before the FAQ, a general advice, install and launch the game from DVD/CD readers, not DVD/CD burners.

If you want a burner that works with NWN 2, try Lightscribe DVD+- Writer / CD-Writer: TSSTcorp CD/DVDW TS-H652L (Thanks to Selene Moonsong for this)

Now to the FAQ:

Message 0: The disk is not recognized by Windows

Well, a common cause I discovered some time ago was the DMA stepdown caused by Securom Spin/phase read checks. This causes your DVD drive to go PIO mode and if not corrected soon, It will go to trash.

Solution:

1. Remove Securom as stated below in this FAQ
2. Go to the device manager and (left click) on DVD/CD rom drives,
3. (Right click) on each drive and click uninstall. (cancel the message to reboot)
4. (Left click) IDE ATA/ATAPI controllers. (or SATA/SCSI)
5. (Right click) the primary IDE (or SATA) channel and (left click) uninstall. Do the same for the secondary IDE (or SATA)c hannel (and the IDE/SATA controller if its really stubborn).

If no hardware failure has occurred, when you reboot, The system will search and reload the drivers, (Reinstating DMA instead of PIO mode access).

Alternate solution for disk unreadable.

After doing the above message if you still have trouble disable Auto Run:

WINDOWS XP PRO:

Click Start
Click Run
Enter GPEDIT.MSC
Group Policy mmc will popup. On left panel:
Double-click Computer Configuration to open submenu
Double-click Administrative Templates to open submenu
Double-click System to open submenu
Double-click Turn autoplay off option which will be near the bottom of the list in the right
panel.

WIN XP HOME
Download the Microsoft powertoys here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/Downloads/powertoys/Xppowertoys.mspx

The Tweak UI is the one why need.
Download and install
Run
Click on the + icon in My computer.
Click on the + icon in Autoplay.
Click on types.
Uncheck the enable autoplay for CD and DVD drives.
Reboot.

Credits & special thanks to Kalniel.

EDIT: Reboot after doing this

Message 1: "Emulation Found"

This is the most common and most hard issue to deal with it, specially if you are a player with little experience and knowledge.

Securom Blacklisting process its very unfair.

1. Check if you have IDE drives. If positive ANY SCSI drives found, will be treated as
emulation. So if you have one IDE hard disk or IDE CD/DVD drive forget about NERO, ALCOHOL
120% and similars because you won´t be able to play the game. PD: Some SATA´s have IDE driver
be careful.

2. In case you like your virtual drivers, set it to 0 before launching NWN 2. Not always work because Securom weird blacklist program.
Also if you think you are more clever than anyone and try just disabling IDE on BIOS or WINDOWS
you´ll get this message or similar Cause Securom will try to enable them and will crash the executable or the operating system.

Note: BIOS level injection?

AppName: nwn2main_amdxp.exe
AppVer: 1.0.3.840
ModName: nwn2main_amdxp.exe
ModVer: 1.0.3.840
Offset: 0049df4f

Additional note: IF you have any DVD/CD IDE drive Securom will always read the disc on that
if you have external USB drives it won´t work and you´ll get the message "disc not found"
*Additional note reported by Titusc 07/01/07:
Reduce power State of the processor from "Home/office desk to something lower like "presentation"
It may work…
See full post here
Reduce power state thread
http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=519077&forum=116&sp=90

Safe solution: install KB update 924867
Try the safe solution before the risky one
Risky solution: uninstalling WXP SP2 KB update 917422 (Thanks Microsoft for this) I don´t recommend this because I think the update is not only for Securom…

Message 2: "Disc not found" or "Insert original disc" varies from version
We go to IDE again, If you have some IDE CD/DVD drive, put the disc on this drive.
Sometimes I´ve been reported that old HD´s are treated like CD/DVD drives. In this extreme
case, you will have to ask Securom for help.
If you are sure that you are putting the disc in the correct drive and still get this message you have to disable Windows Auto-Run feature here´s how:
WINDOWS XP PRO
Click Start
Click Run
Enter GPEDIT.MSC
Group Policy mmc will popup. On left panel:
Double-click Computer Configuration to open submenu
Double-click Administrative Templates to open submenu
Double-click System to open submenu
Double-click Turn autoplay off option which will be near the bottom of the list in the right
panel.

WIN XP HOME

Download the Microsoft powertoys here:
http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/Downloads/powertoys/Xppowertoys.mspx
The Tweak UI is the one why need.
Download and install
Run
Click on the + icon in My computer.
Click on the + icon in Autoplay.
Click on types.
Uncheck the enable autoplay for CD and DVD drives.
Reboot.

Credits & special thanks to Kalniel.

EDIT: Reboot after doing this

With this message you can also try putting nwn2main in a priority above normal. Try the NWN 2 launch first . Thanks to Sivanna I found this.

Message 3: "Original disc could not be authenticated in the required time"
This is critical, and there´s no magic solution.
Clean your DVD/CD. REmove 3rd parties software, Antivirus and Firewall. No luck you will have
to e-mail Securom, sorry.

Message 4: "A required security module could not be activated, this program cannot be run"
I´m gonna comment this one, since posted the previous way it has not been helpful.
When Securom detects a blacklisted application running with dumping capabilities, file monitor and registry monitor they won´t allow the game to start. Like in Microsoft (Sysinternals) Process Explorer:
UPDATE: 09/05/2007 PROCESS EXPLORER HAS BEEN UPDATED TO V.11 ALLOWING YOU TO RUN NOT NEEDING TO REBOOT BEFORE LAUNCHING SECUROM GAMES

Their own message:

'Process Explorer' has dumping capabilities as well as registry monitor / file monitor capabilities. This could be used to trace the behaviour of SecuROM.
Therefore, we do not allow the game to start when this software is active.

We have no immediate plans to allow this software in the future.
Best regards,
SecuROM Support Team
SecuROM on the web: http://www.securom.com
or via e-mail: support@securom.com

Solutions: The same, Disable antivirus, antyspyware, REMOVE Nero, Alcohol, and similar. All applications that you think has dumping capabilities as well as registry monitor / file monitor capabilities.

The Loong way is following Microsoft directives to see if background appplications are interfering http://support.microsoft.com/kb/331796

More Solutions: CAREFUL!, go to Start Menu>run>msconfig:

Click on the Start label: uncheck all except the sound card initialize, Nwiz and nvcpl (If you want low risk try only the applications you think that may interfere with Securom PM me if you have trouble.)

Message 5: No message, the black screen. Oops.

I think this happens when you have a lot of programs in memory but none of them is blacklisted by Securom.
To check your running programs Start Menu>Run>msconfig. Click on the Start label. If you see around 15-20 programs there you have lot of programs at the start that decrease your CPU performance.
Problem is that Securom requires lot of CPU usage to start, it could be seconds or five minutes but he has to reach certain point.
So to avoid black screen solution and credit given to Sivanna again.
Try first the launcher, start the launcher, press CTRL+ALT+SUPR, this will open the task manager, click on process and look for NWN2launcher.exe right click priority above normal.
If this does not work while you have the black screen, open the task manager, look for NWN2main.exe and set it to above normal.
Full post here:
Priorities may interfere
http://nwn2forums.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=580400&forum=116&sp=0

Resume:

1. Check for IDE drives. If positive phisically REMOVE all SCSI components on your computer.
2. Disable Antivirus, and 3rd parties like antispyware.
3. Disable Virtual Drives, and if necessary Remove Nero, Alcohol and similar.

If none of the above works try uninstalling WXP SP2 KB update 914722 (Thanks Microsoft for this).
This update is critical if you are getting messages 2 and 3.

To send an analisis to Securom team: (no less than 15 days…)

Insert NWN 2 CD / DVD to drive.
Execute following command (Start -> Run):
"C:\Program Files\Atari\Neverwinter Nights 2\nwn2.exe" /secuexp
Change with your NWN 2 installation folder.
Answer Yes when asked to start.
It then creates file named 'AnalysisLog.sr0' to your C: drive root.
If it can't to write to C:\ then it tries to write to your account's temporary folder.
- XP: C:\Documents and Settings\USER NAME\Local Settings\Temp
- Vista: C:\Users\USER NAME\AppData\Local\Temp

Zip the file and attach it to email, with error description, etc.
Send the email to: support@securom.com
Please whenever you e-mail Securom, please PM me with the results. They will say to you which programs conflicted with the NWN 2 launch. I will update the conflict list next FAQ

Common Mistakes:

1. Not taking the time to read all the FAQ
2. Not uninstalling well SCSI pass THRU driver that causes Securom to complaint about the virtual drives.To make sure that this is uninstalled:
http://www.duplexsecure.com/en/downloads
3. When Securom messed with itself (like what happened in some cases in 1.06 before the hotfix), it is sometimes necessary to remove the registry entries and start again:¡
4. Very small list of programs that cause issues with Securom (some from the Sticky thread in this forum):

Cyberhawk, Regmon, Process explorer, Diskmon. (it seems Securom and Sysinternals doesn´t get along)Further FAQ:

A bit after this FAQ I will try to explain how I think Securom works if you want to try your custom solutions.

First if Securom detects non Administrator accounts it will install the famous driver UA7Service.exe. This driver has a lot to improve, and is the cause of most incompatibilities, specially Antivirus and similar. Securom to do his accurate tests must do Direct Hardware Access. Antivirus does not like that and there could be trouble.
Before the check process a Blacklist programs runs, this program is to prevent emulation, and as explained above is very unfair, and cause LOT of hardware issues.
As there is no Virtual IDE drive, Securom smart team decided to Blacklist ALL SCSI drives. At least if any optical IDE drive is found.
This will cause if you put your recent bought NWN 2 DVD in your super SCSI DVD drive installed and/or on your SCSI Hard Disk, you will get the message "emulation found"
In the check process itself I think Securom requests 3 or more Encrypted Keys and requires 3 correct answers. Due to Securom technology, only the original DVD/CD has the digital "fingerprint" to return the correct information. The problem is the reader reading correctly the "fingerprint".

All three checks have a "time out" means that if in the process there is a bad read it will start again or you will get message 2 or 3. Message 3 is only seen if the returned information is correct, but not within the time limit.
Also sometimes the UA7Service, the driver installed to play NWN 2 on non admin accounts can cause lot of problems... to remove it.

!WARNING, REMOVING THIS SERVICE WILL CAUSE NWN 2 AND ALL YOUR SECUROM APPLICATIONS NOT WORKING ANYMORE IN NON ADMINISTRATOR ACCOUNTS

1) Start -> Run... -> services.msc
2) Locate the SecuROM User Access Service (UAService) and double click.
3) Under the Startup type dropdown menu, select "Disabled".
4) Take note of the location of the service file by looking in the "Path to executable" field. (usually C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM32\UA7SERVICE.EXE.
5) Reboot your machine into Safe Mode and delete the UAService file.

To remove the registry key:
http://shura.totalcmd.net/download/trashreg.zip
(tested it myself )

Also I think RegDellNull last version deletes it anyway.

!REMEMBER!, REMOVING UA7SERVICE SERVICE WILL CAUSE NWN 2 AND ALL YOUR SECUROM APPLICATIONS NOT WORKING ANYMORE IN NON ADMINISTRATOR ACCOUNTS

END of Further FAQ:

This thread is for technical issues if you want to complaint about Securom do it down below

Securom Removal Thread

http://www.ataricommunity.com/forums/showthread.php?t=542650&page=62

Technical questions are welcome:

Also I´m researching some strange reports, like instant reboot while trying to launch NWN 2, and unable to play movies after playing NWN 2 etc.
Because this is a free Securom discussion board I´ll allow here ALL technical questions that you believe that are Securom related
Technical questions are always welcome.

End of FAQ. Hope that helps

_________________

Truth is the only way....