IMPORTANT: Playing Vanilla and Warlords on Windows 10

[DynamicSpirit]

Just to make sure everyone is aware....

Several people have upgraded to Windows 10 and found they are no longer able to play Vanilla or Warlords Civ4. Deckhand has uncovered this link which explains the problem in detail. However the crux of it is that people have found that Windows 10 is unable to read many copy-protected dvd's to verify they are genuine. This screws up Civ4 vanilla and Warlords, which use copy-protected discs (as well as a lot of other old games). BtS is not affected because it runs without checking that you have an original dvd in the drive. I haven't heard anything about Steam, but I'm guessing Steam users might not be affected by this problem if your Civ is downloaded from Steam and doesn't rely on a dvd.

This is not a problem that's within our ability to fix. So it looks like, until either Microsoft fix the problem, or someone comes up with a workaround, Windows 10 users will be unable to play vanilla or Warlords GOTMs (or for that matter, any vanilla or Warlords Civ games - with the possible exception of Steam users).

So the message obviously is - if you want to continue playing all GOTMs, you'll need to avoid upgrading to Windows 10. Or keep at least one computer that's running an earlier version of Windows.

 

[DynamicSpirit]

A workaround for this so that you can play vanilla and warlords Civ has apparently been found. I haven't been able to test it myself because I don't have Windows 10. I will warn you that the stuff you have to do is probably only for the technically-minded, but here goes. As posted to answers.microsoft.com and then reposted to Civfanatics.

I discovered why Simcity 4, apparently some variants of Civ 4, and a bunch of other games don't work under Windows 10.

Microsoft intentionally broke them by refusing to allow Macrovision's SafeDisc copy protection system driver to load anymore. This was supposedly done due to vulnerabilities, but they were supposedly fixed years ago.

The reason I found out about it is that in the latest Windows 7 update they turned the service off and broke Simcity 4. I found out how to fix that problem which led to the article detailing how you could get SECDRV.SYS to work under Windows 10:

SECDRV.SYS Not Loading in Windows 10; this will break thousands of older games.

The details are as follows:

A workaround is to copy secdrv.sys from a windows 8 / 8.1 machine, self sign the driver, and enter into testsigning boot mode.

You can do this manually or use 3rd party programs to do it.

First copy secdrv.sys from a windows 8 machine to c:\windows\system32\drivers. You can also download it here. Same file as the one I got from a vanilla windows 8.1 install v 4.3.86.0 md5 3ea8a16169c26afbeb544e0e48421186

Then self sign the driver. You can use a program Driver Signature Enforcement Overrider to do this: http://www.ngohq.com/?page=dseo

Or read about doing it yourself here. You will also need to make the certificate.

Then enable TESTSIGNING boot mode by opening an admin command prompt and typing: bcdedit -set testsigning on

Now safedisc games should work.

You will get an annoying watermark in testsigning mode. You can remove it using this program. Or read about removing it manually here.

(Note: That link about removing it manually is invalid...)

I tested secdrv.sys and the above programs in Windows 10 Pro x64 and confirms that it does work.

Can someone post this information to the appropriate forums regarding versions of Civ 4 that currently don't work under Windows 10? I imagine it will be very good news to a lot of Civfanatics.

Link to the full explanation (where I got the quote from).

Link to civfanatics discussion (Post #66 in the thread is where the workaround is pointed out)

If anyone here does try it and gets it to work, let us know!

 

[Folket]

Could you change the thread name? I did not read this as the topic told me all I needed to know.

Perhaps something like "Vanilla and Warlords on Windows 10 solution"

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Excellent point, thanks. I've changed thread title.

 

[Frederiksberg]

If you are still using Windows 7 or 8 this simpler workaround will do.

 

[neilmeister]

I had a red hot go at this.... couldn't make it work. I did everything that was suggested, including making and signing my own certs, but to no avail.

Now.... to slink off to Steam or not, that is the question.

 

[lymond]

I had a red hot go at this.... couldn't make it work. I did everything that was suggested, including making and signing my own certs, but to no avail.

Now.... to slink off to Steam or not, that is the question.

Make sure you run Windows Update and then do the compatibility thing again..to Win 7

 

[neilmeister]

Hi All, I have managed to get them Steam versions under Windows 10 to work for HoF and xOTM games.

I don't really want to plug Steam, but CiV4 complete (includes Vanilla, Warlords, BtS & Colonization) is only $7 right now.


These are the steps I followed:
- install the games from disc as normal, fully patched and install all HoF mods.
- install from steam the BETA of each of Vanilla & Warlords. On the Steam library you can right click on a game, select 'Properties' and then choose the original game from the BETAS tab.
- go to where the steam.exe is located and change its properties to 'run as admin'. This will make steam display a warning screen when you next run it, but ignore it

For Vanilla:
- go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV
- select ALL folders and delete them
- copy ALL folders (except 'Warlords' and 'Beyond the Sword') from C:\Program Files (x86)\2K Games\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4 Complete (or wherever you installed the game from disc) and paste them into the steam directory above.
- modify the appropriate CivilizationIV.ini file to directly set the mod to be "Mod = Mods\HOF-1.74.004" (this file will be in your \My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization IV folder)

For Warlords:
- go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Warlords
- select ALL folders (except for 'Warlords') and delete them
- copy ALL folders (except 'Warlords' and 'Beyond the Sword') from C:\Program Files (x86)\2K Games\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4 Complete (or wherever you installed the game from disc) and paste them into the steam directory above.
- go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Warlords\Warlords
- select ALL folders and delete them
- copy ALL folders from C:\Program Files (x86)\2K Games\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4 Complete\Warlords (or wherever you installed the game from disc) and paste them in the steam directory above.
- modify the appropriate CivilizationIV.ini file to directly set the mod to be "Mod = Mods\HOF-2.13.004" (this file will be in your \My Documents\My Games\Warlords folder)

Please note:
- you will need to restart steam to get it to use the 'Run as admin', to do this you might need to kill it in Task manager or simply reboot the pc
- you cannot just double click on a GOTM saved-game anymore.... you need to start the app (use the shortcut on the desktop) then load the game. (if I care enough to look and get this to work, I will update this thread)
- I have not checked if other Steam games have an issue with the 'Run as admin' setting.


edit: I first got Warlords running (so I could play the WOTM) by trying a lot of different things, after that to get Vanilla working I just did the same thing though I am not sure it was completely necessary.

 

[Deckhand]

Hi All, I have managed to get them Steam versions under Windows 10 to work for HoF and xOTM games.
...
These are the steps I followed:
- install the games from disc as normal, fully patched and install all HoF mods.

The big issue with win10 (and now 8) is that it won't read the disks. So, I don't know how to "install as normal". [Or is issue that you can install but not play?]
However, if you already had the game files installed before going to win10 - you can copy those files. In my case, I have a backup copy of my old desktop before getting the win10 laptop.
Here's my status of following neilmeister's advice for vanilla:

Spoiler :

For Vanilla:
- go to C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV
- select ALL folders and delete them - Done
- copy ALL folders (except 'Warlords' and 'Beyond the Sword') from C:\Program Files (x86)\2K Games\Firaxis Games\Sid Meier's Civilization 4 Complete (or wherever you installed the game from disc) and paste them into the steam directory above. - also pasted in the Warlords & BtS folders; then deleted them
maybe this is some of reason why I had problem described below
- modify the appropriate CivilizationIV.ini file to directly set the mod to be "Mod = Mods\HOF-1.74.004" (this file will be in your \My Documents\My Games\Sid Meier's Civilization IV folder) - done, but...

Start Civ4 in Steam
Nothing happens
Steam, Properties, Local Files - Verify Integrity of Game Cache - 49 files updated
Game does not recognize the mod when starting, but I can select it from Advanced

Success, I'm able to play Vanilla HoF Mod and GOTM
And Alt-Tab works!


edit, update
- bts doesn't work anymore
- the gotm124 that I made was missing a dll file, so Alan had to fix; replaced my dll file and can load the game; so I think vanilla HoF is working

 

[neilmeister]

I attach a copy of my entire steam Vanilla folder. C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV
So if you haven't got original files, please use mine. Of course you will need to have purchased Civ4 on steam for this to work.

Maybe just start with copying my CvGameCoreDLL, then Assets and Shaders, in that order if it still doesnt work for you. I will upload my Warlords folder in the next post... eventually

https://www.dropbox.com/s/jvj51hlr62r2atd/Vanilla - Complete.zip?dl=0

 

[lymond]

obsolete

 

[DynamicSpirit]

Thanks lymond! That looks potentially very useful. I especially appreciate it because - having written documentation myself in the past - I realize how much effort it is to write down this kind o thing accurately.

Hopefully as soon as people with steam come in and start trying it out (I don't have steam so can't do it myself), we'll know whether that solution does always work.

 

[lymond]

No prob, DS. Interestingly, I'm in the process of helping a guy over in S&T with his steam install. He's trying to open a HOF save. However, we are having issues. I started a convo with Neil asking him to provide the BTS files again, since I don't have them anymore. What I did for me has worked absolutely fine, but I can't seem to reproduce it yet for someone else. I am testing this now on another machine.

 

[neilmeister]

Lymond has done some really good work identifying exactly which files need to be modified to get Vanilla to work with Steam. This works with Win10.

- Modify your Steam install of Vanilla to the BETA.... see above in the first post
- Download the attached zip in this post
- Unzip it and copy the files to the steam Vanilla assets folder (C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV\Assets)... overwrite existing files (if you dont get a warning, you are not copying it to the correct place)

https://www.dropbox.com/s/w1752jhgarm2c0s/Vanilla Assets.zip?dl=0

edit: I will do the same for Warlords.... in the next week or so. I will then create a WOTM!

 

[da_Vinci]

I think steam has some so-called beta versions of the civ 4 series that are called "original version unsupported" that one can select by right clicking on those installs in steam and selecting properties and then the beta tab. I think those are compatible with HOF and GOTM or are very close to it. Might be easier than a complete copy and paste from disk files. I know that can at least run Buffy mod with the BOTM version, still working out if it is a fully valid configuration (waiting for Deckhand to tell me if my BOTM 148 with it was a valid submission).

dV

 

[neilmeister]

Here is my entire Assets folder. It is copied from "C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Warlords\Warlords"

https://www.dropbox.com/s/tvtgka3qm57sjg0/Warlords Assets.zip?dl=0

 

[Ronnie1]

I know this is the wrong thread, but I am tired and lazy, please move where appropriate if necessary. I just "upgraded" to a Win10 machine. My multiple sets of discs no longer work. I repurchased everything on Steam. What I am not sure about are updates that were once upon a time required to get to the proper version. I assume the most current version on Steam is appropriate. How/where do I install the Buffy mod so I can play xotm's again? Thanks for the support.

 

[Deckhand]

Hi Ronnie, this is the right thread: I think everything you need to know is above.
this is the path to my steam bts mods folder: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV Beyond the Sword\Beyond the Sword\Mods
and vanilla: C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\Sid Meier's Civilization IV\Mods
Note, I got Vanilla to work with Steam and have not personally been successful for Warlords. [uncertain whether another wotm will ever be hosted] Vanillas are occasional.
two botms per month now
I don't use Steam for botm, because I had a copy of it on disk - and bts doesn't need the dvds to play. So, you could copy it over from your old machine.

good luck

 

[Deckhand]

note, I think a few keys are:
- steam beta old version (right click game in library: properties, betas, original release)
- set up game for admin privileges
- run steam in admin mode
- put mod in right folder (I'm no expert)

 

[neilmeister]

Got an email about a thread I am subscribed too.... long time no see Civfanatics!

Follow the instructions from above..... thats what this thread is about.
You might also need to make sure your CivilizationIV.ini file is corect

For BtS
Mod = Mods\BUFFY-3.19.005