SafeDisc is keeping me from Civ4: a game I paid for twice!

[southpawphil]

*sigh*

I originally started in this thread because I lost my boot disc for CIV4, which isn't a tech support problem: http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=220507

I go buy a new version of civ4 at a best buy. I uninstall my old version I had on my computer, reinstalled, and am getting this error when I start the game:AppName: civilization4.exe AppVer: 1.6.1.1841 ModName: ~df394b.tmp. I uninstalled again and this time deleted any remnants I could find to Civ/Firaxis on my hard drive and in my registry. Then reinstalled. I was getting the same error.

I eventually found a way I could start the game. I removed a Civ4 entry in my registry thats under a SafeDisc related entry. I rebooted, launched the the app and the game actually started. During the load process it put the entry back in the registry that I previously removed. That means after I shut down my computer, I'll have to remove that entry again to play Civ4.

Do you guys have a way to keep SafeDisc from keeping me from playing a game I've paid for twice now? SafeDisc's purpose is supposed to prevent piracy, I believe, which I'm fine with, but the problem is I just bought this game today at a best buy, not Pirate Crackers R US, where it was sitting in all it's packaged glory

I wasted my day with this BS, so my patience has been exhausted. I do hope I can get some assitance. Thx

btw - I see this in the fix it list: 14. SafeDisk4 Fix -There can be copy protection confusion for people with burners. Try to install from a non-burner drive. Otherwise turn off or remove your burner software.

This is a laptop, so I have only one drive to install from its a DVD/CD combo drive that burns both cds and dvds. AFAIK, I don't think I have burner software. I burn music with iTunes. I'll look closer because it's a Dell laptop and they love to add junk software

 

[commofdoom]

the answer is probably (sadly) to reformat and reinstall the OS. and never touch the registry, even if you're a windows programmer. that thing is too damned touchy.

 

[southpawphil]

The answer is not to boot from that cd/dvd burner drive. It's clear to me what's happening.

My theory: I bought the original game at release and it worked installing on my laptop and booting from the same drive in question. I suspect the original game shipped was using an older version of safedisc.

The current version of the the game, "Game of the Year" edition is most likely using a newer version of SafeDisc which doesn't like the drive the cd is booting from.

At the end of the day I found a found a way to play the game, and the answer is to not boot from that drive. Folks can use their imagination on the different ways you can achieve that.

There's no way I'm reformatting and reinstalling the OS for something like this. This situation will make me think twice about buying another game from Firaxis in the future. In a effort to stop piracy they are using buggy third party software that can prevent honest users from playing the game they paid for.

/rant off.

Civ is a good game tho. I can't deny that.

 

[T.A JONES]

The answer is not to boot from that cd/dvd burner drive. It's clear to me what's happening.

My theory: I bought the original game at release and it worked installing on my laptop and booting from the same drive in question. I suspect the original game shipped was using an older version of safedisc.

The current version of the the game, "Game of the Year" edition is most likely using a newer version of SafeDisc which doesn't like the drive the cd is booting from.

At the end of the day I found a found a way to play the game, and the answer is to not boot from that drive. Folks can use their imagination on the different ways you can achieve that.

There's no way I'm reformatting and reinstalling the OS for something like this. This situation will make me think twice about buying another game from Firaxis in the future. In a effort to stop piracy they are using buggy third party software that can prevent honest users from playing the game they paid for.

/rant off.

Civ is a good game tho. I can't deny that.

Your right, not many gunna believe this but I had a hella time loadin a Civ product (civ3 Complete)when I found Secrom from CIvGOLD hangin around from previous install. I ripped it from registry and presto! works like magic.

They have sneaky copyprotect stuff. Some is outdated and clings on after uninstall. I don't care how safe people say secuRom is . I don't trust it and rip it out by its ugly head