12 replies to this topic

[DrewAS]

Hello, (Sorry Long Post - please read so you can see the steps I have already tried)

I have been having problems with running the game Medieval II Total War - Gold Edition. I had installed an alcohol120% trial so that I could run my VB Express 2005 iso file and install it.

However the program was interfering with my game DVD which I could not even run the install for. So I uninstalled the trial using the uninstall tool from my program menu, I then went through my computer looking in all hidden folders to delete everything that was left behind. The game would still not run.

I proceeded to use regsupreme registry editor to delete unwanted files from my registry, but emulation software was still detected. I found a link on this website of how to manually uninstall the program and where to find the keys in regedit, but none of them were in my registry so I didn't know what I could do.

I formatted my hard drive (the only way I know of is pressing F8 and using the built in TechGuys repair tool which came with my pre-installed Vista machine) using the complete format option to delete everything and installed my OS clean. The game still detected emulation software however - are there further signatures or drivers left behind permanently to detect we have used the trial? If so how can I remove them?

Because it still wouldn't work I downloaded alcohol52% and tried to burn a disc image using SecuRom setting - DPM - High 10X speed, this image completed but the emulation was still detected. I ran it slower at minimum 1X speed, but recieved an error message stating that it could not read the 2nd layer of the DVD.

I have read these forums and used tools such as YASU (various versions), pr0t.stop!, cureRom and a couple of others from cdmediaworld website without any success from the virtual or DVD drive. I installed SPTD and then removed the driver, but there is still the same emulation detection error.

I attempted to open/explore the DVD to install it which worked, but running it still doesn't. Using Protection ID states:-

-> Suspicious MZ Header..
[!] Securom detected - Version 7.xx
[!] Possible CD/DVD-key or serial check -> CDKey

When attempting to burn an image using alcohol52% I had no choice of an option for Securom7 - only Securom. Without the DVD inserted I could choose several different Securom profiles - which I think I could bypass by selecting Securom 4, 5, 7.x and then inserting the DVD but never actually tried to burn an image this way. With my DVD inserted first before choosing however, I was left with only a default Securom and less options in total.

I have since removed alcohol52% but not attempted to clean my registry as nothing helped previously anyway.

Is there any support you could provide in removing the program fully? Perhaps the links I used were old and didn't show the correct reg keys. Or should I perhaps try alcohol120% trial again (as I never used the full trial period) and try image creation using this version instead? If so how do I install the program so that drivers are not blacklisted? The links I have tried on this issue never worked or were denied. How do I remove all previous drivers before doing this?

My OS is Windows Vista Home Premium 32bit

Thank you in advance......regards, Andrew. (5pm UK time now, I'll check replies about same time tomorrow/next few days)

[DrewAS]

Update - (sorry couldn't edit my original post)

Have installed alcohol120% trial again - 1.9.7.6022

I never had the option of installing in expert mode with a check box in the corner, and after installing I have immediately gone through my registry in the said places and further ones, and the driver keys listed do not appear anywhere in my registry. Don't know if this helps.

Edit -- Just noticed expert mode only applies to a prior version.

Edited by DrewAS, 19 February 2008 - 11:05 AM.

[zamiel]

http://forum.alcohol...showtopic=23848

[DrewAS]

http://forum.alcohol...showtopic=23848

Apologies, normally those stickies just refer to guidelines on behaviour and the like so I overlooked it. Well I've reinstalled the alcohol120% trial (tried removing it again after last re-install )and here is my system report -

P.S. Hope all the highlighting in my first post didn't seem rude, was just trying to be helpful in highlighting parts in case people didn't want to read it all. Looking at it now it looks a bit vulgar, and a bit attention seeking.

Edited by ptolomeus3, 20 February 2008 - 12:05 PM.
System Report Romoval

[ptolomeus3]

Could be a blacklisting of Alcohol, try a little tool called Yasu Version 1.3.7071

[DrewAS]

I've tried that, as well as pr0t.st0p, cureRom, and a couple of other SCSI hiding things from www.cdmediaworld.com. None of them have worked. I don't seem to have the drivers listed on the manual uninstall anywhere in my registry, so I don't know if the program or version of it that I used installed different named ones.

No matter what I have used so far to avoid the blacklist, it hasn't worked.

[Charalambos]

Do you have other related software installed( Daemom Tools, Clone CD, Blindread/write e.t.c.)?
If you want to ensure the full uninstallation of Alcohol delete the Alcohol's instalation folder and any related enty in the registry( use "Alcohol" as the search keyword). If you also want to uninstall the SPTD layer then use the standalone installer/uninstaller from www.duplexsecure.com.
But:

I formatted my hard drive (the only way I know of is pressing F8 and using the built in TechGuys repair tool which came with my pre-installed Vista machine) using the complete format option to delete everything and installed my OS clean. The game still detected emulation software however - are there further signatures or drivers left behind permanently to detect we have used the trial? If so how can I remove them?

This is impossible. If you really formated your hard drive in the normal way( erasing all data) then the game can't detect something that has not been installed yet afterwards.The question is again if you had installed other related software before you installed and tried to play the game.

[DrewAS]

Do you have other related software installed( Daemom Tools, Clone CD, Blindread/write e.t.c.)?
If you want to ensure the full uninstallation of Alcohol delete the Alcohol's instalation folder and any related enty in the registry( use "Alcohol" as the search keyword). If you also want to uninstall the SPTD layer then use the standalone installer/uninstaller from www.duplexsecure.com.
But:

I formatted my hard drive (the only way I know of is pressing F8 and using the built in TechGuys repair tool which came with my pre-installed Vista machine) using the complete format option to delete everything and installed my OS clean. The game still detected emulation software however - are there further signatures or drivers left behind permanently to detect we have used the trial? If so how can I remove them?

This is impossible. If you really formated your hard drive in the normal way( erasing all data) then the game can't detect something that has not been installed yet afterwards.The question is again if you had installed other related software before you installed and tried to play the game.

That is exactly what I thought, it should be impossible so obviously the tool they provide with my PC doesn't work properly. I'm not sure of any other way to do it since Vista came pre-installed, so when I format Vista installs itself again without requiring a CD, maybe the data is being kept in the same place as the recovery backup.

I'll have to look at how to format my hard drive properly, I made a backup DVD so I can do it and wipe their stuff off completely.

I hadn't installed any tools prior to alcohol120%, this was the first virtual/emulation sort of thing I have installed, nothing came pre-installed on it.

How do I search my registry as you said? I don't see a search bar in regedit, and typing it in my Start Search bar at the bottom of my start menu in Vista brings nothing up.

I've covered most areas of System & Software folders in each HKEY folder fairly vigorously, as well as all the Microsoft and Windows ones.

P.S. Do you require a system report again? I've noticed it's not there anymore, guessing you snipped it out but just double checking.

EDIT -- Never mind with the searching, just noticed I can use a find keyword search thanks.

Edited by DrewAS, 21 February 2008 - 12:43 PM.

[DrewAS]

Update -- after searching my registry for everything relating to "Alcohol" with & without quotes, as well as lowercase I deleted all new folders it found which I couldn't find before.

I still have the problem however, are there any drivers/components which I could try searching for in the same way? Did I delete them incorrectly by deleting the whole folder or should I have just deleted the key in the folder.

If there's nothing else then I guess it's a conflict on my system somewhere. Would installing a new hard drive give me a clean slate to work from? Or are all the registry keys in the kernel?

EDIT - There is only 1 folder I did not delete, it was in HKEY/Local Machine/Software/Microsoft/Windows/Current Version/Explorer/FileExts - and the folder itself is called ".mds". Within this file is another called "OpenWithList" where my search returned a key for alcohol soft being a .exe path key - this key was simply called "a" which I deleted, but there is another in there called MRUList which under the data tab also says "a". This wasn't returned as an alcohol key when I searched it in the registry, but is it correct to assume they are likely related and delete it, or the entire folder in which it resides?

Edited by DrewAS, 21 February 2008 - 01:20 PM.

[Charalambos]

Just to make it clear: Did you have this message/problem before installing Alcohol again after formating?

[Phoenix]

If you formated your PC and made a clean install of your OS and tried to play from your origional disc then you can not get any emulation error.

[DrewAS]

Just to make it clear: Did you have this message/problem before installing Alcohol again after formating?

Sorry, yes I did, I have since been in contact with the SecuRom support team who have provided me executables without the safeguard on them, so it is working now. But yes the error was still there, but I don't understand why as I have ran other games with protection on also such as COD4 and Stronghold 2 without any error, so I think it is something to do with this particular game.

Nvr m anyway, I've done all I can, thanks for your help.

[zamiel]

COD4 uses SafeDisc, StrongHold 2 may use an earlier version of SecuRom than the one you've encountered on this disc.