Windows update KB3086255 issues

[origigull]

Windows update KB3086255 is a security update from Microsoft which stops older pc games from playing on the computer. Now I sometimes like to unwind and play Rome Total War on my pc but in September this update was loaded onto my computer and I found I could not play this game. Before I knew what the problem was I was doing system restores and tweeks and what nots to try and unfix my (I thought) broken computer. This update basically disables secdrv.sys so stops the old games running. There is a solution:

•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

•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



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. [/I

Just be very care if you follow this solution. I just bought a new computer and didn't install KB3086255.

 

[WonderingSoton]

This is superb, thank you.

Love playing Rome total war, older Red Alert and Dune games, older school war / strategy games are very much my bag.

And sure enough, after recently applying a raft of updates to my Windows 8.1 machine (must have been 30 or 40) - all of these games no longer start. No amount of trying to run things in compatibility mode would help. Was gutted, obviously assumed it was one of the patches but couldn't find anything specific when googling around and with that many updates I had little hope of pinning it down to the specific patch. I was thinking about reformatting and dual booting Win 8.1 / 10 with Win7 for playing these older games. However this gives me a chance of sorting out my current build, if I can unpick this patch.

Cheers