This post is still under construction

Anyway, the intention is to create a port-of-first-call, mostly for people who drop in from search-engines as well as a memory jogger for regular members (and even us Moderators, too often perceived as g0ds ). The g0ds are the game developers, some of whom I've met, and the application coders who enable us to protect our investments.

At the moment, it looks to be just a huge list of SecuROM versions and I don't want to simply replicate the hard work of Portmac and Bulk who have compiled great sites containing software titles, their protection type and version number. SecuROM versions change as often as a government changes its mind which presents different issues to say, that of SafeDisc. The incremental changes to SecuROM do more for anti-piracy than SafeDisc's attempts (put that on your website fellas!). A SecuROM copy protected disc is hardly a compliant data CD any longer. The latest version known popularly as "SecuROM 4.8x" comes on a proprietary disc - I'm not even gonna call it a CD because it has strayed so far from the Philips standard I'm surprised the damn things still work. The sector density is varied along the spiral groove, to put it simply. This means that backup applications need to counter the physical characteristics using tools, methods or techniques - call it what you will.

The earliest versions of SecuROM merely employed techniques to defeat what is known as "a casual read". At most, it stopped a drop 'n' drag in Windows ... "fair 'nuff" I thought. At best it would confound non-compliant CD readers that couldn't read "subchannels" or if they could, they wrote corrected data where it was necessary to keep that 'corrupted' data. The same protective concept applied to burners for both reading and writing subchannel data. By using standard MMC the protection was easily enough defeated.

The eponymous title Colin McRae Rally saw an ATIP check introduced. This technique also used MMC for burners to interrogate the disc itself; if the disc could be identified as a recordable then the game wouldn't run. SafeDisc introduced the same technique in the first official patch for Max Payne (2.3x to 2.4x). You can't remove the ATIP you can only hide it. It doesn't mean that your backup is not 'perfect' because it's the nature of the CD recordable - it has to have an ATIP so the burner knows it can burn onto it. I've lost track of the times we've told people that a big, thivk, black felt marker will not cross-out the ATIP. Better still was the attempt with Whiteout (I think this was a red-head masquerading as a blonde) and one involving coloured sticky tape and a knife!

SecuROM revisions not only improve current protection techniques they also add techniques. It's not widely known that copy protection updates are introduced via game patches. You only have to visit the Bioware forum site for Neverwinter Nights to read up on the disaster. At one point, your original CD would not run if there was a LITEON burner on the IDE chain! Their interim advice was to disconnect the burner before they rushed out another patch that while fixing the burner issue, also crashed the game (again) for thousands of gamers. In the end, they inactivated the copy protection in a patch. Bioware blamed SecuROM (and presumably vice versa) for not advising them of a revision in the copy protection when they updated the game .EXE (the protection is wrappered in the .EXE and sometimes pumped out to a .DLL during installation).

Blacklists Just a quick word. SecuROM now looks for Virtual CD/DVD-ROMs and then fails execution of the game - original or no orginal disc if it detects one! I think this sucks big-time. If it finds the CloneCD or Alcohol120% or Daemon Tools VCD, the backup will not be able to run, and as I just said neither will the original; I just wanted to repeat that to make it clear. Your licenced rights are being infringed. It's a dumb battle. As soon as the blacklist update is discovered (like in about 20 seconds after the game is released), the VCD app is also updated to re-disguise itself. SecuROM spends bazillions on doing this, the developers of Daemon Tools et al spend very little, probably nothing most times. If I was the CFO for Sony Macrovision or Sony SecuROM I'd be making the idiot responsible for the business model sweat pure salt over the decision to blacklist VCDs. I'd want to know why money is spent for nothing. If I was a game developer, like say, id software, I wouldn't bother. The richest development house on the globe doesn't use expensive copy protection - you work it out.

Different versions require the use of different, or a combination of, applications depending on your hardware. The Recording Software Forum will take you the rest of the way to achieve a working backup.

SecuROM v-4.8x The CD 'Sector Density' Anomaly

Requires:

• CloneCD + twinpeak
• Alcohol 120% (RPMS)
• Blindwrite (.BWA Builder)

UFO - Aftermath ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.85.01.0005
Nascar Racing 2003 Season (1.2.0.1 Patch) :::: v4.85.00.0227
Space Colony ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.85.00.0005
Conflict Desert Storm 2 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.84.0099
Republic: The Revolution ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.84.0052
Homeworld 2 :::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.84.0039
Star Wars: Jedi Knight - Jedi Academy :::::::::::::::: v4.84.84.0020
The Temple of Elemental Evil ::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.84.0019
Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne :::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.81.8218
Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos (1.10) :::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.81.8218
Hoyle Table Games 2004 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.81.0056
Midnight Club II ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.81.0054
Colin Mcrae Rally 3.0 (31st July Update) ::::::::::::: v4.84.81.0051
Hoyle Casino Table Games 2004 :::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.81.0021
Hoyle Casino 2004 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.81.0021
Hoyle Card Games 2004 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.81.0021
Age of Wonders: Shadow Magic ::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.81.0008
TRON 2.0 (DVD Version) German ::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.81.0004
TRON 2.0 (CD Version) :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.81.0001
Tron 2 - CD :::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.81.0001
Line of Sight: Vietnam :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.81.0001
Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (1.07) ::::::::::::::: v4.84.76.7966
Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne US ::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.76.7966
The Hulk ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.76.0079
Enter The Matrix - 1.52 Patch :::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.76.0062
Colin Mcrae Rally 3.0 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.76.0048
American Conquest - Fight Back ::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.76.0018
Chaser :::::::::::::::::::: ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.76.0015
Neverwinter Nights: Shadows of Undrentide :::::: v4.84.76.0010
GTA 3 - Vice City - 1.1 Patch ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.75.0081
Enter The Matrix ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.75.0045
BloodRayne ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.74.0007
V8 Supercars Race Driver ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.72.0149
Toca Race Driver - 1.1 Patch ::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.72.0149
Pro Race Driver - 1.1 Patch :::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.72.0149
Vietcong Australia ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.72.0093
Neighbours From Hell ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.71.0007
BloodRayne ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.71.0002
Championship Manager 4 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.69.0101
Postal 2 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.69.0080
Vietcong :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.69.0078
GTA 3 - Vice City ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.69.0071
Grand Theft Auto: Vice City :::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.69.0071
Delta Force: Black Hawk Down ::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.69.0037
Postal 2 (US) ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.69.0008
Humvee Assault (German) :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.69.0004
Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne (Beta) :::::::::::::: v4.84.68.6354
TOCA Race Driver ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.68.0120
Pro Race Driver ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.68.0120
DTM Race Driver :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.68.0120
Blitzkrieg ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.66.0009
Dino Crisis 2 (German) ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.65.0001
No-one Lives Forever 2 - 1.3 Patch ::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.64.0049
Jurasic Park: Operation Genesis :::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.64.0016
Arx Fatalis (1.16) German :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.61.0016
Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos (1.05) :::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.60.5945
Warcraft 3 - 1.05 patch :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.60.5945
Praetorians ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.60.0170
Anno 1503 (1.04.02 patch) :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.60.0079
International Superstar Soccer 3 (German) :::::::: v4.84.60.0006
Enclave ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.60.0003
Zapper :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.60.0002
Nascar Racing 2003 Season :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.50.0166
Industry Giant 2: 1980-2020 (2.1) :::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.50.0122
Industry Giant 2 (2.1) :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.50.0122
Master of Orion III ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.50.0030
Gothic 2 - 1.29 Patch ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.20.0093
AquaNox 2: Revelation (2.13) German ::::::::::::::: v4.84.00.0112
Anno 1503 (1.02 patch) German :::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.00.0073
American Conquest UK ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.00.0054
No One Lives Forever 2 (1.2 patch) ::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.00.0039
Unreal Tournament 2003 (Taiwan) 2166 patch ::::: v4.84.00.0030
Unreal Tournament 2003 (2166) :::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.00.0030
Civilization III: Play the World (1.14 patch) US ::::: v4.84.00.0017
Unreal II - The Awakening :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.84.00.0008
Far West :::::::::::::::::::: :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.61.0000
AquaNox 2: Revelation German :::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0106
Industry Giant 2: 1980-2020 :::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0102
UT2003 2199 patch :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0046
Unreal Tournament 2003 (2119) :::::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0046
American Conquest French ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0041
Unreal Tournament 2003 (2186) :::::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0039
Unreal Tournament 2003 (Taiwan) :::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0022
Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring (1.1) :: v4.83.55.0022
UT2003 2136 patch :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0017
Unreal Tournament 2003 (2136) :::::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0017
Silent Hill 2 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0017
Paradise Cracked :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0014
Grom: Terror in Tibet ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0014
Soldiers Of Anarchy ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0008
Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of The Ring :::::: v4.83.55.0008
Civilization III: Play the World (1.04 patch) US ::::: v4.83.55.0008
K. Hawk - Survival Instinct (US) :::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0005
Civilization III: Play the World :::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0004
Treasure Planet: Battle at Procyon ::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0001
Shelly Club - La fête des animaux :::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0001
Ring 2 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v4.83.55.0001
Anno 1503 German ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.83.52.0070
Wer wird Millionar 3 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.83.52.0004
Gothic II (1.29) :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.83.52.0004
Gothic II :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.83.52.0004
RollerCoaster Tycoon 2 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.83.11.0049
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin German :::::::::::::::::::: v-4.83.11.0031
Hitman 2: Silent Assassin :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.83.11.0026
Unreal Tournament 2003 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.83.11.0005
Red Shark ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.82.01.0052
No One Lives Forever 2 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.82.01.0029
Empire Earth: Art of Conquest :::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.82.01.0027
Arx Fatalis :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.82.01.0027
Cossacks: Back To War :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.82.01.0016
Beam Breakers :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.82.01.0008
Beach Life ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.82.01.0005
Virtual Resort: Spring Break ::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.82.01.0004
Shadow of Destiny :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.82.01.0004
Diciopedia 2003 Portugal ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.82.01.0004
Pusher ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.82.01.0003
Emperador - El nacimiento de China (Emperor) :::: v-4.82.01.0002 and v-4.82.01.0012
K. Hawk - Survival Instinct (German) ::::::::::::::::: v-4.82.01.0001
Archangel :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.82.01.0001
Neverwinter Nights (1.21 patch) :::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.82.00.0139
Baldur's Gate 2 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.82.00.0139
Das Ding Aus Einer Anderen Welt Germany :::::::: v-4.82.00.0038
Emperor: Rise of the Middle Kingdom :::::::::::::::: v-4.77.00.0050

SecuROM *new* Incorporates an ATIP check
Reliable subchannel reading required

Most burning applications will work but you must hide the ATIP if playing from a urner

The Thing :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.77.00.0029
Hotel giant UK :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.77.00.0012
Frontline Attack Italy :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.77.00.0004
Farscape ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.77.00.0004
Arx Fatalis German :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.77.00.0004
Alien V predator 2: Primal Hunt :::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.77.00.0002
Disciples II ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.77.00.0001
Neverwinter Nights :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.76.00.0051
Industry Giant 2 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.76.00.0009
Etherlords ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.76.00.0001
Soccer Manager :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.74.00.0006
Lilo & Stitch :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.74.00.0001
Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos (1.04) :::::::::::::::::::: v-4.68.00.5162
Warcraft 3 - Reign Of Chaos (German) :::::::::::::: v-4.68.00.5162
Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos (1.03) ::::::::::::::::::: v-4.68.00.4982
Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos (1.02) ::::::::::::::::::: v-4.68.00.4745
Warcraft 3: Reign of Chaos (1.01) ::::::::::::::::::: v-4.68.00.4678
Warcraft 3 - Reign Of Chaos (English) :::::::::::::: v-4.68.00.4608
Nascar Racing 2002 Season ::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.68.00.0044
Cultures 2 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.68.00.0003
Michael Schumacher Racing World Kart 2002 :::: v-4.68.00.0001
Le Mans 24 Hours ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.68.00.0001
Die Hard: Nakitomi Plaza ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.68.00.0001

SecuROM *new* Incorporates an ATIP check

Diablo II (1.09d) ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.62.00.0141
Diablo II: Lord of Destruction (1.09d) ::::::::::::: v-4.62.00.0100
Empire Earth - 1.04 Patch ::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.59.00.0054
Europa Universalis II :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.59.00.0002
New York Race :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.58.00.0003
Alfred Hitchcock - The Final Cut :::::::::::::::::::: v-4.58.00.0001
Nascar Racing 4 - 1.3.0.6 Patch :::::::::::::::::::: v-4.54.00.0173
Empire Earth ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.54.00.0050
Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura :::: v-4.54.00.0027 (1.0.7.4)
Alien V Predator 2 :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.54.00.0018
Zax: The Alien Hunter ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.54.00.0001
Monopoly Tycoon :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.54.00.0001
Sub Command: Seawolf :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.52.00.0038
Diablo II: Lord of Destruction ::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.47.00.0039
Arcanum: Of Steamworks & Magick Obscura :: v-4.45.00.0005
Nascar Racing 4 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.42.00.0142
HalfLife: Blueshift ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.42.00.0004
Nascar Racing 4 ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.32.00.0068
Zeus ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.32.00.0041
Severance - Blade of Darkness :::::::::::::::::::v-4.32.00.0020
Colin Mcrae Rally 2 (0.0.1.8) :::::::::::::::::::::::v-4.19.00.0007

SecuROM Dead easy with a subchannel reader

Just a sub capable application and reader/writer

Gunman Chronicles ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::v-4.16.00.0004
Homeworld – Cataclysm :::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.08.00.0026
Diablo II ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: v-4.07.00.0034