Help, PLEASE!! Games that used to work before DON'T WORK NOW!

Nuts4Mutts · 07-07-2008, 06:05 PM

Hi Everyone!

I'm pretty new here, and before I get into the details of my problem, you need to know that I'm a self-taught PC novice, so please excuse me if I use the wrong words to describe things, or if I occasionally refer to a PC part as a "thingy" or a "whatchama-call-it". I'll do my best with the limited knowledge I have, and thank you for your patience and understanding. I'll tell you my problem first, then I'll list my PC info at the end.

Here's the problem and all its' gory details:
I have been using my new Laptop for a little over a year. Besides using it for doing research; sending e-mails; shopping, etc., I also use it for playing LOTS of games. (I'd be embarrassed to tell you how much money I have invested in my games, because I've been buying them for over 6 years, as I also play them on my Desktop PC, my First REAL PC, so it's my favorite. I did my 'self-teaching' on hand-me-down PCs from dear friends who got new ones, and they'd give me their "old" PCs (instead of upgrading the OS...they'd buy a new PC! That way I could learn on a used PC before buying a brand-new one, only to blow it up when I first plugged it in!! I do have GREAT Friends!), but I digress. My laptop is just over 1 year old, and I had NO PROBLEM playing my games until around the end of March '08. (when MS Vista forced SP-1 on us

---it may or may not have anything to do with the problem, but it just seems like a curious coincidence). Suddenly, when I clicked on one of my games I got a weird error message; I tried another....and another, well you get my drift. Here is a list of the error messages I got when I tried to open any one of my games:
*** translation at the end of list
1) Game Launcher has stopped working...blah....blah...blah***
2) Keyhole DRM Application has stopped working..blah..blah..blah***
3) Shockwave.com has stopped working...blah...blah...blah***
4) This program requires D3DRM.dll which is no longer included in this version of Windows. PERIOD no..blah..blah..blah*** (but I heard a loud AHA!! in my brain when I got error message #4

I took it to mean that from April 2007 until one horrible day around the end of March 2008, I WAS able to play all of my games because the D3DRM (Digital Rights Management) WAS part of the original Vista that was pre-installed in my Laptop. Did Service Pack-1 REMOVE it?? Did it corrupt it?? Or am I way off base??

BTW,
The rest of the error message in the box after the items in 1 through 4 above is the blah...blah...blah*** The translation for *** is: "A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available". (Don't worry, I'm not dumb enough to hold my breath waiting for Microsoft to "notify me" about an 'error message I got)!!

Since the error messages prevented me from playing ANY of my games, unless I went to one of the GREAT game-sites out there; e.g. MSN games; Shockwave Games; Real Games Oberon-Media Games, etc., as my Desktop was in the shop getting a brand new 160 GB Hard Drive

, I started writing to ANYONE who might know of a solution, so I sent the same e-mail to the 'Support' people at the following companies:
1) Shockwave.com
2) Adobe Flash
3) MSN Games
4) Oberon-Media.com
5) Shockwave Games
6) MSTech-Net Support Forum
AND, I also entered all of the error messages on: "Google" (BOY, you should see how many entries there are for the VERY SAME ;ERROR MESSAGES'!) ; 4 or 5 'Self-Help' Forums, and the ONLY ONES to respond were Oberon-Media.com, (who told me to update: my Video Driver; Shockwave; Java; Flash; and re-start my PC between each update...which I did), AND MSTechNet!! (I almost fell off my bed!!) He surprised the heck out of me when one of the First things he commented was that, MS has been trying to deal with the DRM Problem for a while, but that it's STILL a problem for them!!! If you want his exact quote, I'll dig it out of my e-mail...I saved it in case I needed to repeat any of his instructions. He also gave me a list of things to do that involved me making Zip-files of my "System Events" and "Application Events" and a file I made when I ran "MSINFO32", then all 3 of these info packages were to be sent to him as attachments and he'd analyze everything. The bad thing was, being a novice, it took me longer than a "normal" person, and just as I was sending him the info, he had just sent me an "I guess you figured out your problem", etc. e-mail, that closed my case. Every time I tried to send the info to the address he gave me, it was returned. I wasn't fast enough.

Unfortunately, I STILL can't play my games, and even the Game Makers DON'T GIVE A DARN!! I wish they would enter any one of the error messages in "Google"; Shockwave; Microsoft's Support Forums, etc., they would be EMBARRASSED at how many entries are there from poor, helpless users like me who can't play their games anymore because of something they're responsible for, or at least they should step up to the plate and TRY to help. I have a membership in 2 "Game Clubs", and every month a FEE is charged to my account; however, the first game I downloaded WON'T WORK because of this gosh darn problem, and they don't care!

They have my money and they don't care if I (and thousands of others) don't get what they paid for and yet they can't (OR WON'T) tell us how to fix it!!!!

Is there ANYONE who can figure out what the heck is wrong I'll pray for you every day for the rest of my life!!! (that's not just a "fake" promise, either.....I'm disabled, and I pray a LOT every day...I'd be more than happy to add "the DRM Keyhole Fixer" to the list!!)

Speaking of "DRM", I was playing around with the WMP settings on my Laptop and I came across an actual mention of "DRM" (Digital Rights Management) in reference to the music that's downloaded (I think). Is it possible that THAT DRM is somehow related to the "Keyhole DRM" that's NOT working for my games???? Hey, it was just a thought!

Oh, I promised you Laptop info, so here it is:
Toshiba Satellite A 135
Windows Vista Home Premium-SP-1
Pentium T2080 Dual Core Processors (1.73 GHz each)
1 GB Hard Drive
1014 MB RAM
Direct-X---- v.10
Display----Mobile Intel 945 Express Chipset Family

I copied the above from "System Properties" and "Device Manager", but there is just SO MUCH stuff there, I hope I got it right! It's also the info I have written on a little card clipped to my instruction book, so I HOPE it's right!! If you need anything else, just ask.

Sorry for being so long-winded, but unfortunately, I am known for being "detailed"; again, I hope you'll forgive me.

Thank you in advance for any help you might have for me.....I'M REALLY
DESPERATE!

Gratefully;
Nuts4Mutts

MoonKnightX9 · 07-07-2008, 08:17 PM

I am not an expert (and I think you should wait for one to answer) but I might know something that can help . chose a game / program that doesen't work and open it's properties . then click on compatibility and change it from Vista to something else that used to work for you . if it will cuase any problems - just change it back .

Nuts4Mutts · 07-07-2008, 08:51 PM

Thanks for the suggestion, MoonX9; but I tried doing that with a few of them before I started suspecting the MS Vista SP-1 Update. I was SO hopeful, but my hopes were dashed when I got one of those error messages.

I really appreciate that you took the time to read my entire problem!! I am TRULY grateful for your suggestion.

OH, I just thought of something! You know when you go to clean out your cookies, and there's another button you can click to "VIEW OBJECTS", and that's where the info on your "Java"; "Macro. Flash"; "Shockwave", etc.,
Well, where MY "Shockwave" info is, under the column "STATUS", mine says "DAMAGED", even though I re-installed everything that the two Support Techs told me to....INCLUDING "Shockwave"!!!

What a donkey I was not to mention that in the first post!!! Now no one will know this important addition to my unsolvable problem! RATS!

Oh, well.

Thanks again, MoonX9!

Nuts4Mutts

MoonKnightX9 · 07-08-2008, 10:51 AM

It's ok . but I wish I (or anyone else here) could help you more .

I think the SP1 for the vista is the cause to your problem (when they released it they said that many programs will not work on it anymore) I think you should update it (if there are any updates available) or maybe get SP2? (if there is one) . or just re-instal exp ...

Twysta` · 07-10-2008, 04:59 AM

Which games is it that you're trying to play?

Jamsers · 07-10-2008, 09:21 PM

1 GB hard drive? Is that a typo? If it's not I'm surprised it's even running or that you even got to install an OS.

**Aus_Karlos** · 07-11-2008, 08:33 AM

Hi Nuts4Mutts, Ive been doing some googling for this problem has i dont use Shockwave games. But some people seem to think that the Decoder that Shockwave uses can sometimes be un-registered in Vista rendering the software unplayable. Could possibly be linked to the installation of SP1.

I would see if un-installing all shockwave products, rebooting and installing again fixes this problem.
Also re-install any adobe plugins that are required.

Edit: Found this uninstaller see if it works http://download.shockwave.com/pub/sh...ninstaller.exe (Got it from www.shockwave.com)

Jamsers · 08-19-2008, 03:45 AM

Uninstall service pack 1. It's been known to have a million compatibility problems.

07-07-2008, 06:05 PM	#1 (permalink)
Nuts4Mutts Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Pennsylania, USA Posts: 4 OS: WindowsXP; SP-3	Help, PLEASE!! Games that used to work before DON'T WORK NOW! Hi Everyone! I'm pretty new here, and before I get into the details of my problem, you need to know that I'm a self-taught PC novice, so please excuse me if I use the wrong words to describe things, or if I occasionally refer to a PC part as a "thingy" or a "whatchama-call-it". I'll do my best with the limited knowledge I have, and thank you for your patience and understanding. I'll tell you my problem first, then I'll list my PC info at the end. Here's the problem and all its' gory details: I have been using my new Laptop for a little over a year. Besides using it for doing research; sending e-mails; shopping, etc., I also use it for playing LOTS of games. (I'd be embarrassed to tell you how much money I have invested in my games, because I've been buying them for over 6 years, as I also play them on my Desktop PC, my First REAL PC, so it's my favorite. I did my 'self-teaching' on hand-me-down PCs from dear friends who got new ones, and they'd give me their "old" PCs (instead of upgrading the OS...they'd buy a new PC! That way I could learn on a used PC before buying a brand-new one, only to blow it up when I first plugged it in!! I do have GREAT Friends!), but I digress. My laptop is just over 1 year old, and I had NO PROBLEM playing my games until around the end of March '08. (when MS Vista forced SP-1 on us ---it may or may not have anything to do with the problem, but it just seems like a curious coincidence). Suddenly, when I clicked on one of my games I got a weird error message; I tried another....and another, well you get my drift. Here is a list of the error messages I got when I tried to open any one of my games: * translation at the end of list 1) Game Launcher has stopped working...blah....blah...blah* 2) Keyhole DRM Application has stopped working..blah..blah..blah* 3) Shockwave.com has stopped working...blah...blah...blah* 4) This program requires D3DRM.dll which is no longer included in this version of Windows. PERIOD no..blah..blah..blah* (but I heard a loud AHA!! in my brain when I got error message #4 I took it to mean that from April 2007 until one horrible day around the end of March 2008, I WAS able to play all of my games because the D3DRM (Digital Rights Management) WAS part of the original Vista that was pre-installed in my Laptop. Did Service Pack-1 REMOVE it?? Did it corrupt it?? Or am I way off base?? BTW, The rest of the error message in the box after the items in 1 through 4 above is the blah...blah...blah* The translation for *** is: "A problem caused the program to stop working correctly. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available". (Don't worry, I'm not dumb enough to hold my breath waiting for Microsoft to "notify me" about an 'error message I got)!! Since the error messages prevented me from playing ANY of my games, unless I went to one of the GREAT game-sites out there; e.g. MSN games; Shockwave Games; Real Games Oberon-Media Games, etc., as my Desktop was in the shop getting a brand new 160 GB Hard Drive , I started writing to ANYONE who might know of a solution, so I sent the same e-mail to the 'Support' people at the following companies: 1) Shockwave.com 2) Adobe Flash 3) MSN Games 4) Oberon-Media.com 5) Shockwave Games 6) MSTech-Net Support Forum AND, I also entered all of the error messages on: "Google" (BOY, you should see how many entries there are for the VERY SAME ;ERROR MESSAGES'!) ; 4 or 5 'Self-Help' Forums, and the ONLY ONES to respond were Oberon-Media.com, (who told me to update: my Video Driver; Shockwave; Java; Flash; and re-start my PC between each update...which I did), AND MSTechNet!! (I almost fell off my bed!!) He surprised the heck out of me when one of the First things he commented was that, MS has been trying to deal with the DRM Problem for a while, but that it's STILL a problem for them!!! If you want his exact quote, I'll dig it out of my e-mail...I saved it in case I needed to repeat any of his instructions. He also gave me a list of things to do that involved me making Zip-files of my "System Events" and "Application Events" and a file I made when I ran "MSINFO32", then all 3 of these info packages were to be sent to him as attachments and he'd analyze everything. The bad thing was, being a novice, it took me longer than a "normal" person, and just as I was sending him the info, he had just sent me an "I guess you figured out your problem", etc. e-mail, that closed my case. Every time I tried to send the info to the address he gave me, it was returned. I wasn't fast enough. Unfortunately, I STILL can't play my games, and even the Game Makers DON'T GIVE A DARN!! I wish they would enter any one of the error messages in "Google"; Shockwave; Microsoft's Support Forums, etc., they would be EMBARRASSED at how many entries are there from poor, helpless users like me who can't play their games anymore because of something they're responsible for, or at least they should step up to the plate and TRY to help. I have a membership in 2 "Game Clubs", and every month a FEE is charged to my account; however, the first game I downloaded WON'T WORK because of this gosh darn problem, and they don't care! They have my money and they don't care if I (and thousands of others) don't get what they paid for and yet they can't (OR WON'T) tell us how to fix it!!!! Is there ANYONE who can figure out what the heck is wrong I'll pray for you every day for the rest of my life!!! (that's not just a "fake" promise, either.....I'm disabled, and I pray a LOT every day...I'd be more than happy to add "the DRM Keyhole Fixer" to the list!!) Speaking of "DRM", I was playing around with the WMP settings on my Laptop and I came across an actual mention of "DRM" (Digital Rights Management) in reference to the music that's downloaded (I think). Is it possible that THAT DRM is somehow related to the "Keyhole DRM" that's NOT working for my games???? Hey, it was just a thought! Oh, I promised you Laptop info, so here it is: Toshiba Satellite A 135 Windows Vista Home Premium-SP-1 Pentium T2080 Dual Core Processors (1.73 GHz each) 1 GB Hard Drive 1014 MB RAM Direct-X---- v.10 Display----Mobile Intel 945 Express Chipset Family I copied the above from "System Properties" and "Device Manager", but there is just SO MUCH stuff there, I hope I got it right! It's also the info I have written on a little card clipped to my instruction book, so I HOPE it's right!! If you need anything else, just ask. Sorry for being so long-winded, but unfortunately, I am known for being "detailed"; again, I hope you'll forgive me. Thank you in advance for any help you might have for me.....I'M REALLY DESPERATE! Gratefully; Nuts4Mutts __________________ "Dogs may not be our whole life; but they make our lives whole". by the late Roger Caras

07-07-2008, 08:17 PM	#2 (permalink)
MoonKnightX9 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 8 OS: xp	Re: Help, PLEASE!! Games that used to work before DON'T WORK NOW! I am not an expert (and I think you should wait for one to answer) but I might know something that can help . chose a game / program that doesen't work and open it's properties . then click on compatibility and change it from Vista to something else that used to work for you . if it will cuase any problems - just change it back .

07-07-2008, 08:51 PM	#3 (permalink)
Nuts4Mutts Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Location: Pennsylania, USA Posts: 4 OS: WindowsXP; SP-3	Re: Help, PLEASE!! Games that used to work before DON'T WORK NOW! Thanks for the suggestion, MoonX9; but I tried doing that with a few of them before I started suspecting the MS Vista SP-1 Update. I was SO hopeful, but my hopes were dashed when I got one of those error messages. I really appreciate that you took the time to read my entire problem!! I am TRULY grateful for your suggestion. OH, I just thought of something! You know when you go to clean out your cookies, and there's another button you can click to "VIEW OBJECTS", and that's where the info on your "Java"; "Macro. Flash"; "Shockwave", etc., Well, where MY "Shockwave" info is, under the column "STATUS", mine says "DAMAGED", even though I re-installed everything that the two Support Techs told me to....INCLUDING "Shockwave"!!! What a donkey I was not to mention that in the first post!!! Now no one will know this important addition to my unsolvable problem! RATS! Oh, well. Thanks again, MoonX9! Nuts4Mutts __________________ "Dogs may not be our whole life; but they make our lives whole". by the late Roger Caras

07-08-2008, 10:51 AM	#4 (permalink)
MoonKnightX9 Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 8 OS: xp	Re: Help, PLEASE!! Games that used to work before DON'T WORK NOW! It's ok . but I wish I (or anyone else here) could help you more . I think the SP1 for the vista is the cause to your problem (when they released it they said that many programs will not work on it anymore) I think you should update it (if there are any updates available) or maybe get SP2? (if there is one) . or just re-instal exp ...

07-10-2008, 04:59 AM	#5 (permalink)
Twysta` Registered User Join Date: Jul 2008 Posts: 62 OS: Vista (32 bit)	Re: Help, PLEASE!! Games that used to work before DON'T WORK NOW! Which games is it that you're trying to play?

07-10-2008, 09:21 PM	#6 (permalink)
Jamsers Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Phillipines Posts: 124 OS: Windows Vista Ultimate Service Pack One x86 My System	Re: Help, PLEASE!! Games that used to work before DON'T WORK NOW! 1 GB hard drive? Is that a typo? If it's not I'm surprised it's even running or that you even got to install an OS. __________________ mr.futurebillgates

07-11-2008, 08:33 AM	#7 (permalink)
Aus_Karlos Moderator, Games Team Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Western Australia Posts: 3,480 OS: Vista Ultimate x64, Windows XP 32-bit/64-bit, Ubuntu x64, Windows 7 x64 Beta My System Blog Entries: 2	Re: Help, PLEASE!! Games that used to work before DON'T WORK NOW! Hi Nuts4Mutts, Ive been doing some googling for this problem has i dont use Shockwave games. But some people seem to think that the Decoder that Shockwave uses can sometimes be un-registered in Vista rendering the software unplayable. Could possibly be linked to the installation of SP1. I would see if un-installing all shockwave products, rebooting and installing again fixes this problem. Also re-install any adobe plugins that are required. Edit: Found this uninstaller see if it works http://download.shockwave.com/pub/sh...ninstaller.exe (Got it from www.shockwave.com) __________________ MemTest86 / Nvidia Drivers / ATI Drivers / DirectX 9.0c / Sys Requirements / Everest Folding@Home Last edited by Aus_Karlos; 07-11-2008 at 08:34 AM.

08-19-2008, 03:45 AM	#8 (permalink)
Jamsers Registered User Join Date: Jun 2008 Location: Phillipines Posts: 124 OS: Windows Vista Ultimate Service Pack One x86 My System	Re: Help, PLEASE!! Games that used to work before DON'T WORK NOW! Uninstall service pack 1. It's been known to have a million compatibility problems. __________________ mr.futurebillgates