Hi,

For those of you who have the retail version(s) of Bloodlines and are marvelling why it suddenly no longer works, here is the solution:

1) install the game and, if necessary, apply the official 1.2 patch

2) apply the patch/mod of your choice - be it unofficial or true...

3) create a new batch file in your Bloodlines directory - e.g. start.bat

4) add the following lines:
sc config secdrv start= demand
sc start secdrv

5) save the file and run it in administrator mode before trying to run Bloodlines.

6) You will now see that Bloodlines suddenly works again instead of crashing upon starting a new game or loading a saved game.

Unfortunately the problem is related to the infamous Windows anti-Safedisc system update (cf. https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/09/23/windows-update-disables-safedisc-drm-7-8-vista/ and other items on the topic).

It seems like Bloodlines does not only revert to the Safedisk stuff upon actual launching of the programme but also when a new game is started and even when an old game is loaded.

I have tried the above and have successfully verified it to work on my Win 8.1 64bit system.

Cheers
Patrick

Also true with the "True Patch Gold".

Unfortunately not - verified with the current version of True Patch Gold on my Win 8.1 64bit system (automatic Windows updates - which means that the notorious September 2015 update is also included). After applying my little bat file things work as described.

Interesting; I have the disc version but do not need the disc in when using TPG.

do you have automatic Windows updates enabled ? - by the way, I have verified the problem on a computer running Windows 7 (a second copy of Bloodlines on DVD is quite useful ;-))

apart from that, the various CIV4 forums for example are full of postings about this problem (e.g. http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=13958362&postcount=6) because only the most recent patch for the Beyond the Sword expansion (3.19) disables copy protection - a bit of a problem due to the fact that the tutorial only works through the vanilla version (after all there still are a number of people who so far have not yet played CIV4...) - (however, I also have a US DVD version with the respective complete versions of CIV3 and CIV4 (incl. Colonization) where all parts of CIV4 are cracked out of the box - you can even choose what version of CIV4 you wish to install - CIV4 vanilla, incl. only the Warlords expansion, or also including the Beyond the Sword expansion - all three without copy protection (https://www.amazon.co.uk/2K-Games-9253-Civilization-Complete/dp/B005UKT826/280-9733314-7328315?ie=UTF8&redirect=true&ref_=pe_385721_51767431_TE_dp_2))

No; not since the infamous Win7 update from last October that ruined so many games. I had to go into the registry (actually, a relative who knew what he was doing did) following the work around instructions that Microsoft put out - easy fix, though. All he did was change a "1" to a "4" which turned the missing script back on.

always useful to know the right people ;-)

True patch gold?...I don't think we are talking about the same patch...;)

There was a war of sorts in the community based on the two patches. True patch gold is the latest "purist" patch. I tend to use both depending on my mood at the time, I assume. The last time I played, I used the TPG. I have the disc version and I haven't needed to use the disc with the TPG for many years. In your post, my impression was that if the patch had internal programming that allowed the game to be played without the disc that the stated problem would be fixed. Apparently it was tried and didn't work (with the TPG) but there is also apparently an issue with the "unadulterated" version making it not work with the TPG. I rarely play "Bloodlines" any more so I think it's been about two years since I used the UP - whenever the "basic" version came out - I think 6.4. Took the opportunity to use the regular patch too at the time and it was cool - well, except for (I forget her name), the Japanese demon hunter in Chinatown when she joins you in the temple. Cool concept but it was buggy at the time (I think fixed since).

You should give the 9.5 WESP patch a spin--it's a very large improvement..;)

Bloodlines is a game that one keeps coming back to although, the UP is updated several times yearly so, unless I move fast, it'll likely be 12.3 or something :)