Securom crashes explorer

Discussion in 'General Software and Applications' started by AnthraxPants, Aug 14, 2008.

  1. AnthraxPants

    AnthraxPants Banned

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    Use this fix
    http://www.securom.com/support/repair.zip


    A version of SecuROM installed with many recent games is responsible for crashing games possibly in all versions of windows and also the explorer right click context crash on Vista (also affects ME). The file responsible for crash is CMDLineExt.dll which can be found in System 32. CMDLineExt.dll is for a right click context menu used for starting SecuROM analysis for game executables. Instead of creating a downloadable tool, I guess the authors thought it would be easier for users to right-click their game executable and generate analysis for support staff. Only problem is it is causing Explorer to crash in Vista and ME. An updated CMDLineExt.dll file released for SecuROM as part of a fix is causing some games to crash and the fix is not permanent (you have to run it again after playing a game infected with securom).
    CMDLineExt.dll could be potentially the source of many crashes in recent games. I'm currently checking to see if replacing CMDLineExt.dll with a blank file created in notepad will stop the crashes many users are experiencing. The fix released for SecuROM may not fix the problem entirely so I recommend waiting to get conformation before using it. The fix does stop explorer crash but there are many simple ways to stop this permanently. I'll will post shortly if replacing the file with a OKB file is a sure fix and that games will then continue to work without crashing.

    - UPDATE

    Did not solve problems with Vista as some games reinstall the old file after they are run and as soon as you reboot Vista the problem is back. I seem to have fixed XP but I'll have to test a whole bunch of games to confirm. However Vista needs the fix to be run after every boot or reboot if you use a game that references the old file.

    So far it looks good and I have had no crashes in Grid. Mass Effect has never crashed on me as of yet (touchwood). If you have never used the Registry Editor before, backup your registry before proceeding. If you are confused by the following instructions or have any trouble then post in this thread and I will walk you through it.

    * You need to search for "CmdLineExt" in the registry and delete the corresponding keys. You can right-click My Computer in the Registry Editor and choose Export to backup entire Registry, or right-click a key and choose Export to backup individual keys.

    Choose Run from the Windows Start Menu and type "regedit" without the quotes, then click OK. When Registry Editor opens go to the Edit menu then select Find and enter "CMDLineExt" then select the tick boxes for Keys, Values and Data before you click Find Next. Delete the first key that Find discovers, then press F3 to find the next key to delete until you have removed all keys that reference CMDLineExt (I found a total of 7 keys that referenced CMDLineExt using Find). Close Registry Editor. Next create a new text file and rename it "CMDLineExt.dll". Copy the file you just made into the Windows\System32 folder and choose Yes to overwrite the existing file. Next check Documents and Settings\YourUserName\Local Settings\Temp, look for CMDLineExt.dll, and delete it if found. *

    The names of the keys I found and deleted were "1.0", "CmdLineExt.CmdLineContextMenu.1", "CmdLineExt.CmdLineContextMenu", "CmdLineExt", "F0407C3D-349C-42b9-B83E-821E31623DF9", and two keys named "InprocServer32".

    If you back each key up before deleting you will be able to restore them in case a game using securom 7.01 does not work or you have other problems. Do not delete the securom folder in Application Data (unless you backed it up first and really want to), as it contains data for all games infected with securom.

    NOTE - Assassins Creed is one of the affected games using securom, and running certain patched versions (I will look further into this and post which patch introduces securom bug) will re-create the original CmdLineExt.dll file and reintroduce the explorer right-click crash. If this happens you may have to double-click the registry keys you backed up (so they are added to the registry again) before you can run the securom fix again. I have to got work tonight so I will create a permanent fix over the weekend, even if I have to patch securom myself. Until then I recommend not using cd fix for asssassins creed until fix/patch version is identified, just use the disc and original exe to start the game until then.

    - I'll leave the text below to avoid confusing those who may have read it. I have the file and registry keys backed up just in case someone needs them but I doubt anyone will.


    Old Text below here******************************************
    SecoROM hotfix is not permanent, command line entry is not permanent. The bugged CMDLineExt.dll file is recreated if a game using the same securom version is run. May not happen until system is rebooted. I would just use the command line fix for now until Securom is completely updated or permanently fixed via game updates. Maybe only occurs on Vista (update - Win ME also affected along with other games) as I haven't experienced this bug in windows xp. Grid causes the problem for me and if I have to get out of my seat to get the flaming disc again I won't be happy and it might go in the fire along with my old Battlefield discs (no I didn't want a flaming Mountain Dew EA)!

    It might be easiest to run this hot fix every time you get explorer right-click crash or games crash. I noticed it seemed to fix a crash with Grid on XP too.
    http://www.securom.com/s
    upport/repair.zip

    You can also run the following command from Command Prompt to unregister CMDLineExt.dll.

    regsvr32 /u cmdlineext.dll

    -source
    http://masseffect.bioware.com/forums/viewtopic.html?topic=643285&forum=127

    Have to test if it is permanent though as a game executable could possibly recreate the association.

    Apparently some users fixed this problem using a registry cleaner.

    - Ahh, piece of crap file CMDLineExt.dll 1.1.224.0 is recreated when some games are started if the file is replaced with OKB file even after applying fix.
    Maybe a registry cleaner is the only fix. Perhaps an updated version of SecuROM will be released or updates to affected games.

    - Now confirmed this fix does not work. I used the following way outlined below to fix the problem. Before proceeding with the steps below I backed up CMDLineExt.dll and the associated registry keys. You can use a tool called Shexview to identify the broken SecuROM context menu extension (CmdLineContextMenu Class) and open its registry key. Just export the entire key from regedit (named {F0407C3D-349C-42b9-B83E-821E31623DF9} on my system) if you want to back it up and don't forget to copy CMDLineExt.dll to the same backup location.
    If you simply try and disable the CmdLineContextMenu Class extension it will be recreated on reboot.

    Well so far after replacing CMDLineExt.dll with a OKB text file renamed to CMDLineExt.dll, I have not been able to replicate crashes in recent games using the new version of SecuROM. I first tried using the fix issued for SecuROM. http://www.securom.com/support/repair.zip
    After applying the fix explorer right-click context menu crash was gone but a few recent games started crashing, notably GRID and Mass Effect (apparently C&C Kanes Wrath is also affected). Once the CMDLineExt.dll file was replaced with the OKB CMDLineExt.dll file made in notepad however, these games stopped crashing and the Explorer crash did not reappear after reboot. There may also be a CMDLineExt.dll file created in your Temp folder in Local Settings if you have previously tried deleting the file so empty Temp folders after replacing the CMDLineExt.dll file or search for the file and replace. You may want to back the file up somewhere before replacing it.

    - In short, replace CMDLineExt.dll in System 32 folder with an empty text file you have renamed CMDLineExt.dll to fix the problem. You can probably run a registry cleaner after that if you like, though backing up the file and registry key in case of problems may be a good idea. Make sure you have enabled CmdLineContextMenu Class again if you disabled it with Shexview, before trying to patch it with the SecuROM fix or replace CMDLineExt.dll with OKB file.
    **********************************************************


    I think there may have been a similar problem experienced by some owners of Bioshock. I'm a little fed up with copy protection schemes only creating problems for legitimate owners of games. We pay a lot for new games in Australia and the recent money I have spent is too much for software with these kinds of problems. I own plenty of software that costs way more than new game releases and is not afflicted by the same disabilities. Most people don't have the time to stuff around with these issues. I'm off to find a permanent working solution. I might just have it now.
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2008
  2. Alexstarfire

    Alexstarfire Ancient Guru

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    Interesting.... and yet another reason why copy protection fails.
     
  3. AnthraxPants

    AnthraxPants Banned

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    Good old XP isn't affected by the problem it seems. This is why Vista is still last in my system specs and boots last also.

    - some games possibly affected in XP, though explorer seems not to be affected.
     
    Last edited: Aug 15, 2008
  4. Templ

    Templ Guest

    While it is true the explorer doesn't crash in XP (at least for me), it does cause ME to crash (and possibly other games).
     

  5. morbias

    morbias Don TazeMeBro

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    Sometimes it gives me an error which denotes I have emulation software installed, even though I don't, I guess it doesn't like my dvd-drive. Securom sucks donkeyballs.
     
  6. AnthraxPants

    AnthraxPants Banned

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    Securom used to be one of the less frustrating bundled products, but this version makes the same mistakes that other copyright protection methods have made. Frustrating the people who spend money on your products is not a clever idea, especially when many never knew just what copy protection they were going to get with the game and how many problems it could potentially cause. I personally don't mind copy protection as long as it does its job initially and then no longer interferes with normal use. When copy protection methods start being detected as root kits however I'm not impressed, nor when it crashes explorer. Why the hell does it need to mess with the shell, I never agreed to that or was given an option to deselect it? Grrrrrrr :)

    - Update
    This fix might just work this time.

    You need to search for "CmdLineExt" in the registry and delete the corresponding keys. You can right-click My Computer in the Registry Editor and choose Export to backup entire Registry, or right-click a key and choose Export to backup individual keys.

    Choose Run from the Windows Start Menu and type "regedit" without the quotes, then click OK. When Registry Editor opens go to the Edit menu then select Find and enter "CMDLineExt" then select the tick boxes for Keys, Values and Data before you click Find Next. Delete the first key that Find discovers, then press F3 to find the next key to delete until you have removed all keys that reference CMDLineExt (I found a total of 7 keys that referenced CMDLineExt using Find). Close Registry Editor. Next create a new text file and rename it "CMDLineExt.dll". Copy the file you just made into the Windows\System32 folder and choose Yes to overwrite the existing file. Next check Documents and Settings\YourUserName\Local Settings\Temp, look for CMDLineExt.dll, and delete it if found. *

    The names of the keys I found and deleted were "1.0", "CmdLineExt.CmdLineContextMenu.1", "CmdLineExt.CmdLineContextMenu", "CmdLineExt", "F0407C3D-349C-42b9-B83E-821E31623DF9", and two keys named "InprocServer32".

    So far this has permanently fixed the problem on XP but Vista still not fixed properly. I've not had a problem since with XP. I'll work on Vista.
     
    Last edited: Sep 8, 2008
  7. nybThering

    nybThering New Member

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    I had the same problem with securom, and while looking it up found a program called ShellExview from nirsoft which allows you to easily enable and disable shell extensions. This easily fixes the right click crash, whilst being easily undoable. You can get the program (its free) off the nirsoft site. The guilty extension is "CmdLineContextMenu Class" and its a context menu type.

    This doesn't help solve any deeper issues with the bad dll, but it helps at least a bit.

    ShellExview is at http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html
     
  8. AnthraxPants

    AnthraxPants Banned

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    Shexview is pretty handy, I found the registry key for CmdLineExt.dll with it and disabled the context menu.
    It is unfortunate some games have not been patched with the updated version of the dll. This problem will no doubt pop up when the games are reinstalled at some point.
     
    Last edited: Sep 9, 2008
  9. Ripture

    Ripture New Member

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    Sadly, I just experienced this in SP3 of Windows XP. Out of nowhere, I tried to change the icon of a shortcut and to my surprise, explorer starts crashing. I try uninstalling a couple programs and I get different effects, from the error report about explorer.exe crashing, to just the screen blanking for a moment before returning, to a memory error in explorer.exe.

    After some googling, I found the program ShellExView and used it to turn off all non-windows extensions. This fixed the problem as I was able to right-click fine again. I started re-enabling extensions one at a time and the problem resurfaced when I re-enabled "CmdLineContextMenu Class," the SecuROM context menu. I only have two things installed, F.E.A.R. 2, and GRID. I can only assume the parasite rode in with F.E.A.R. 2 and I hadn't noticed it until now as I've used GRID before with no problems.
     

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