Getting Chessmaster 9000 to Work in Windows 10

Just to close this out for anyone that later searches and ends up on this thread, it appears that there are at least two versions of the original setup program (not taking into account the GOG mentioned which is much later).  EscherehcsE version is only 73,728 bytes while the one with copy protection is 859,560 bytes.  So if you have the original CP disks, get a hold of the smaller setup.exe file and it works with the rest of the files on the original disks.

FOUND THE OPENING BOOK EDITOR!! WHAT A GREAT PROGRAM!!!

Once again THANKS to ALL!!!

I finally got the ver 2.0.0.8 GOG version that you mentioned. I had previously found that page, but the links seemed broken. I didn't realize that my NoScript was blocking some needed scripts. I downloaded it, but I haven't tried installing it. It's almost the same size as the Old-games GOG download, but not quite. I don't know what version the Old-games GOG download is, but the Old-games GOG file installed just fine for me. I don't know why Nimzowitts had problems with the Old-games download.

I want to thank sangahm - without his help, I'm not sure we'd have ever completely figured this out. So, I guess the big takeaway is that the digital downloads generally should work, and my Disk 1 has the smaller, pre-DRM setup.exe file, which explains why my disks worked when others couldn't get their disks to work.

Yes indeed. You both were exceptionally gracious in donating your time and expertise. Again, Kudos to ALL!!  I wonder if this version is the Patched Version in terms of the 3 patches put out by UBI soft?

I know the Old-games GOG download was patched, because the version was 1.02a. For your download, you should be able to go into the menu and find the "About Chessmaster". It should give the version.

Interesting is the fact that I programed a Grob Attack and Grob defense Book and a Grobmeister personality that used the Grob book. So far the Fischer, Chessmaster, Chigorin, Steinitz, Andersen, and Smyslov personalities have not been able to beat the Grobmeister Personality and with Grob book in view of the miserable reputation of the Grob is. Note. Idid NOT utilize the Grob Gambit line for White. For a rather EXTENSIVE debate on the Grob and it's validity see here http://talkchess.com/forum3/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=72084&p=862708&hilit=grob#p862708 . Please not that the book I programmed was very rudimentary but did include a number of the very best lines in terms of the lines being truncated so as to let the personalities utilize their interpretation of the opening.

Glad to help.  Having a nice program like CM keeps discussions like this very alive and interesting.

I know the Old-games GOG download was patched, because the version was 1.02a. For your download, you should be able to go into the menu and find the "About Chessmaster". It should give the version.  --- Good to know! THANKS!

the post from sangahm a couple of pages back with event log entries in it does indicate that a copy protection driver is not being loaded by Windows 10 in that instance

Indeed. Yet The error message I would always get from Microsoft from my win 10 computer was 'Incompatible Program'. How misleading and mis -informative! Grrrr.....

Well, the copy protection driver is a program and it would be trying to do things that more modern, and more controlled, operating systems would not allow, so strictly speaking the message is right.  CM is the program that should be issuing a message about not being able to find something that it needs, but copy protection is one area where developers tend to be appallingly user-hostile.  

copy protection is one area where developers tend to be appallingly user-hostile.True dat.

For the record, I guess I should close the loop on one more item, namely the Old-games site. That site offers three CM9000 downloads. There's a fee for downloading the files at any acceptable download speed. The smallest download, which I didn't bother with, is 139 MB. I'm assuming that it's a bare-bones version stripped of all the extras.

The 1.08 GB "Easy-Setup" download is a GOG digital distribution with a slightly different size as the GOG file Nimzowitts got from a different site. (The download includes a hotkey list and manual.) This Old-games file installed OK on my system. It was already patched and showed as ver 1.02a.

More recently, I downloaded the third Old-games file, which is also 1.08 GB in size and is just described as "Download". This file contains ISO files for the two discs and the ver 1.02a patch. (However, it does NOT contain the hotkey list. The manual is buried inside the Disc 1 ISO.) I was under the impression that you need all three patches (1.01, 1.02, and 1.02a), but maybe not? Also, this download seemed to install OK on my system.

There were a few differences in the Disc 1 ISO file compared to my original disc. (I didn't look at Disk 2.) 

1) It looks like the Old-games Disc 1 ISO originally contained the copy-protected Setup.exe file with a size of 859,560 bytes, but this file has been renamed to blah.exe, and a Setup.exe file with a size of 106,496 bytes has been added.

2) A couple more files have been added to the ISO. A file named SECDRV.SYS with a size of 11,376 bytes was added, and a file named DrvMgt.dll with a file size of 40,960 bytes was added.

3) Three other strangely named files and one zip file were added. I'm assuming that they don't do anything, but I don't really know for sure.

MAJOR BUMMER!! I just checked the security tab on the properties menu!! It's NOT good! It allows access to your computer! So DENY access as you see fit. I deny access when I am not using the program!! I have nothing worth stealing on my PC. So HEADS UP y'all!!!

thats what copy protection very often did, subvert the normal working of the operating system using very low-level/very broad access to hardware and OS components.  I remember one game that would ask you very detailed questions about the printed manual, but that kind of thing is not sufficiently exciting for a lot of programmers.   

Deeeeeeeeeeeeep Siiiiiiiiiiiiiiiigh..........

yup

Well, I don't know what to say about the CM9000 security settings - I've never really understood Windows security settings. With Windows, I figure it's a cr@pshoot at best anyway, with so many things to worry about like Universal Plug n Play, Remote Desktop Protocol, and all the other unpatched bugs you have to live with.

Here's one thing I *can* say - I checked the security settings for three CM9000 installs (My original disks with the pre-DRM files, the Old-games ISO install, and the GOG-games install that you used). In all three cases, the security settings were identical.

I guess if you're that worried about a program's security, then either learn how to use Wireshark (I've never bothered to learn this, lol), somehow isolate the program in a VM, or just completely air gap the computer. :-)