Problem with Chessmaster 2010

These are the steps I generally use for uninstalling updates in Windows 7:

1) Click on the Windows "Start" icon (or press the Windows key on your keyboard).

2) Click on the "Control Panel" button.

3) In the left-hand column at the bottom, click on "Uninstall a program".

4) In the light blue left column, click on "View installed updates".

5) After the search is finished (the green search progress bar has to finish), click in the Control Panel search box (it's in the top-right corner of the Control Panel, and it says "Search Installed Updates" with a little magnifying glass).

6) In the search box, type "KB3086255" (without the quotes), and press the enter key.

7) After a short time, the list should show only one item, the listing for "Security Update for Microsoft Windows (KB3086255)".

8) Right click on this KB3086255 entry, then click "Uninstall". It will ask you if you really want to uninstall this item, so answer yes.

9) It will then uninstall the update, and if I remember correctly, I think it will require a reboot. That should do it.

Edit - Oh, I forgot to mention that unless you hide the update after uninstalling, Windows will periodically pester you to reinstall the update. You can work on that after you successfully uninstall the update.

And of course Microsoft reinstalled KB3086255 while I was asleep last night.  I know, I have to hide it or they'll just keep doing it.  Maybe if it really is a security issue I'll just say goodbye to my old games.  I should  be studying chess anyway...

One of the advantages of choosing to only have Microsoft notify me of updates and not automatically install them. Of course, the disadvantage is that I have to be aware of Patch Tuesdays and not ignore them.

On another note, I'm still interested to know if I'm the only one here who can still run Chessmaster 10th Edition WITH the KB3086255 patch still installed.

I did have a couple of "blue death screens" show up in the last couple of months when I had a game running overnight so maybe someone was attacking my computer through the now removed driver.  Think I'll play it safe and just accept the loss of my software.

Did you by any chance upload a patch from Ubisoft (back when they still supported CM) that eliminated the need to keep your disc in the tray while playing?  Seems I remember something like that but I was too lazy to bother.   That would explain why you haven't been affected.

Yes I did. That may be the reason for the difference.

The patches are still available here:

http://forums.ubi.com/showthread.php/397550-Chessmaster-10th-Edition-Downloads?s=40e0d44dd180ab850d16edadf16c676a

Install all three patches, in order: 1.01, 1.02, and 1.03 (U.S. versions). [Edit - Install the patches as administrator.]

Thanks for sharing.  The OP should be delighted.

Me, not so much.  Seniors probably shouldn't go near computers.  I'd tell you all the details but rather than bore you, let's just say a one hour wait while Microsoft was "reconfiguring to prepare Windows, Do not turn off your computer" didn't make my day.  Oh of course CM doesn't work anymore.  Oh well.  It's not worth my time to reinstall it just to play Slick again.  I'm just happy my computer works again and I don't have to run to the mall to buy a new crapbox.

Oooh, now you're just teasing us...I love a good PC horror story (as long as I'm not the one telling it).

Re CM not working for you...Is it anything we should know? Or did you just let Windows reinstall the KB3086255 patch and not bother to install the CM patches? (In which case you'd expect CM to not work.)

Maybe we could help with your problem? (Well, not likely, but at least we don't charge as much as a fancy psychiatrist. )

Well the first patch went in just fine.  The second said it couldn't complete the installation because the .exe file was missing.  Even I know that can't be good.  So I figured I'd just remove KB308 again since the first time went so easily, slip in the disc, and Bob'll be my uncle again...  That's when it took an hour to reconfigure.  Since a friend of a friend of mine (always a totally reliable source ) had his computer totally lock up on him while upgrading to Win 10, I feared a similar fate for different reasons and started planning a trip to the nearest Best Buy.  Turns out there was some mucking around in my registry after all that and then the computer laughed at me when I tried CM.  So I'm just happy to be typing this.  Maybe after Win 10 has had it's first upgrade I'll get me a new computer.  With new problems. 

So yes I have decided to let Microsoft reinstall KB308 tonight because of security concerns and we'll just see what happens.  I'm sure third time will be charming.  

OK, I'm not sure I followed the entire sequence of events (I didn't understand the part about mucking around in your registry), but it sounds like somebody up there doesn't like you.

It's possible that having the KB308 upgrade installed is interfering with the CM patch installations, although I'm not sure about that. Maybe the OP should play it safe and uninstall KB308 before installing the CM patches, then try reinstalling KB308.

Earlier, I think you mentioned getting the Blue Screen of Death (BSOD). That's never good news. Likely, either you have some hardware that's going intermittently flakey, or more likely, your hard drive is either getting some corrupted files or some bad sectors. I hope the BSOD issue isn't affecting this latest problem. (I use Spinrite to fix hard drive physical problems, but Spinrite isn't free, and you have to be a tinkerer to use it.)

Confession time.  After my last post I decided to wade into battle one more time.  I removed all the old CM files and did a fresh installation.  Then I did the three downloads and everything went well except for one problem; I still need to have my disc loaded or CM won't run.  So I held out a glimmer of hope that maybe even though I needed the disc that the protection scheme had changed because of the 3 patches.  Nope.  Microsoft did indeed reinstall KB308 and once more CM is unusable.  That's OK, until this came up I don't think I'd used it in over a year.  Thanks for your help and commiseration.  I think OP will have to choose between CM and the possible security issues involoved in not installing KB308.

Oh and the blue death screens happened while I was running an ancient Ghost Recon game overnight.  It only occured with that program so I'm not that concerned.  Guess I'll do some uninstalls later...

Did you install CM and the patches as administrator? (I forgot to mention this earlier.)

Yes I did.

Here's a crazy idea: Use a virtual machine (perhaps the free and pretty good VirtualBox) instead and run Chessmaster in it instead? (That's what I do with Chessmaster 9000 on my Mac, btw.) I think you can even share its windows with your regular ones.

Sorry, I guess I've run out of ideas. At least my CM is still running. One thing's for sure, I'm not about to uninstall/reinstall CM just to get to the root of the problem. If I ever have to reinstall CM for other reasons, I guess 'll find out then whether the problem hits me.

That's an interesting idea, but I suspect that's more trouble than the guys are willing to go through. I don't know anything about virtual machines. Even if you're running Windows on your PC, I guess you'd still have to install a fresh version of Windows in the VM? Would you need a second Windows license?

 Yes, to the first question. I don't know if you need another license. I think it depends on which version you want to run.

Hi, people! I'm the original poster for this thread, and I appreciate all of your input. The only thing I really understood is the "uninstall" thingy for the KB308..., so I did that. After a reboot, I was able to open CM 2010. Hooray! However, I ran into the same roadblock the next day, tried the same fix, and then I COULDN'T open CM 2010. So I'm stuck again. Despite your good intentions, you guys are talking WAY over my head; I don't even know what a "patch" is! FWIW, I've got Windows 7.

Let me ask another question: If I take the CM 2010 disc out and try to reinstall the entire program from square one, will I lose all of my win-loss-rating data (like 500+ games' worth)?

You have my sympathies sir.  Unfortunately that's about all I can offer you. I did try a complete fresh install of CM 2010 and yes it did wipe everything clean.  However, I did a complete uninstall first.  You might be able to just fix whatever has been corrupted without doing the complete uninstall.  I really don't know.  Sorry I couldn't be more help.

Oh patches are little revisions of programs that software publishers use to fix known bugs or add features.  Not that hard to download, but it didn't help me out any. Good luck.

Oh and one more thing.  Microsoft will continue to reinstall KB308 unless you manage to hide it.  I can't walk you through it because I've never done it but I'm sure one of those tutorials I gave you a google search for will show you how.