While Windows 10 is largely good news for gamers, it turns out that those with a collection of older games laden with DRM copy protection software are going to have a hard time getting them up and running on the new OS. In an interview with Rocket Beans TV (as translated by Rock, Paper, Shotgun) at this year's Gamescom, Microsoft's Boris Schneider-Johne explained that that Windows 10 won't be able to run games that use SafeDisc and SecuROM technology.

"Everything that ran in Windows 7 should also run in Windows 10," said Johne, "There are just two silly exceptions: antivirus software, and stuff that’s deeply embedded into the system needs updating—but the developers are on it already—and then there are old games on CD-ROM that have DRM. This DRM stuff is also deeply embedded in your system, and that’s where Windows 10 says, 'Sorry, we cannot allow that, because that would be a possible loophole for computer viruses.' That’s why there are a couple of games from 2003-2008 with SecuROM, etc. that simply don’t run without a no-CD patch or some such."

This isn’t a bad thing for most people, though. While SafeDisc has hit the headlines before thanks to security issues in Windows—introducing access vulnerabilities into the OS, for example—it's SecuROM that is the most famous and the most hated of all DRM software. Developed by Sony DADC, SecuROM took a heavy-handed approach to DRM, limiting the number of installs and activations end users had access to, as well as requiring users to check in online to keep the game running. SecuROM even counted certain hardware changes as a change of computer, forcing another activation.

And that was when the DRM worked correctly. Often, activation servers would go down or keys wouldn't be recognised, leaving users unable to play the game they had just purchased. EA was particularly keen on SecuROM and ended up using it on a number of high-profile releases, much to the dismay of consumers. The PC version of Mass Effect was originally supposed to be reactivated every 10 days, and while that stipulation was eventually dropped, the game was still limited to three activations. Things were so bad with Spore that users eventually filled a class-action lawsuit against EA.

Fortunately, the dark days of DRM are largely behind us, and many of those older SecuROM games have since been patched by developers or publishers to remove DRM. DRM-free versions of many older releases are now available through places like GOG, too—or alternatively, should you wade into the shadier parts of the Internet, there are plenty of no-CD cracks for older games. If none of that's an option and you still fancy firing up that old disk-based copy of BioShock or Mass Effect, you might want to keep a Windows 7 install handy.