I'm happy to see Mafia and Hidden and Dangerous games come to GOG. However, a few months ago I tried installing Mafia 1 from my original disk copy and could not get it to work. I searched for help on Steam Mafia 2's forums hoping there was a Mafia 1 old timer there that may have had success with it but was unable find any help. I searched all over the internet and tried the suggestions I found but nothing worked. I tried the usual run as admin, run in different compatibility modes, tried installing in my own directory as well as tried installing in program files (x86) to mimic the older 32 bit system install but the game refuses to launch.

Interestingly enough though my game disks installed like a champ back when I tried. I take good care of my stuff and though its been over a decade since I last played Mafia my disks installed quickly and cleanly installed with no problems. Even the launcher shows up like it should however it does nothing when I try to launch the game. Seeing all this talk about the GOG version missing some of the game's original licensed music got me thinking. Didn't one of the newer Microsoft Updates do something that specifically caused many older games to suddenly not work anymore, for example they are no longer supported somehow?

I'm starting to wonder if my updated Windows 7 was detecting something in the old Mafia Files or if it just flat out refused to acknowledge the software for some reason? I know I've read instances where others had it working with no issues so it must be possible. If there are any out there still running Mafia 1 from their old disks on a Windows 7 64 bit system is there anything that you know of that I must do to get the original game running? If you took the time to read this and can maybe help I thank you and appreciate it.

KB3086255 which deactivated Safedisc support: https://www.rockpapershotgun.com/2015/09/23/windows-update-disables-safedisc-drm-7-8-vista/

Therefore I uninstalled this update a long time ago, but you could also try the workaround. (I assumed Mafia used Safedisc)

Thanks for the primo info, MechMorphix. I have Mafia on disc and its one of my most favorite games ever. I haven't run it since I installed Windows 10. It's good to have this heads-up. Microsoft also screwed me over from running my disc versions of a lot of my favorite games that use Securom, which they also disabled from running on Windows 10.

Would burning the the disc version of Mafia to an IMG file and then mounting it work to get around the Safedisc restriction on Windows 10? Or would that process replicate the Safedisc DRM too? It looks like there is more than one since Safedisc is not the only type of DRM that Microsoft has disabled on Windows 10.

Thanks for the info. I'm not sure if Mafia uses that or not. Like I said the game disks themselves, all of them, installed with no issue so the game actually installs apparently fine. Its just when I try to go launch the game it just does absolutely nothing. I'd be curious to know if Mafia is indeed a game that used this "Safedisk" protection you speak of. What is the workaround that you speak of? I tried looking all over the internet for solutions to get the game to run but the information I found seemed to make it sound like it really is hit or miss whether or not someone can get Mafia to work or not on a newer system.

I'll take a look at the name of that update you mentioned. I might try uninstalling that and then see if Mafia will finally work. If not then I guess it has something to do with something else. Thanks again.

P.S. I know people with Windows 10 apparently have lots of trouble running older games because of what Microsoft did but I've had pretty good experience with Windows 7. Admittedly I haven't tried all of my old games truth be told but I usually always have a few installed like my original Hidden and Dangerous 2 and Vietcong. I did recently try to install Vietnam Med+Evac made by the Search and Rescue series and I couldn't get that to run either. This was more recent so perhaps that update you mentioned got installed on my system and is therefore starting to cause me problems with older games.

A "certain website" (which provides "game fixes") lists Safedisc 2.70.030 as the copy protection used by Mafia 1. You will understand that I will not post a link ;)

So it could be that KB3086255 is the culprit, because with Safedisc deactivated, Mafia cannot perform a disc check. So you could try to either uninstall KB3086255 or try the workaround as described in the link I posted. The workaround is actually from Microsoft, they describe it also in their update description for KB3086255: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/3086255/ms15-097-description-of-the-security-update-for-the-graphics-component

I have the same problem. It doesn't matter whether Safedisc service is enabled or disabled, clicking the game exe does nothing. It remains the same even after updating to 1.3.

The only way I can get it to work is by using a cracked exe. But now I have radnom crashing when using Widescreenfix because it doesn't get along with the d3d8.dll file. That file also bugs some missions like Old Prison as the NPC's outside of the prison are unresponsive, so you can't assassinate the guy.

Can't believe I need to buy the game again to get a working version.

Same for me the game does not launch after i installed it from the CD on win 7. Microsoft is really a stupid company, i will never switch to Windows 10 because who know what could happens next.

I need to dig out this topic.

I wanted to launch Mafia 1 from my original CD. I had no problem with installing and after trying to launch the game first information I get is "You need to be administrator bla bla".
After testing "Launch as an administrator" nothing happens.

Anyone idea, what can I do? I tried to open it with windows 7, windows 10 and windows xp and still - nothing happens.

Game work from CD on Win7 and im sure on Win10 too. For Win10 u must downgrade secdrv file.
http://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Mafia
http://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Microsoft_Windows#Microsoft_removed_the_MIDI_Mapper

(im link to prev section on article, cause when i click on proper SafeDisk section it not opened for me 100% accurate)
http://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Microsoft_Windows
[url=http://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Digital_rights_management_(DRM)#SafeDisc]http://www.pcgamingwiki.com/wiki/Digital_rights_management_(DRM)#SafeDisc[/url]

Better find official DRM-free version. Some 1 DVD re-release maybe. In Russia there is one re-release and it on 1 DVD and DRm-free.
Also, GOG version - but must be restored music properly (by using files from own CD, cause all archives online lack of most music or them not work).