Remove Microsoft spy DLL

[Ostap]

Hi guys ...

found something interesting while installing win7...
When Sam FE were starting - some weird gameux.dll got stuck ..and for quite a while ...not allowing game to start
(i guess this gameux.dll also present in Win10 ...but haven't checked it )

Here is unreal forum i've found with bit more info about it:
https://www.oldunreal.com/cgi-bin/ya...num=1445253103

You might want to remove this DLL ...coz every time you start a game - it communicates it back to microsoft

[Supersniper98]

Script that makes this dll not function immediately (rename):

@echo off

if %PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE% == AMD64 (
set filename=%windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll
) else (
set filename=%windir%\System32\gameux.dll
)

TAKEOWN /F %filename%
ICACLS %filename% /grant %USERNAME%:F
ren %filename% "gameux.dll - !!!!!"
pause

[Ostap]

Script that makes this dll not function immediately (rename):

Minor update for the script - it will un-register it prior to renaming

@echo off                                
                                         
if %PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE% == AMD64 (   
regsvr32 -u %windir%\system32\gameux.dll
regsvr32 -u %windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll

TAKEOWN /F %windir%\system32\gameux.dll
TAKEOWN /F %windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll

ICACLS %windir%\system32\gameux.dll /grant %USERNAME%:F    
ICACLS %windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll /grant %USERNAME%:F    

ren %windir%\system32\gameux.dll "__DISABLED__gameux.dll__"      
ren %windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll "__DISABLED__gameux.dll__"      
) else (                                 
regsvr32 -u %windir%\system32\gameux.dll
ICACLS %windir%\system32\gameux.dll /grant %USERNAME%:F    
ren %windir%\system32\gameux.dll "__DISABLED__gameux.dll__"      
)                                        

pause

save the script into 'remove.bat' ....

[red3ninja]

Thank you very much!
My processor is AMD Athlon 64 x2 3800+
So far, I included win95 game compatibility. So one core stopped, however, from 2018. i have a hardware delay. You have solved the problem.

[Ostap]

Thank you very much!
My processor is AMD Athlon 64 x2 3800+
So far, I included win95 game compatibility. So one core stopped, however, from 2018. i have a hardware delay. You have solved the problem.

Glad to hear that - I'm too happy now with instantly starting serious sam
As well thanx to sniper for posting that nice script

[Supersniper98]

I'm too happy now with instantly starting serious sam

Yes I was very happy too)

[Marco]

Hi guys ...

found something interesting while installing win7...
When Sam FE were starting - some weird gameux.dll got stuck ..and for quite a while ...not allowing game to start
(i guess this gameux.dll also present in Win10 ...but haven't checked it )

Here is unreal forum i've found with bit more info about it:
https://www.oldunreal.com/cgi-bin/ya...num=1445253103

You might want to remove this DLL ...coz every time you start a game - it communicates it back to microsoft

Have checked this link, but Oldunreal tutorial is a bit unexact about this.

None of those steps can deactivate gameux.dll, the {something} folder will actually reappear the first time you boot Sam after deleting that registry folder.

Also, I owned the file, gameux.dll, but I can't delete it cause an error dialog appears telling me that gameux.dll is opened by Windows explorer (I can't translate this exactly from italian, but it isn't certainly "sources"!).

So, how did I solve this? I owned another file below (GameUXLegacyGDFs.dll) and I deleted it. Hopefully this one was not used by any other process and then Serious Sam booted without Rundll32.

This issue was lastly happening to me even if I had connection ON (before it would happen when I was OFFLINE only). Since I always have taskmanager opened, I had enough time to boot the game twice and then terminate Rundll32 (but now I won't need it anymore). Thank you for this thread, Ostap: I didn't know about this file.

Script that makes this dll not function immediately (rename):

Minor update for the script - it will un-register it prior to renaming



save the script into 'remove.bat' ....

I didn't try out this script because I have no Serious idea on how to replace "AMD64" in it, since I don't know the abbreviation (and the family) for Intel Atom. I could check for it on cpu-world, but I don't think they have abbreviations.

Also, could anybody of you tell me if cpu-world is a reliable site about cpus technical knowledge? There are hundreds of websites for cpu comparisons....

[Supersniper98]

I didn't try out this script because I have no Serious idea on how to replace "AMD64" in it, since I don't know the abbreviation (and the family) for Intel Atom. I could check for it on cpu-world, but I don't think they have abbreviations.

No that has nothing to do with AMD processors, it is detecting whether your system is 32-bit or 64-bit (on 64-bit systems both directories exist but I think only SysWOW64 one is doing the job).

But on that note about the script- there was a problem! If the user has a space in his name (example 2 or more words) the script will just take the 1st word and ignores the rest (after the space), and therefore it doesn't do anything... I tried that on another computer and that is how I noticed, but also a friend told me he had the same issue... so pls help with that

[Ostap]

If the user has a space in his name (example 2 or more words) the script will just take the 1st word and ignores the rest (after the space), and therefore it doesn't do anything... I tried that on another computer and that is how I noticed, but also a friend told me he had the same issue... so pls help with that

Quote the name ?
%USERNAME% - is an variable
"%USERNAME%" might do ...i've not tried ..

if not - try to quote the whole parameter
"%USERNAME%:F"

@echo off

if %PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE% == AMD64 (
regsvr32 -u %windir%\system32\gameux.dll
regsvr32 -u %windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll

TAKEOWN /F %windir%\system32\gameux.dll
TAKEOWN /F %windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll

ICACLS %windir%\system32\gameux.dll /grant "%USERNAME%":F
ICACLS %windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll /grant "%USERNAME%":F

ren %windir%\system32\gameux.dll "__DISABLED__gameux.dll__"
ren %windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll "__DISABLED__gameux.dll__"
) else (
regsvr32 -u %windir%\system32\gameux.dll
ICACLS %windir%\system32\gameux.dll /grant "%USERNAME%":F
ren %windir%\system32\gameux.dll "__DISABLED__gameux.dll__"
)

pause

Same goes to the first parameter - dll location
if windows is not located in:
C:\Windows\
but in
C:\Shitty Windows 10\

then the location also need to be quoted:
ICACLS "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll" /grant "%USERNAME%":F

@echo off

if %PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE% == AMD64 (
regsvr32 -u "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll"
regsvr32 -u "%windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll"

TAKEOWN /F "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll"
TAKEOWN /F "%windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll"

ICACLS "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll" /grant "%USERNAME%":F
ICACLS "%windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll" /grant "%USERNAME%":F

ren "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll" "__DISABLED__gameux.dll__"
ren "%windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll" "__DISABLED__gameux.dll__"
) else (
regsvr32 -u "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll"
ICACLS "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll" /grant "%USERNAME%":F
ren "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll" "__DISABLED__gameux.dll__"
)

pause

Tested and works :





Mine win didn't have on in syswow64...(i guess i've already moved it

[Ostap]

even better .bat
Sections are separated ...and before each command description is printed:
coz windows just prints file not found (go figure witch one... )

@echo off

if %PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE% == AMD64 (
@echo _______________________________________________
@echo UN-REGISTERING "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll"
regsvr32 -u "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll"

@echo _______________________________________________
@echo UN-REGISTERING "%windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll"
regsvr32 -u "%windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll"

@echo _______________________________________________
@echo TAKING OWNERSHIP "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll"
TAKEOWN /F "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll"

@echo _______________________________________________
@echo TAKING OWNERSHIP "%windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll"
TAKEOWN /F "%windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll"

@echo _______________________________________________
@echo GRANTING PRIVILEGES "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll"
ICACLS "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll" /grant "%USERNAME%":F

@echo _______________________________________________
@echo GRANTING PRIVILEGES "%windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll"
ICACLS "%windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll" /grant "%USERNAME%":F

@echo _______________________________________________
@echo RENAMING "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll"
ren "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll" "__DISABLED__gameux.dll__"

@echo _______________________________________________
@echo RENAMING "%windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll"
ren "%windir%\SysWOW64\gameux.dll" "__DISABLED__gameux.dll__"

) else (

@echo UN-REGISTERING "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll"
regsvr32 -u "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll"

@echo _______________________________________________
@echo GRANTING PRIVILEGES "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll"
ICACLS "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll" /grant "%USERNAME%":F

@echo _______________________________________________
@echo RENAMING "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll"
ren "%windir%\system32\gameux.dll" "__DISABLED__gameux.dll__"
)

pause

In case of an error - you'll see in witch section that is ...
simple






Full batch script is here to download: