WARNING: Hidden drivers installed with your games!!!!!

[Zuzzz]

I stumbled acrossed this. Note what they say about the game 'StarForce' and its copy protection. This is NOT a good sign.

http://www.tomshardware.com/column/20051001/index.html

Z.

PS: I do NOT own this game or and of its 'cousins'

[kayson]

I finished reading that and I was so angry. It's ridiculous that they do that without telling people in giant underlined and bolded letters. It would be fine if it didn't cause any problems, but still. It's ridiculous. What would be nice is a list of games that has this copy protection. Any company that uses that would not have my business.

[Zuzzz]

Id like to have a list of said games but from the article it appears that list would be something of a guarded secret.

Z

[Prodigious]

afaik, the "biggest" title to use Starforce is Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. That's why it was one of the few popular games that didn't get a proper rip right after release(even though dvd iso's were all over, no one could crack the copy protection). I'm sure it's been cracked by now, but I know that it took at least a few months.

The primary reason I never bought the game(damn I wish I could have played it :() was because of Starforce.

[Mr.Guvernment]

when you hit "install" you more or less agree to the software developers contract to install what ever it likes for the game to operate how they intended.

use the program Filemon / regmon when installing programs :)


In an interview with Firing Squad, the makers of StarForce strenuously denied the fact that their driver causes problems to all but a slim minority of user systems. They then went on to state that the EULA covers them and the publishers from all liability of damage done by their copy protection. In other words, "we state that it doesn't cause problems, but if it does, we're covered by the EULA and you're not."



Again - another company making it hard for the legit user

HEY we dont care if we FUBAR your system - it' no our fault! well then who's the hells is it!

[CorpX]

i like the approach of valve & ritual.

you cant really play css or bf2 if you dont really own the game.

[ThePerfectCore]

afaik, the "biggest" title to use Starforce is Splinter Cell Chaos Theory. That's why it was one of the few popular games that didn't get a proper rip right after release(even though dvd iso's were all over, no one could crack the copy protection). I'm sure it's been cracked by now, but I know that it took at least a few months.

The primary reason I never bought the game(damn I wish I could have played it :() was because of Starforce.

The Xbox version was the better game.

[Captain Newbie]

To the companies that say "Oh, none of your business what copyright protection/driver/other miscellaneous schemes we use!": If it's installed on my PC, it's my business. "guarded secrets" have no place when they're used on my systems.

I guess all that went out with the concept of fair use.

[TheGreySpectre]

Ive known about starforce for a while as much as it ****es me off, I still played SC:CT but I reformatted right after, good game except for the starforce drivers. I agree that I like valves approach to copy protection better.

And It is my buisness to know whats installed on MY PC.

It also ****es me off since, while we here at OCF may know what were doing and how to fix it if starforce DOES cause a problem the average user has no idea

You do have to give them credit for creating copy protection that actually works though. For the record splinter cell chaos theory has still yet to be cracked.

I have heard of a number of probelms from users with USB DVD drives. I would guess that the problems also extend to those using the new SATA DVD drives, but im not sure.

[DaWiper]

Trackmania Sunrise is another starforce game...
Luckily I got bored after playing the demo too much.

[Vrykyl]

i bought trackmania sunrise - the starforce copy protection stopped my legit copies of nero and alcohol 120% from working! they wouldnt burn cd's properly anymore... I uninstalled trackmania but starforce was still installed - that imo is unforgiveable - sure put it on if you must, but make it uninstall with the game - i now class starforce as both a trojan and spyware...i had to get a starforce remover from the manufacturers site to get my cd burning software to work again :( Grrrr

[threeme2189]

gimme that remover and il run it on any pc i can get my hands on just so i can **** em off a bit. this sucks.
:p

[Lat]

grrr. i should refuse to buy starforced games just to spite them, but i probably can't resist

[grunjee]

Starforce really bothers me as well. I understand that piracy is a real problem, and software companies are entitled to take certain measures to protect their stuff. As others have pointed out, there are better ways than installing a stealthy program that feels like spyware (even if it isn't). Take Safedisc and SecuRom for example... copy protection schemes that don't do anything suspicious to your PC.

I'm one of those people who actually buys my games. I want to support companies who put out good products. However stuff like Starforce is really disturbing. In addition to the whole thing just feeling wrong and unethical, I feel like they're treating me like a pirate. If they think that I, a paying customer (the guy who gives them a paycheck), am a pirate, I might as well be one. That just turns me off to the point where I will not buy their stuff at all.

Ubisoft turned evil in my opinion with the Splinter Cell Chaos Theory game... I spent nearly $70 and have to deal with this Starforce stuff? Please.

[SolidxSnake]

I say they get a new kind of verification method.

Something that DOESN'T INVOLVE CD-KEYS at ALL. CD-Keys are a waste of time, they CAN be stolen any way inside a store. Something more like, a cd-key file put on the CD, which will be opened during install, and then authenticated into a master server, like VALVe's method. So, instead of going into a store, ripping the box open, and getting the key, then going home and verifying with steam, you have to BUY the game, and open the file instead.

Best security method. More hassling, but safer.

[Nexus Realized]

What games are currently using Starforce protection?

[Vrykyl]

i cant remember off the top of my head, but if i remember you can google for a list - i now always check before i buy a game that it doesnt use starforce - if it does i dont buy it - no matter how good it is....thats what companies that use these invasive 'anticopy spywares' are driving potential customers too :(

[aintnospam]

Boycott starforce:
http://www.glop.org/starforce/

This part really disturbs me:
Moreover, the Starforce drivers, installed on your system, grant ring 0 (system level) privileges to any code under the ring 3 (user level) privileges. Thus, any virus or trojan can get OS privileges and totally control your system. Since Windows 2000, the Windows line security and stability got enhanced by separating those privileges, but with the Starforce drivers, the old system holes and instabilities are back and any program (or virus) can reach the core of your system by using the Starforce drivers as a backdoor.

[Despotes]

Silent Hunter 3 uses Starforce. I couldn't install the game until I removed DVD Decryptor and DVD Shrink.
:(

[stereo555]

Silent Hunter 3 uses Starforce. I couldn't install the game until I removed DVD Decryptor and DVD Shrink.
:(

You must have a later version copy then myself , because I did not need to unistall either program (DVD Decryptor/DVD Shrink) on my rig with SH3 .

I have , SH3 ver 1.0 DVD

[dfonda]

I am about half way thru SC CT. It went on sale a month ago and I thought I would take my chances.

Nero still works OK. And Apreciate the link to the removel tool. Maybe I will give this game a way to one of my enemies hehe

[ubergeek_aP]

BET ON SOLDIER A new low key fps that is a big flop anyway, it came out the end of last month I beleive....check out their forums and youll see the starforce complaints. www.betonsoldier.com

[Lobotomy Jack]

Boycott starforce:
http://www.glop.org/starforce/

This part really disturbs me:


Thanks for that link. I'ts relieving to have a list of known starforce games. And to think if I hadn't gotten Bet On Soldier sent to me for free when I recently ordered a new CPU and gfx card from the Egg I might not have been aware of this problem and blindly bought and installed one these games.

[Captain Newbie]

Moreover, the Starforce drivers, installed on your system, grant ring 0 (system level) privileges to any code under the ring 3 (user level) privileges. Thus, any virus or trojan can get OS privileges and totally control your system. Since Windows 2000, the Windows line security and stability got enhanced by separating those privileges, but with the Starforce drivers, the old system holes and instabilities are back and any program (or virus) can reach the core of your system by using the Starforce drivers as a backdoor.
This program now meets a lot of the definitions of 'malicious'.

Between this and the RIAA, the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act keeps on getting broken...Does anyone besides me think this is more sinister than US v. Kevin D. Mitnick?

[Oni]

I'll just take this time to remind everybody that discussion of cracking and avoiding anti-piracy methods is against the rules here.

Talk about the protection scheme, sure. Don't talk about how to crack it.

[Zuzzz]

Thank you ONI. Yes my discussion here is about the copy protection scheme and the fact its seems very malicious and in some cases can damage a PC of a legitimate user. I in NO WAY want to suggest violation of any laws or forum rules. Please folks lets keep this on the up and up. Thanks again to Oni for the reminder.

Z