STARFORCE : THE UNCRACKABLE ! ....or is it !!!!!

Help taken from :

fileforums.com
virtual-hideout.net
glop.org
similarities.org


Game CD protection history:

A good read is available here:
http://www.virtual-hideout.net/articles/Copy_protection/index.shtml
What is starforce ?

Starforce is a controversial copy-protection system,which is designed to prevent the casual copying of retail CDROM applications. It installs as a hidden device driver, without the end-user's knowledge or consent. Reports about destroyed CD ROM devices, unstable or slower-running Windows systems after installing a video game (even after it was removed!), and corrupted drivers as a possible result of Starforce, have made many computer gamers wary of this copy protection technology. There are also many reports from customers that say that Starforce-protected games refuse to work at all with various DVD/CD drives and notebooks.

Older versions of Starforce are not entirely compatible with the 64-bit variant of Windows XP. While publishers can fix this trouble by releasing updates for their games, it is done very rarely. This provides reason to believe that the next Windows generation may also clash with some Starforce versions, in which case one might not be able to play Starforce-protected games smoothly (or at all) unless updates are made available for them.

Why is there so much controversy ?


Starforce has received criticism for installing its own device driver onto computers. The Starforce drivers are often linked to system instability and computer crashes. If these problems occur, the end-user would be unware as to the cause of the problem, and would be helpless to solve the problem.

For example, here's one of the common problems brought by Starforce: under Windows XP, if packets are lost during the reading or writing of a disk, XP interprets this as an error and steps the IDE speed down. Eventually it will revert to 16bit compatibility mode rendering a CD/DVD writer virtually unusable. In some circumstances certain drives cannot cope with this mode and it results in physical hardware failure (Most commonly in multiformat CD/DVD writer drives). A sure sign of this step down occurring is that the burn speeds will get slower and slower (no matter what speed you select to burn at). Starforce, on a regular basis, triggers this silent step down. Until it reaches the latter stages most people do not even realise it is happening.

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.

Unwilling to take chances, numerous PC enthusiasts feel that Starforce-protected games should not be supported, as they believe that the risk of undesired side-effects and dangers to one's computer, or of the inability to play a legally purchased game, is simply too high. They face a problem, however: Because publishers don't always state what type of copy protection they use, and because the kind of protection is rarely mentioned on the box, it is not generally transparent just which games the concerned PC gamer might wish to avoid.
Remedy ?

There is a Starforce Cleaner Utility that has worked for some.
Link1: http://www.onlinesecurity-on.com/protect.phtml?c=55
Link2: http://www.glop.org/files/sfdrvrem.zip

The only purpose of this file is to remove the Starforce driver from your system in the hope to get it back to the state it was before the Starforce installation. It won't allow you to play Starforce protected games.

List of games using Starforce protection .


# 7 Sins
# Anstoss 4
# Area 51
# Bandits: Phoenix Rising
# Bet on Soldier
# Beyond Divinity
# Black Mirror
# Blitzkrieg 2
# Blitzkrieg: Rolling Thunder
# Breed
# Broken Sword 3: The Sleeping Dragon
# Brothers in Arms: Earned in Blood
# Chaos League
# Chaos League: Sudden Death
# Codename: Outbreak
# Codename: Panzers - Phase One
# Codename: Panzers - Phase Two
# Cold War
# Colin McRae Rally 2005
# Cossacks II: Napoleonic Wars
# Cross Racing Championship 2005
# Curse: The Eye of Isis
# Cycling Manager 3
# Cycling Manager 3
# Cycling Manager 4
# D-Day
# Dead to Rights
# Demonic Speedway
# Desert Rats vs Afrika Korps
# Domination
# Emergency Fire Response
# Enigma: Rising Tide
# Etherlords II
# Fire Chief
# Fire Department
# Freedom Force vs The Third Reich
# Gangland
# Garfield
# Gooka: The Mystery of Janatris
# GT Legends
# GTR: FIA GT Racing Game
# Horse Race Manager
# Icewind Dale: Heart of Winter
# Keepsake
# Kicker Manager 2004
# Kill Switch
# King Kong
# Knights of the Temple 2
# Korea: Forgotten Conflict
# LMA Professional Manager 2005
# Lock On: Modern Air Combat
# Medieval Lords
# Namco Museum 50th Anniversary
# Neuro Hunter
# Obscure
# Pariah
# Pax Romana
# Pferdehof - Pferd und Pony
# Pop Star Academy
# Postal 2: Apocalypse Weekend
# Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones
# Pro Rugby Manager
# Psi-Ops
# Pure Pinball
# Rally Championship Xtreme
# Restaurant Empire
# Restricted Area
# Revolution
# Runaway: A Road Adventure
# Scrapland
# Second Sight
# Silent Hunter 3
# Silent Storm
# Silkolene Honda Motocross GP
# Singles 2: Triple Trouble
# Singles: Flirt Up Your Life
# Sniper Elite
# Soldiers Heroes of World War 2
# Sommerspiele 2004
# Space Rangers 2
# Splinter Cell 3: Chaos Theory
# Star Wolves
# Steel Saviour
# Still Life
# Street Racing Syndicate
# Sudeki
# SuperPower 2
# Syberia II
# The Fall: Last Days of Gaia
# The Moment of Silence
# The Suffering: Ties That Bind
# The Westerner
# TOCA 2
# Track Mania
# Track Mania Sunrise
# Traitors Gate 2: Cypher
# UFO: Aftershock
# V8 Supercars 2
# Virtual Skipper 3
# Virtual Skipper 4
# Vivisector
# Wildlife Park
# World War II: Frontline Command
# Worms 4: Mayhem
# X2: The Threat
# X3: Reunion
# XIII
# Xpand Rally
# Xuan-Yuan Sword 4
etc.
 
here's one of the common problems brought by Starforce: under Windows XP, if packets are lost during the reading or writing of a disk, XP interprets this as an error and steps the IDE speed down. Eventually it will revert to 16bit compatibility mode rendering a CD/DVD writer virtually unusable. In some circumstances certain drives cannot cope with this mode and it results in physical hardware failure
Well i'll not be buying any game from that list!
 
Those are all problems with the older versions of starforce. Never heard about starforce causing any physical failures, although many drives did get blacklisted but nothing a format couldn't fix.

The new version is stable enough that the developer has challenged anyone who can reproduce any problem in their labs (on the users own pc ofcourse) a free trip to russia plus a US $1000 cash reward.
 
@saumil..Man it's one hell of a thing to play POP:TT,unplug optical drives each time you play....disable this ...disable that...cant install virtual drives etc etc.

err..moderators don't read this part ;)
[if you know a better way,why don't u pm me that !]
 
I have a one time method that won't require any physical unplugging, PM if you want to try it.
Requires DT4 which I don't want to install as it screws up GTR.

The new DT4 only emulates an older Starforce while the new Starforce blacklists all SCSI drives either virtual OR real and then goes onto detect IDE opticals and hence physical disconnection becomes mandatory.
Games that worked with DT3 simply by mounting a mini image and hiding the real drives via Starforce Nightmare will also require physical disconnection now.
 
Guys, why you could not just stick with the original idea of the thread - the security aspect. errr, time to close the thread, please do not discuss pirated/warez here :(
 
Yes goldenfrag , there is no need to laugh at that , what guru is saying is absolutely right ! making a copy of a game or a movie that u purchased is 100% legal as long as you are using that for only private purpose and not commercial !
 
@guru, bluffmaster & killeraim ---

The thing is it might be legal to make 1:1 backup copies of game you purchased but no where the gaming companies have stated, please feel free to go around our protections by hacking & cracking our original files :D

Also, you dont need virtual drives/emulators to make 1:1 copy unless you have cd images etc. also, it was your choice to purchase such titles - irrespective of the copy protections :(
 
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