RE: Starforce! (Full Version)

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RBWhite -> RE: Starforce! (4/11/2006 3:47:09 PM)

I agree, since removing all but on Starforce game, which I know to be Starforce ProActive and the other were SF Professional, my machine has had fewer quirks so to speak.

I've been upgrading my machne over the last two months, well actually damn near replaced everything. I have two brand new LiteOn drives to install, my current drives are 5 and 7 years old respectivly. (My HP 100i dvd writer uses the Veritas Record Now Program). But, until I can figure out if SF programs damage the drives opticals they stay in the boxes. The fact you have lost two drives to SF and I have heard the same at other forums, and there are many talking about Starforce, well that last SF game leaves my machine today and my new drives get installed.

Jevhaddah listed the three drivers Starforce uses. I think the three drivers indicate Starforce Professional.

If the Starforce Protection Synchronzation driver (version 2.x) is excluded it is Starforce ProActive, but I still don't trust that program. Also, based on the coments made by the folks in Moscow, that just adds to my mistrust of the program.




ravinhood -> RE: Starforce! (4/13/2006 10:02:26 PM)

News has it that UBI will no longer be using Starforce copy protection in their future products. More information is over at the wargamer.com site. WE HAVE WON!!!!!!!!! Now they just need to sue CDV and get them to get rid of Starfarce and we'll all be happy campers again. ;)



JudgeDredd -> RE: Starforce! (4/13/2006 11:00:17 PM)

If that's true, that's fantastic news for genuine gamers.



Terminus -> RE: Starforce! (4/13/2006 11:00:47 PM)

Damn, typing with my fingers crossed is difficult...



Goblin -> RE: Starforce! (4/14/2006 9:34:39 PM)

Hehehehehehehe![8D] Link:


http://www.gamespot.com/news/6147655.html







Goblin



Jevhaddah -> RE: Starforce! (4/14/2006 11:28:24 PM)

I wonder how many more Publishers will follow Ubi's example, I really do hope that this is the end of SF.

I am also hoping (but not holding my breath) that patches will be issued for the games that I have already bought that will allow them to run without SF.

Found this info on the web, can't really speak for its accuracy, but it makes me want to err on the side of caution.

quote:



Starforce is a
TrojanKit:
Definition:
1. Security Applications installed without end user consent.
2.Software that grants Ring 0 access to Ring 3 (user level) applications.
3. Interferes with other software such as virtual drives, SCSI/SATA etc.
4. Puts its own virtual protection drivers on the system.
5. Interferes with other applications Windows registry settings.
6. Can be exploited with replacement malicious versions to grant Full Ring 0 access

Starforce once installed is constantly checking your system and sending info to drives interferring with streams back and forth.

SF is so over zealous about its sector checking that if it loses these it will refuse to function. On top of this, XP reads this as a disk I/O error. Which in turn causes it to step down the IDE speed to compensate. Eventually it will step down to the older 16 bit mode which disables DMA access altogether. No DMA means.

1. No Digital access to play audio CD’s
2. Unable to play DVD videos from DVD
3. Most current CD/DVD Games/Application will not run.
4. CD/DVD writing becomes almost impossible (Up to 2 hours for a full DVD on 16x DVD writer) and it will make many coasters even on burn proof drives.

The issues concerning DMA can be cured by uninstalling SF and then uninstalling the CD/DVD drivers as well as the Primary and Secondary IDE controllers. Forcing XP to reload those drivers.

Hardware failure:
A lot of new CD/DVD hardware is not PIO mode compatible. Thus any period of time being used in this old 16bit mode can be interpreted by some drives as attempts to Overburn/Read an excessively over burned disk. I.E in over burning you force the laser to go right to the edge of the disk. This results in the laser in many cases hitting the side casing of its guide and in turn stripping the threads off the worm gear. Basically it trashes the hardware.

Some drives also interpret the search for specific sectors indicated by SF as an over burn read/write command.

Security:
SF opens up Ring 0 (super user level) access to Ring 3 (User level applications).


Cheers

Jev



ravinhood -> RE: Starforce! (4/15/2006 8:32:11 AM)

http://www.gamespot.com/news/6147655.html

Well it's official now. UBI dumps Starforce. lol I think we should all send an email waving bye bye to Starforce usage in the future, hopefully this will lead to a chain reaction and others will follow suit. Hurray for boycotts, hurray for class action suits, hurray for the "consumers" everywhere. As I've always said, eventually us consumers will win out. :)



Hertston -> RE: Starforce! (4/15/2006 11:55:13 AM)

I don't think their attempt to shaft Stardock (who had declined their 'services') by posting a link to an illegal torrent for Galciv 2 went down too well among publishers, either. It seems Aspyr Media (US publishers of Spellforce 2) dumped them for that reason alone.

This really might be the beginning of the end, I think, unless Starforce goes completely back to the drawing board. There's a rumour about that they were actively negotiating a contract with EA, but I just can't see that happening now.



RBWhite -> RE: Starforce! (4/15/2006 3:19:37 PM)

I didn't mention this before, when I had Straforce games ( both versions) installed on my machine, I would periodically find my McAfee Security Center disabled. (the taskbar icon turns black, I & McAfee are the only one who can do that) Since removing all SF games, drives & blocking Starforce with my firewall it longer happens.

I had McAfee Tech support scan my system after one of the mysterious Secutity center disablements, their responce was that I should check for other types of protection programs active on my system. ( their was ony one, SF)



rhondabrwn -> RE: Starforce! (4/15/2006 8:44:46 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Jevhaddah

I wonder how many more Publishers will follow Ubi's example, I really do hope that this is the end of SF.

I am also hoping (but not holding my breath) that patches will be issued for the games that I have already bought that will allow them to run without SF.

Found this info on the web, can't really speak for its accuracy, but it makes me want to err on the side of caution.

quote:



Starforce is a
TrojanKit:
Definition:
1. Security Applications installed without end user consent.
2.Software that grants Ring 0 access to Ring 3 (user level) applications.
3. Interferes with other software such as virtual drives, SCSI/SATA etc.
4. Puts its own virtual protection drivers on the system.
5. Interferes with other applications Windows registry settings.
6. Can be exploited with replacement malicious versions to grant Full Ring 0 access

Starforce once installed is constantly checking your system and sending info to drives interferring with streams back and forth.

SF is so over zealous about its sector checking that if it loses these it will refuse to function. On top of this, XP reads this as a disk I/O error. Which in turn causes it to step down the IDE speed to compensate. Eventually it will step down to the older 16 bit mode which disables DMA access altogether. No DMA means.

1. No Digital access to play audio CD’s
2. Unable to play DVD videos from DVD
3. Most current CD/DVD Games/Application will not run.
4. CD/DVD writing becomes almost impossible (Up to 2 hours for a full DVD on 16x DVD writer) and it will make many coasters even on burn proof drives.

The issues concerning DMA can be cured by uninstalling SF and then uninstalling the CD/DVD drivers as well as the Primary and Secondary IDE controllers. Forcing XP to reload those drivers.

Hardware failure:
A lot of new CD/DVD hardware is not PIO mode compatible. Thus any period of time being used in this old 16bit mode can be interpreted by some drives as attempts to Overburn/Read an excessively over burned disk. I.E in over burning you force the laser to go right to the edge of the disk. This results in the laser in many cases hitting the side casing of its guide and in turn stripping the threads off the worm gear. Basically it trashes the hardware.

Some drives also interpret the search for specific sectors indicated by SF as an over burn read/write command.

Security:
SF opens up Ring 0 (super user level) access to Ring 3 (User level applications).


Cheers

Jev


Interesting. I was experiencing the drastic slowdown of my DVD burning on my 16X writer to the point where it took two hours to burn a disk, I was also experiencing numerous coasters and bad burns even on premium media. As a result, I untook my disastrous reinstall of Windows XP (commented on elsewhere) which froze up on the identifying devices stage and trashed my disk, requiring a complete reformat and reinstallation of many, many programs.

This sounds suspiciously like it was a Starforce protection problem initially. Anyone have any idea if the Windows Update screwed up because of the StarForce installation?

Grrrrr.... I'm glad to see that Ubisoft is dropping them. I hope CDV follows suit.



rhondabrwn -> RE: Starforce! (4/15/2006 8:48:20 PM)

Found the so-called "official" StarForce removal tool at:

Starforce Removal Site

This claims to uninstall all versions of StarForce.

Is this true? Date on this version is 2/6/2006. No version number indicated.



Goblin -> RE: Starforce! (4/15/2006 11:15:30 PM)

Thats the one I used, rhonda, and it appears to have worked...



Jevhaddah -> RE: Starforce! (4/16/2006 12:11:11 AM)

Rhonda, make sure yoo follow he instructions in my earlier post regarding the Nonplug an PLay devices.

Cheers

Jev



Goblin -> RE: Starforce! (4/16/2006 12:17:54 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Jevhaddah

Rhonda, make sure yoo follow he instructions in my earlier post regarding the Nonplug an PLay devices.

Cheers

Jev


This is how I checked to see if it worked or not. My thanks Jev!



Goblin



rhondabrwn -> RE: Starforce! (4/16/2006 2:11:56 AM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Goblin


quote:

ORIGINAL: Jevhaddah

Rhonda, make sure yoo follow he instructions in my earlier post regarding the Nonplug an PLay devices.

Cheers

Jev


This is how I checked to see if it worked or not. My thanks Jev!



Goblin



Yep, I'm good! Thanks for the info.



Black Mamba 1942 -> RE: Starforce! (4/16/2006 3:57:17 AM)

Thanks for the info!

I'm now Starforce free!!![sm=Cool-049.gif]



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