Looks like starforce thinks everyones a pirate

[NICEBUD]

There nasty **ckware can still stop you from copying cd s even if you remove there crap **ckware from your system.Which I thought it was illegal to install software on someones system without there knowing.
I wonder what would happen if somebody hacked them and do all the things to them on there pcs which they have done to us.

Got this info from doom9.net many thanks

but here`s the link on starforce tossers

http://www.glop.org/forum/viewtopic.php?id=334

[mats.hogberg]

Not video related news. Moving to OT.
Read the sticky for what qualifies as news and not.

/Mats

[BJ_M]

just reading the info -- it causes all kinds of problems relating to backing up dvds also .... plus bad effects on capturing (drives will only run in PIO mode)...

it operates at ring0 - outside of a simple remove driver , problem goes away .. nasty stuff to say the least ...

[Baldrick]

more computer related...moving again.

[ROF]

Read the fine print when installing any software with this protection. Even the known problems are listed along with what you can expect with such protection. It's not illegal because you have to click OK before installation and your failure to read the disclosure is not a sound legal defense.

[BJ_M]

but once you open it -- you can not return it ..

and you can not read the small print untill you open it


edit --


it is not even in the "small print"

Starforce installs a driver in the windows/system32/drivers directory which MUST be installed by an admin account, the driver itself grants ring0 access on any user level opening up a rather large backdoor for other viruses or malware to act through. The driver works (as best as can seen due to its aggressive usage of the system - e.g you cant run a debugger on your system at the same time as the drivers nor can you see ANY memory locations it uses for itself or very often the game it will run with). It also performs checks on drives and will cause many errors in the event log due to the way it verifies CD's, this eventually will force the users drive to run in PIO mode (and most people have no idea what PIO mode is let alone how to repair this.
As you probably know forcing a drive to run in PIO mode isnt a good idea.

Furthermore Starforce will run on the system even when the game isnt running, one symptom of this is that starforce blocks the reading of DPM readings making it impossible to backup ANY software which needs these readings (basically every game out there).

Also when the game is removed, the starforce stays present on the users system and the user is Neither informed in the EULA or game that these drivers are being installed and that they will remain on the system, a tool is available on starforces website but it seems with the latest version of starforce it doesnt remove all the files anymore, so even when the game isnt present starforce is still hiding on the system preventing the user from using their computer how they want.

Starforce will also perform a system reset to protect itself if it *thinks* that someone is toying with it, this is probably one of the more dangerous things about it as it simply is terrible at this detection and often will reboot your system randomly, I myself once installed Colin McRae Rally 2005 and had several resets in game, after a few of these my HD started to make a strange noise and operate in PIO mode, I fixed this back to DMA mode and it reset another time, this time I couldnt ever access my drive again to the point where a format was impossible, the drive has been taken apart and I keep it on my desk as a reminder not to instal a starforce protected game no matter how good the game may be.

The newer versions of starforce will also replace system files (such as the USB driver) so its better able to detect if the disc is a copy or original, this is not good news as their own drivers are bad enough but replacing windows files is going beyond the limits of what anyone should take.

I also know several people personally who have lost optical drives (to my knowledge im the only person to lose a harddrive to it) and contacted SF to enter their competition only to be directed to (the rather terrible) customer support, he was told several times to do this and the comp ended.

There are also several known bugs that are easily reproduced such as nero incompatabilities, it stops the user being able to burn discs.
Starforces answer to this has been "our software doesnt do that but if it does we are covered by the EULA".

If you are serious about including starforce I must warn you that Starforce take an aggresive stance to those who speak out against them, you can find details at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StarForce about some of these incidents and also more information about it there too.

[BJ_M]

more info http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StarForce

list of games and software using it: http://www.glop.org/starforce/list.php

[Faustus]

And this is why I format windows PCs every six months.

[MozartMan]

This information should be sent to New York and Texas attorneys so they can file law suits like they did with Sony's root kit.

[rallynavvie]

Penny Arcade tore it up and down already. Their comment:
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2006/03/15

[hech54]

And this is another reason why I think games are stupid..

[adam]

but once you open it -- you can not return it ..

and you can not read the small print untill you open it

But you can still return it to the manufacturer and for most jurisdictions that is enough, even though the buyer usually has to pay the shipping. In-box licenses aren't enforceable everywhere but as long as there are some general warnings on the outside of the box too, they are usually pretty solid. But if the license agreement doesn't adequately disclose the risks of this crap... I hope they get sued too.

[Doramius]

Go to a store and check out the box for Rainbow Six: Lockdown. A lawsuit could easily be made against them.

[rallynavvie]

Go to a store and check out the box for Rainbow Six: Lockdown. A lawsuit could easily be made against them.

I guess I'm not seeing it

[Doramius]

That's the point, there's nothing on the box that says anything regarding what Starforce's software will do. Buy a copy and read what's inside (or talk to your friend at Game Stop or Eletronic's Boutique to show you an open box). They are just plain wrong.

[Treebeard]

I hate starforce, but at the same time could see more publishers moving towards it since its causing so many backup problems.

[Doramius]

If a lawsuit was about to happen to a company in this way, I wouldn't do buisiness with it. It's a quick way for a sofware company to lose consumer purchases.

[ROF]

Lawsuits usually do not make a big dent in the software consuming end of a product unless the lawsuit is negative in which case for the most part sales increase due to the extra exposure provided by the press. One big example, Rockstar Gaming Studio.

[Doramius]

I don't think taking away functional control of your computer and allowing your system to fall susceptible to online viruses & hacking is a positive thing. I could be wrong, but that's my thought. :/

[ROF]

I don't think taking away functional control of your computer and allowing your system to fall susceptible to online viruses & hacking is a positive thing. I could be wrong, but that's my thought. :/

I must agree but when it comes to lawsuits or people finding out about them most find out from the news. In those cases, most people don't get much past the headlines and at least 75% don't comprehend what they've read. In that light even bad publicity is good publicity.