I have a bit of a problem with Starforce drivers and Vista.

[t_jay17]

The other day my pc says that starforce drivers are not compatable with vista and since I didn't install them I removed them and now when I mount an image with alcohol 120 and try to burn it I can't or if I try to copy a dvd the program I use to copy dvds are dvdfab platinum.

[mats.hogberg]

Uh oh. Don't let crap get installed in your computer...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StarForce

/Mats

[t0nee1]

Yep! if you're using alcohol chances are it's (crap) still there..
http://www.onlinesecurity-on.com/protect.phtml?c=55

[t_jay17]

I used the tool to remove starforce but it is still doing the same thing

[t0nee1]

Uninstall Alcohol 120 and see if you're able to use DVDFab Plat once again....

[t_jay17]

Still can't and I also can't put an iso file in dvdfab to burn.

[mats.hogberg]

My guess is that starforce has hijacked your DVD reader/writer drivers somehow. If I understand it correctly, it works at a very deep level in the I/O system.
If nothing else helps, take your problem to http://www.star-force.com/ - they broke your computer - now they should fix it. They ought to be happy to get a chance to make up for all the flak they've taken for their game protection system.

/Mats

[t_jay17]

Would they actually help me?

[mats.hogberg]

It's worth a try. Like I said, they broke your computer (provided you've installed a legit starforce protected game, following directions, and that caused all this). The very least they should provide is some kind of phone support.

/Mats

[t_jay17]

It is weird if I use imgburn to burn a an iso that is not video it does fine.

[redwudz]

You might do a Google search for ' starforce problems '. There are a lot of unhappy people with similar problems. Hopefully if all that's said is true, maybe someone will bring a suit against them and make them rethink their programing methods. That got Sony's attention.


t_jay17, in the future please use a more descriptive subject title in your posts to allow others to search for similar topics. I will change yours this time. From our rules:

Try to choose a subject that describes your topic.
Please do not use topic subjects like Help me!!! or Problems.

Thanks,
Moderator redwudz

[t_jay17]

I looked it up and found no help at all as to how to return my pc to normal.

[redwudz]

Unfortunately, from what I read there, the sure cure is a reinstall of Windows. But hopefully you wil find a less drastic fix.

[t_jay17]

Do I need to do a full install or will an upgrade work?

[redwudz]

I'm not sure what you mean by a 'upgrade'. If you mean to a different version of Vista, say from home to premium, probably won't work. Upgrades just add features most times, not redo the OS.

You could try a 'repair' install first. That just replaces the Windows OS. It should leave most of your programs intact, at least the ones that aren't partially installed into your Windows folder.

But with any drastic action like this, back up any files, documents and other data that can't be replaced.

If it fails to cure the problem, then a repartition, reform and reinstall is a sure cure. Make sure all your motherboard drivers are available with either method, along with drivers for video and any other add on cards.

[t_jay17]

How do you do a repair install?

[redwudz]

This MS guide tells you how to do a repair install: http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/using/helpandsupport/learnmore/tips/doug92.mspx

You just need the OS disc and boot from it. You will also need to reinstall the updates to the OS afterwards.

And I assume you already tried using the Windows System Restore function already? It may not help, depending on where the problem is, but I would try it.

[t_jay17]

When I tried system restore suddenly there were no restore points to use.

[redwudz]

That doesn't surprise me. Some malware/virus/trojan programs can also block system restore. Another sign of a major problem.

Try the repair, but be prepared for a full reinstall. Vista is generally fairly tough to mess up, more so than XP, IMO. It usually warns you about installing some programs.

You might also consider getting a backup program like Acronis True Image or similar to make a backup of your system after you get it working properly so you would have a easy restore in the future.

[t_jay17]

I reinstalled all the driver and it seems to be working again