Topic: Starforce.

[Pugnate]

As massive a fan as I am of the Splinter Cell games, it may surprise some of you to learn that I have never played Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory. This is purely because of starforce, though I finally gave in and purchased Chaos Theory online. So what are the dangers or starforce? Is there anyway to disable it?

[MysterD]

About StarForce, it has been claimed to have destroyed people's PC's entirely, people's optical drives, people's CD/DVD's, etc etc. What SF does it actually, when it's booting, measure the CD length to make sure it's correct -- among do other things on the CD check. Very nasty stuff, as this has been the cause of many issues w/ people claiming SF does things, like wreck their CD's and optical drives.

There is a StarForce Cleaner program that takes the SF Drivers out, which you can get from StarForce at this link here (click me!), but if you take them drivers out and say reinstall a game requiring SF, it puts them drivers right back in behind your back. If you remove the drivers and them boot a game up requiring SF, it'll put them drivers right back in behind your back. Those drivers are ALWAYS on your game disk, BTW.

Here's a site against SF and lists some of the shit that it can cause. I suggest you check it out. (click me!)

Click here for a Game list of StarForce games (click me!)

Me, I've never had SF problems. I've never messed w/ the drivers, I just let them be. So, that helps.

[Pugnate]

Is there any way to strip Chaos Theory of the starforce crap? I am thinking I install, I play and finish asap and then uninstall.

[MysterD]

Is there any way to strip Chaos Theory of the starforce crap?

UbiSoft hasn't stripped SC: CT of the SF crap yet in a patch, unfortunately. I also have SC: CT -- and yes, my version does have SF. UbiSoft has stripped games off their copyright protection before b/c of major issues from users, such as SecuROM from XIII and Uru: Complete (b/c these games wouldn't even boot up b/c of it!). So, I wouldn't be surprised if they do remove it eventually from SC: CT. I just noticed, but it SC: CT has been updated now to version 1.05. I dunno if it removes SF or anything, since I have not read the readme, but yeah -- look here if you ain't got it!

Egosoft's game X3: Reunion (original retail box -- the USA version is on CD and Europe's is a DVD Edition), comes w/ SF. But, I wish more companies would go that Egosoft route and remove the need of the actual CD from their game itself (this way, StarForce doesn't do a check for your CD anymore in the drive and you don't need your disc in the driver anymore), like they did w/ X3: Reunion with patch version 2.0 -- even though the SF drivers will remain on your PC, if you have the original X3: Reunion retail box. You'd have to remove them drivers yourself.

Egosoft did release a new retail version on DVD for X3: Reunion, known as X3: Reunion Version 2.0, which doesn't come w/ SF at all.

I am thinking I install, I play and finish asap and then uninstall.

Good idea.

EDIT:
That or you could, well.....find a crack for SC: CT, if anyone ever cracked it. SF games are said to be a real pain in the ass to be cracked.

Version 1.05 of SC: CT still does a StarForce check at boot up.

[Xessive]

Yeah, it's pretty irritating. I really wish Ubisoft would do something about it.

There have been some crackers out there who have been able to make Starforce-free exe's for some games (i.e. TrackMania Sunrise), but SCCT is still in the dark.

[Pugnate]

Yeah, it's pretty irritating. I really wish Ubisoft would do something about it.

There have been some crackers out there who have been able to make Starforce-free exe's for some games (i.e. TrackMania Sunrise), but SCCT is still in the dark.

Dude, you shouldn't talk about white people that way in public.

[Xessive]

Dude, you shouldn't talk about white people that way in public.

LOL I can't believe I missed that while I was typing

[MysterD]

Dude, you shouldn't talk about white people that way in public.

I think he meant slang for "game-crackers" and "CP-crackers" (CP = copyright protection).....

...not the "other" slang for race.

LMAO!

[Quemaqua]

I don't think Starforce uninstalls along with the games it protects.  As I recall, that's one of the things people hate about it.  I think it's kind of hard to get rid of.

[idolminds]

There are programs that remove Starforce for you. Google should find them pretty quick.

Personally I never had trouble with SF. Not to say I like it or anything, I understand why people dont like it. But I had Trackmania installed for months before I found out what Starforce was. Didnt cause any ill effects.

[Quemaqua]

I think a lot of people are in that camp, myself included.  It isn't so much that Starforce fucks everybody over, more that it's principles are whacked out and it does cause problems for a fair number.

[idolminds]

Yup, exactly. I just posted that meaning I wouldnt let it get in the way of me playing a particular game.

[iPPi]

Because of this reason alone, I didn't buy Chaos Theory. 

[Pugnate]

I think he meant slang for "game-crackers" and "CP-crackers" (CP = copyright protection).....

...not the "other" slang for race.

LMAO!

Yes, that was the joke. 


But yea I've had a couple of Starforce games, but those versions were pretty early and easy to remove and crack. From the Chaos Theory forums, it seemed starforce was impossible to remove, but I caved.

Well at least I got the game cheap. $9 plus shipping weeee.

[Xessive]

I don't think Starforce uninstalls along with the games it protects.  As I recall, that's one of the things people hate about it.  I think it's kind of hard to get rid of.

Yep, exactly one of the major issues with it. SF lingers on your system long after you've uninstalled the game it came with. You have to use some third-party removal tools to get rid of it completely.

As Que said, the problem with SF was in its principle and application, not in its purpose.

[Pugnate]

Hey Xessive, was it easy getting rid of the Starforce crap after you were done with Chaos Theory?

[Xessive]

Hey Xessive, was it easy getting rid of the Starforce crap after you were done with Chaos Theory?

Oh yeah, thankfully. Just use the removal tool MyD gave the link to after you uninstall SCCT. You'll need to restart after using it too.

I had to remove SF because it totally messes up my DVD drive.. It only reads the first disc I insert, and it refuses to recognize any other DVD after that until I restart my system.

[MysterD]

Yep, exactly one of the major issues with it. SF lingers on your system long after you've uninstalled the game it came with. You have to use some third-party removal tools to get rid of it completely.

Which is all complete bullshit.

The drivers should uninstall when you uninstall the game, but they still linger.

As Que said, the problem with SF was in its principle and application, not in its purpose.

Exactly.

I really don't like SF, but I really began to dislike them after what they did to StarDock w/ Galac Civ 2.

[scottws]

I think the biggest problem with SF is it's driver-based nature.  The drivers are included on the game discs and install along with the game.  Yet there is no guarantee the drivers will work on future operating systems even if the game itself does.  For instance, Vista.

It's a huge mess.

[MysterD]

I think the biggest problem with SF is it's driver-based nature.  The drivers are included on the game discs and install along with the game.  Yet there is no guarantee the drivers will work on future operating systems even if the game itself does.  For instance, Vista.

It's a huge mess.

This is absolutely true, as Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, among other SF-based games would not run on Vista (Beta).

Hopefully, when Vista drops, gamers will whine so much that CT and other SF-based games don't work on Vista, the game will get an official patch from UbiSoft to drop the CP so it actually might work on Vista. Hopefully, they'll do that w/ PoP: The Two Thrones, as well -- since that also has SF.

It's also a good thing Gov't ruled that CP can be cracked, once the game becomes abandonware and cannot be found in stores 'cuz it's too damn old and out of print -- especially so game-crackers can crack games that use StarForce, so I can get my copy of SC: CT running on Vista, someday down the line....among hopefully other SF-based games, like say Beyond Divinity....

[MysterD]

Well, StarForce made things interesting......

They did released a bit ago, an update to their StarForce drivers for those that were using Win Vista Beta so they could actually get SF-protected games running on Win Vista Beta.

Now with the retail versions of Vista released, I wonder if anyone using these drivers got any of their SF-based games running on the retail versions of Vista.

[Jedi]

Well, StarForce made things interesting......

They did released a bit ago, an update to their StarForce drivers for those that were using Win Vista Beta so they could actually get SF-protected games running on Win Vista Beta.

Now with the retail versions of Vista released, I wonder if anyone using these drivers got any of their SF-based games running on the retail versions of Vista.

I see no reason why Retail would break something implemented in Beta.

[MysterD]

Good point...

...but we do know Microsoft and StarForce really don't get along....
And we know how Microsoft can be, sometimes...