Starforce Installers?

Ilander · 01-31-2006, 01:29 PM

So, maybe it's old news, and I'm just hearing about it, but should I be worried about Starforce installations, and the artificial drivers they install on my machine?

I read the Wikipedia article about it, and it seems to block the use fo SCSI drives for certain games, when an IDE drive is present, and my RAID array is technically an SCSI drive (at least, Windows thinks it is)...

I DON'T want to install more things on my 20 Gb IDE hard drive than I have to...it's really just for Windows, while I like to keep the rest of my programs (like games) elsewhere...

Also, I'd like to update to Windows 64 at some point...and I hear there are compatibility issues there also...

Oh, and yes, I've checked, Starforce is lurking in my device manager, pretending to be a non-plug-and-play device...

oh, and here's an article:

http://www.glop.org/starforce/#detect

[ 01-31-2006, 01:32 PM: Message edited by: Ilander ]

Albromor · 01-31-2006, 01:42 PM

Wow! Thanks for posting this Ilander! I never knew this issue was about until now. Some of the PC games listed surprised me because they are pretty good sellers. It reminds what Sony's Rootkit as well as WinFix does to a PC. The only thing I can tell you to do -- unless you want to utilize their own toolkit removal -- is reformatting. I had to with WinFix.

robertthebard · 01-31-2006, 02:31 PM

That's a surprising list of games, and this has evidently been going on for a while, as I have Icewind Dale Heart of Winter, I just hadn't gotten around to installing it, and now I won't. I didn't understand if removing it would render the game unplayable or not?

johnny · 01-31-2006, 03:45 PM

Well, if you would, Starforce would probably reinstall itself again, no ?

Anyway, i just followed the steps in the link, and it turned out i had the Starforce drivers too. I checked the list of games, and of all the titles i only own copies of Panzers Phase 1, which is not even installed yet, and Cossacks 2 Napoleonic Wars, which is installed, so there's the evil doer.

I downloaded the removal tool and succesfully removed the SF drivers, so Cossacks probably won't run anymore, but that's okay, because i never gave it much attention anyway. I'll check if it's indeed disabled later, just to make sure.

Luvian · 01-31-2006, 04:50 PM

Yeah Starforce suck. There are tons of games that use it too.

If you uninstalled it those games won't run.

Ilander · 01-31-2006, 05:01 PM

The King Kong demo runs, after removing Starforce...

Luvian · 01-31-2006, 05:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ilander:
The King Kong demo runs, after removing Starforce...

But it's a demo.

Why do you think they install starforce? It's a copy protection.

Thoran · 01-31-2006, 06:23 PM

Fortuitous timing... it just so happens I accidentally bought one of those games last weekend (Brothers in Arm - Earned in Blood) and didn't notice the warning. I didn't want to return the game, so I looked around on the internet for something to disable starware.

First place I checked had a hack out for that crapware, which allowed me to uninstall it and still play BIA just fine (single player). I assume since it's been hacked for one game, you can probably find hacks for others. The problem of course is you have to install the game FIRST... then hack it... then remove the starware driver and files.

I wouldn't install it on a system using a raid array (scsi or otherwise)... I've read of array corruption issues caused by their driver, and I expect that hacking the exe to remove the copy protection will probably be a problem if you're into online gaming (I'm not)... however it works just fine for lan gaming.

[ 01-31-2006, 06:24 PM: Message edited by: Thoran ]

Ilander · 01-31-2006, 07:03 PM

I would have been INCREDIBLY upset if my array got eaten by some stupid corporate decision...and there would have been no compensation for me, either :S

I'm glad I caught it!

Felix The Assassin · 01-31-2006, 07:12 PM

Very interesting, very indeed. Not once did I see any reference at all to Linux/Unix. Could it be.......

01-31-2006, 01:29 PM	#1
Ilander 20th Level Warrior Join Date: December 28, 2003 Location: Kentucky Age: 38 Posts: 2,820	So, maybe it's old news, and I'm just hearing about it, but should I be worried about Starforce installations, and the artificial drivers they install on my machine? I read the Wikipedia article about it, and it seems to block the use fo SCSI drives for certain games, when an IDE drive is present, and my RAID array is technically an SCSI drive (at least, Windows thinks it is)... I DON'T want to install more things on my 20 Gb IDE hard drive than I have to...it's really just for Windows, while I like to keep the rest of my programs (like games) elsewhere... Also, I'd like to update to Windows 64 at some point...and I hear there are compatibility issues there also... Oh, and yes, I've checked, Starforce is lurking in my device manager, pretending to be a non-plug-and-play device... oh, and here's an article: http://www.glop.org/starforce/#detect [ 01-31-2006, 01:32 PM: Message edited by: Ilander ] __________________ Is that what you really want to say?

01-31-2006, 02:31 PM	#3
robertthebard Xanathar Thieves Guild Join Date: March 17, 2001 Location: Wichita, KS USA Age: 60 Posts: 4,537	That's a surprising list of games, and this has evidently been going on for a while, as I have Icewind Dale Heart of Winter, I just hadn't gotten around to installing it, and now I won't. I didn't understand if removing it would render the game unplayable or not? __________________ To those we have lost; May your spirits fly free. Good Music: Here. Interesting read, one of my blogs.

01-31-2006, 03:45 PM	#4
johnny 40th Level Warrior Join Date: April 15, 2002 Location: Utrecht The Netherlands Age: 58 Posts: 16,981	Well, if you would, Starforce would probably reinstall itself again, no ? Anyway, i just followed the steps in the link, and it turned out i had the Starforce drivers too. I checked the list of games, and of all the titles i only own copies of Panzers Phase 1, which is not even installed yet, and Cossacks 2 Napoleonic Wars, which is installed, so there's the evil doer. I downloaded the removal tool and succesfully removed the SF drivers, so Cossacks probably won't run anymore, but that's okay, because i never gave it much attention anyway. I'll check if it's indeed disabled later, just to make sure. __________________

01-31-2006, 04:50 PM	#5
Luvian Ironworks Moderator Join Date: June 27, 2001 Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada Age: 43 Posts: 6,763	Yeah Starforce suck. There are tons of games that use it too. If you uninstalled it those games won't run. __________________ Once upon a time in Canada...

01-31-2006, 05:01 PM	#6
Ilander 20th Level Warrior Join Date: December 28, 2003 Location: Kentucky Age: 38 Posts: 2,820	The King Kong demo runs, after removing Starforce... __________________ Is that what you really want to say?

01-31-2006, 01:42 PM	#2
Albromor Mephistopheles Join Date: June 13, 2001 Location: Northfield, NJ USA Posts: 1,417	Wow! Thanks for posting this Ilander! I never knew this issue was about until now. Some of the PC games listed surprised me because they are pretty good sellers. It reminds what Sony's Rootkit as well as WinFix does to a PC. The only thing I can tell you to do -- unless you want to utilize their own toolkit removal -- is reformatting. I had to with WinFix.

01-31-2006, 06:23 PM	#8
Thoran Galvatron Join Date: January 10, 2002 Location: Upstate NY Age: 56 Posts: 2,109	Fortuitous timing... it just so happens I accidentally bought one of those games last weekend (Brothers in Arm - Earned in Blood) and didn't notice the warning. I didn't want to return the game, so I looked around on the internet for something to disable starware. First place I checked had a hack out for that crapware, which allowed me to uninstall it and still play BIA just fine (single player). I assume since it's been hacked for one game, you can probably find hacks for others. The problem of course is you have to install the game FIRST... then hack it... then remove the starware driver and files. I wouldn't install it on a system using a raid array (scsi or otherwise)... I've read of array corruption issues caused by their driver, and I expect that hacking the exe to remove the copy protection will probably be a problem if you're into online gaming (I'm not)... however it works just fine for lan gaming. [ 01-31-2006, 06:24 PM: Message edited by: Thoran ]

01-31-2006, 07:03 PM	#9
Ilander 20th Level Warrior Join Date: December 28, 2003 Location: Kentucky Age: 38 Posts: 2,820	I would have been INCREDIBLY upset if my array got eaten by some stupid corporate decision...and there would have been no compensation for me, either :S I'm glad I caught it! __________________ Is that what you really want to say?

01-31-2006, 07:12 PM	#10
Felix The Assassin The Dreadnoks Join Date: September 27, 2001 Location: Orlando, FL Age: 61 Posts: 3,608	Very interesting, very indeed. Not once did I see any reference at all to Linux/Unix. Could it be....... __________________ The Lizzie Palmer Tribute Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty. John F. Kennedy 35th President of The United States The Last Shot Honor The Fallen Jesus died for our sins, and American Soldiers died for our freedom. If you don't stand behind our Soldiers, please feel free to stand in front of them.

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