rec.autos.simulators

by **Steve Smit** » Tue, 15 Jun 2004 21:22:07

Further to the thread (below): "I bought Toca Race Driver 2":

You should take a look at this (from:
http://www.racesimcentral.net/)

"StarForce: Copy Protection or Scumware? - Installs Hidden Devices

"Womble used our news submit to tell us that users of our forums report that
the Star-Force copy protection [included w. both the TOCA retail product AND
the demo] installs hidden drivers. The drivers can be shown when selecting
'hidden devices' in the device manager of Windows XP. Installed drivers are:
'Starforce Protection Enviroment Driver v5', 'Starforce Protection Helper
Driver', 'Starforce Protection Helper Driver v2', 'Starforce Protection
Synchronizer v1'. All these drivers are installed when you install a game
that is Starforce protected.

"Altough annoying and by some seen 'hijacking of the PC' this would not be
so bad if the drivers could easily been removed. However users reported that
after several reboots the drivers make their appearance again. A special
tool, that can be downloaded from the website game developer
AdventureCompanyGames seems to be able to reliably clean the hidden drivers
from the system. More information on this can be found in this thread,"
here:

http://www.racesimcentral.net/

The cure to cure this is said to be avail here (partial addy):

http://www.racesimcentral.net/...rforceClean.exe

by **Steve Smit** » Tue, 15 Jun 2004 21:27:03

Here's the full addy of the supposed StarForce "cleaner:

http://www.adventurecompanygames.com/tac/support/media/StarforceClean...

by **Remco Moe** » Tue, 15 Jun 2004 21:43:47

On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 12:22:07 GMT, "Steve Smith"

>"StarForce: Copy Protection or Scumware? - Installs Hidden Devices

Thanks for the heads up, Steve. It's quite funny, actually, nowadays I
first get the warez version of software, and only when it runs without
problems, I'll buy it. For example, when I tried to install an update
for Operation Flashpoint, which I bought, it failed since it checked
for Virtual CD, which I had installed.

Now why on Earth should software check my configuration before
allowing me to install an update? It's a strange world where people
using warez versions of software actually get a better version then
the people who bought it....

Cheers!

Remco

by **Steve Smit** » Tue, 15 Jun 2004 21:49:20

Um, that didn't seem to work. From Raphael Barabas' post (below), this link
seems to work:

http://www.codemasters.co.uk/downloads/displayfiles.php?showdetails=1...

> Here's the full addy of the supposed StarForce "cleaner:

> http://www.adventurecompanygames.com/tac/support/media/StarforceClean...

> > Further to the thread (below): "I bought Toca Race Driver 2":

> > You should take a look at this (from:
> > http://www.cdfreaks.com/news/9888 )

> > "StarForce: Copy Protection or Scumware? - Installs Hidden Devices

> > "Womble used our news submit to tell us that users of our forums report
> that
> > the Star-Force copy protection [included w. both the TOCA retail product
> AND
> > the demo] installs hidden drivers. The drivers can be shown when
selecting
> > 'hidden devices' in the device manager of Windows XP. Installed drivers
> are:
> > 'Starforce Protection Enviroment Driver v5', 'Starforce Protection
Helper
> > Driver', 'Starforce Protection Helper Driver v2', 'Starforce Protection
> > Synchronizer v1'. All these drivers are installed when you install a
game
> > that is Starforce protected.

> > "Altough annoying and by some seen 'hijacking of the PC' this would not
be
> > so bad if the drivers could easily been removed. However users reported
> that
> > after several reboots the drivers make their appearance again. A special
> > tool, that can be downloaded from the website game developer
> > AdventureCompanyGames seems to be able to reliably clean the hidden
> drivers
> > from the system. More information on this can be found in this thread,"
> > here:

> > http://club.cdfreaks.com/showthread.php?t=97861

> > The cure to cure this is said to be avail here (partial addy):

> > http://www.adventurecompanygames.co...rforceClean.exe

by **Steve Smit** » Tue, 15 Jun 2004 21:50:47

Strange new world, huh?

> On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 12:22:07 GMT, "Steve Smith"

> >"StarForce: Copy Protection or Scumware? - Installs Hidden Devices

> Thanks for the heads up, Steve. It's quite funny, actually, nowadays I
> first get the warez version of software, and only when it runs without
> problems, I'll buy it. For example, when I tried to install an update
> for Operation Flashpoint, which I bought, it failed since it checked
> for Virtual CD, which I had installed.

> Now why on Earth should software check my configuration before
> allowing me to install an update? It's a strange world where people
> using warez versions of software actually get a better version then
> the people who bought it....

> Cheers!

> Remco

by **JTS** » Wed, 16 Jun 2004 08:38:44

Strange anyway

> Strange new world, huh?

> > On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 12:22:07 GMT, "Steve Smith"

> > >"StarForce: Copy Protection or Scumware? - Installs Hidden Devices

> > Thanks for the heads up, Steve. It's quite funny, actually, nowadays I
> > first get the warez version of software, and only when it runs without
> > problems, I'll buy it. For example, when I tried to install an update
> > for Operation Flashpoint, which I bought, it failed since it checked
> > for Virtual CD, which I had installed.

> > Now why on Earth should software check my configuration before
> > allowing me to install an update? It's a strange world where people
> > using warez versions of software actually get a better version then
> > the people who bought it....

> > Cheers!

> > Remco

by **Jussi Koukk** » Wed, 16 Jun 2004 14:35:15

On Mon, 14 Jun 2004 12:22:07 GMT, "Steve Smith"

Ok. What exactly do these drivers do to harm your system? Are they
mentioned in the EULA?
--
Jussi 'Igor' Koukku

by **Steve Smit** » Wed, 16 Jun 2004 22:47:06

StarForce is not mentioned in the EULA, so may be considered illegal...or at
least a virus. In the CD Freaks forum, one member posted the results of
what this copy protection scheme did to his computer after installing Black
Mirror:

******************************

Black Mirror uses a copy protection system provided by StarForce. On
Windows98SE, I encountered two severe problems, both of them related to some
device drivers that were installed by the StarForce copy protection
software:

Uninstalling the game does NOT remove the StarForce drivers; this is
completely unacceptable behaviour. I have complained to Dreamcatcher and
demanded that they provide me with facilities to remove the drivers.
Dreamcatcher has since sent me a program called "sfclean.exe" that appears
to remove them.

The StarForce device drivers conflicted with the device drivers for my USB
memory drive, and caused my machine to crash (BSOD) whenever I plugged in my
memory drive. This problem has not yet been resolved by Dreamcatcher.

Contact Dreamcatcher if you have uninstalled your game, and find any of
these files remaining on your disk: prosync1.vxd, prosync1.sys, sfhlp01.sys,
prohlp02.sys, prodrv06.sys.

Black Mirror [also] provided an in-game gamma setting, but it turned out to
be problematic. Even with brightness turned up all the way, my monitor is
very dark and requires a substantial gamma correction for most games. The
in-game gamma setting didn't provide enough range, but it completely
overrides the video card setting. As a result, I was forced to play the game
with all the lights turned off, and my video
card "vibrancy control" turned up.

That's all we have so far, though. I'm sure the Starforce drivers take up
unnecessary CPU cycles which also slow your computer down. Also, imagine the
trouble that could cause if all these different copy protections start
inserting drivers that you didn't know about...

******************************

The StarForce issue has been raised in several other forums, among them:

http://community.codemasters.com/fo...&threadid=41263
http://www.rage3d.com/board/showthr...readid=33763491
http://forums.avault.com/cgi-bin/ul...=3;t=005286;p=1
http://www.adventurecompanygames.co...sb=5&o=&fpart=1
http://www.dslreports.com/forum/rem...77449~mode=flat

by **Andre** » Wed, 16 Jun 2004 23:10:05

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 13:47:06 GMT, "Steve Smith"

How is it a virus?
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by **Diskhea** » Wed, 16 Jun 2004 23:23:03

>How is it a virus?

virus ( P ) Pronunciation Key (vrs)
n. pl. viruses

2. Something that poisons one's soul or mind

by **Andre** » Wed, 16 Jun 2004 23:24:28

Wow, that's one hell of a bit of software!
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by **Dave Henri** » Thu, 17 Jun 2004 01:29:23

>> 2. Something that poisons one's soul or mind

> Wow, that's one hell of a bit of software!

It is a virus in the sense that it installs onto your system WITHOUT
your permission. It is a virus in the sense that you CANNOT easily be rid
of it. It is a virus in that it adds ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to the performance
of the program and your system. And apparently, it is a virus because it
conflicts with certain hardware configurations, I would suspect it may even
be hogging a valuble IRQ.(just a guess tho, no facts)

dave henrie

by **Andre** » Thu, 17 Jun 2004 02:07:13

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 11:29:23 -0500, Dave Henrie

> It is a virus in the sense that it installs onto your system WITHOUT
>your permission. It is a virus in the sense that you CANNOT easily be rid
>of it. It is a virus in that it adds ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to the performance
>of the program and your system. And apparently, it is a virus because it
>conflicts with certain hardware configurations, I would suspect it may even
>be hogging a valuble IRQ.(just a guess tho, no facts)

None of which has anything to do with the definition of a virus.
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by **Steve Smit** » Thu, 17 Jun 2004 03:24:40

You're wrong. And prolly trolling. Dave is right. Any questions?

> On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 11:29:23 -0500, Dave Henrie

> > It is a virus in the sense that it installs onto your system WITHOUT
> >your permission. It is a virus in the sense that you CANNOT easily be
rid
> >of it. It is a virus in that it adds ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to the
performance
> >of the program and your system. And apparently, it is a virus because it
> >conflicts with certain hardware configurations, I would suspect it may
even
> >be hogging a valuble IRQ.(just a guess tho, no facts)

> None of which has anything to do with the definition of a virus.
> --

> Help make Usenet a better place: English is read downwards,
> please don't top post. Trim messages to quote only relevant text.
> Check groups.google.com before asking a question.

by **Andre** » Thu, 17 Jun 2004 03:31:23

On Tue, 15 Jun 2004 18:24:40 GMT, "Steve Smith"

>You're wrong.

It might be software that you don't want on your system, but that
doesn't make it a virus.

I never troll.

You are as stupid as Dave then.

Is there anyone in this group apart from me with a brain cell?
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rec.autos.simulators

TOCA Race Driver 2: Beware!!!!

TOCA Race Driver 2: Beware!!!!

TOCA Race Driver 2: Beware!!!!

TOCA Race Driver 2: Beware!!!!

TOCA Race Driver 2: Beware!!!!

TOCA Race Driver 2: Beware!!!!

TOCA Race Driver 2: Beware!!!!

TOCA Race Driver 2: Beware!!!!

TOCA Race Driver 2: Beware!!!!

TOCA Race Driver 2: Beware!!!!

TOCA Race Driver 2: Beware!!!!

TOCA Race Driver 2: Beware!!!!

TOCA Race Driver 2: Beware!!!!

TOCA Race Driver 2: Beware!!!!

TOCA Race Driver 2: Beware!!!!

TOCA Race Driver 2: Beware!!!!