StarForce Copy Protection System - How does it work?

There is a protection system in PC games, called StarForce(most guys will be already knowing this). In it, the protection scans the game CD/DVD upon the launch of the game, and figures out whether it is THE ORIGINAL COPY, or the COPY of THE ORIGINAL.

Now how in the world does it do that? I really want to know. How does it come to know if it is a copy or not. ISO, NRG formats don't work, too, if that's what you are thinking. And programs like CloneCD, Alcohol 120% etc. are also useless in this case.
The official site contains some information, but it is too techno. It would be nice if someone could explain that in simpler terms. Anyway, I think they are just crapping us about the info., for the fear of getting cracked again.

The only way to play games with this protection is by disconnecting all the CD and DVD drives, and playing with the image loaded in Daemon Tools. Now what is disconnecting the drives got to do with playing a copy protected game?

BTW: The previous versions have been cracked, however the latest version is, as yet uncrackable.

 

It's various macrovision technology.They change from technology to technology but in short it's a digital i.d. that's unique to the disc it was burned on.When you have burned disc or mount with a virtual drive it looks for this I.d. and when It's not found well....you guessed it.

There is various ways to get around this NONE of which we can talk about on ad.

That's not right.You don't have to disconnect the drives.I don't know where you got that from.

 

So is there no way to copy the digital ID? Also, what exactly does this digital ID depend on? or it's just a random series of numbers and letters, or both? And, what is 'macrovision'?

Well, I don't know if I can tell this over here in these forums, but my friend downloaded a pirated copy of the game 'The Suffering'. He told me about this protection, and that it was in the readme file (written by the cracker or recoder, of course), that you have to disconnect the drives and play. I did not believe him, and so he gave me the game DVD, coz. I wanted to see if he was telling the truth. So I installed it, and when I try to start the game, it says 'Checking Disc...' for a few seconds, and then it tells me to insert the correct disc. But when the CD-Rom drives are disconnected, it accepts the mounted ISO image, and the game starts.

This issue is with Prince of Persia: The Two Thrones as well. Here's what the .nfo (readme) file says.

1. Mount in DT4
2. Install Game, use SF KEY: (i deleted this one as it is against the rules)
3. Remove all IDE drives and Play. <<<this is the one<<<

If you still don't believe me, go to this FTP site and download the 'mir-popt2t.nfo' file(4th file from the top) and see for yourself.

ftp://63.241.137.227/HeReS/

Don't try to download any of the other files as they are illegal and I don't think they are working either.

 

Macrovision is a company.I'm not going to explain the digital ID as that would take some work besides you wanted the short version right? not the complex version.

They all ask for the disc.Anyone who doesn't know how to make the game work without disconnecting all there drives is stupid.I would tell you but it's piracy.

cough***cracks*** cough

 

http://www.glop.org/starforce/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/StarForce

Google is good.....

 

The reason for disconnecting the IDE optical drives is to use something like Daemon Tools, which emulates a SCSI drive. Starforce disables SCSI optical drives unless there are no IDE optical drives.

 

this protection is well known for messing up users computers pretty bad. UBISOFT got hit with a 5 million dollar lawsuite for using it. They no longer will use it in their games. The first game it started with was heroes of might and magic 5. Even the cheif editor of pc gamer got his computer messed up bad with starforce protection. I have never insatlled a game with starforce protection and do not plan on it. Just a heads up incase you were unaware.

 

Dude, if I don't know something, that dosen't mean that I am stupid.
Anyway, is there any way you could tell me how to, you know... if not on these forums, then by email, perhaps?
If that's OK, I can PM you my email ID.

 

What game do you need to work?

geez you would think nobody heard my loud cough lol.I'm not saying your stupid it's just people disconnect there drives to make a game work is so stupid.Check your pm's and you'll see why.

 

pulsar he asked.

it is macrovision that puts it on the disc.I wasn't saying macrovision makes starforce.It does work with them to implement it to disc so that program like anydvd or dvd decrypter can't make legit copies..I think I answered pretty well.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Macrovision

scroll on down to ripguard and css protection.

 

I never said anything! I just pointed people to a couple of links!!!!

 

Sorry bout that pulsar...

Sometimes when your writing them they don't sound so rude and then when you look at them later it's a whole different story lol.My bad.

It's like when I said "stupid" I really should have used a different word but was typing quickly and didn't think anyone would take offence.

 

Forget about the stupid thing everyone.

I need to make this game work:
'The Suffering: Ties that Bind'

 

Did you check your pm?Not trying to be a smart a$$ I'm just asking?All the info is there.Lol.

 

pm = personal messages.Check them at the top of the afterdawn page.I already sent you a welcome notice.

 

update.

ashwin18 was correct about the suffering :ties that bind.I couldn't find a solution for that game.I'm still unaware if it's star force alone or a combination of disc protection and star force together.

At any rate it will be cracked soon enough as usual.But Most people don't wwant to make games with this protection anyways so you won't see many games with this problem.

 

i have a pc game flat out 2 iso
with star force anyway around it '?

 

fortunatly, starforce is getting pwned. Starforce was a security loophole that made your computer vulnerable to spyware. whenever a publication said that, starforce would just sue them. When galactic civs 2 came out with no protection, starforce was mad that they didn't pay for protection and posted a link to a torrent for the game on their site. now, starforce is getting what they deserve. The biggest company that used it, Ubisoft, has ditched them and more companies are following. good riddance

 

@mark5hs agreed friend.

 

Starforce got WTF PWNED