Author Topic: Silent Hunter III Warning (Read 3939 times)

ALF · « **on:** March 29, 2005, 10:53:39 PM »

Be aware that SH3 installs STARFORCE.

If you dont know what it is, just do a search on SIMHQ message boards and the like. It changes the actual drivers that let your disk/hard drives communicate with the system (including most severly some times USB drives). Be aware, I personally refuse to buy any software using it, and would love to hear what Skuzzy thinks.

RedDg · « **Reply #1 on:** March 29, 2005, 11:13:14 PM »

Yep, I didn't buy it for exactly this reason. It works fine for most people (so I've read) but on others it has messed up their DVD and CD drives. Starforce installs hidden drivers in Device Manager for ALL your IDE devices I believe.

And BTW, there's no mention of these drivers anywhere on the box or the EULA. No thanks.

Pongo · « **Reply #2 on:** March 29, 2005, 11:45:41 PM »

ouch.
Is it the copy protection system? Does it unistall when I remove SHIII? not that I can see doing that.

Grits · « **Reply #3 on:** March 30, 2005, 12:04:33 AM »

Big Brother is watching...

ALF · « **Reply #4 on:** March 30, 2005, 04:55:43 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by Pongo
ouch.
Is it the copy protection system? Does it unistall when I remove SHIII? not that I can see doing that.

It does not, you actually have to use a 3rd party utility to remove it. The real issue is that it changes all of the IDE/USB/SATA drivers that tell you computer how to communicate with its hardware, which impacts everything the computer does....it is evil stuff.

Do you want a 3rd party replacing your core drivers that impact not just the one program they came with, but ALL PROGRAMS...I dont. What happens when a competetor (or several) makes their own 'special' drivers for my devices as their proprietary copy protection scheme?

This goes far beyond normal prcedures like safedisk and the like, which operate in a caccoon and doesnt effect your entire OS. With starforce you get every single byte of data written and read from your computers drives (CD/HD/DVD/USB etc) controlled by 3rd party driver.

stantond · « **Reply #5 on:** March 30, 2005, 05:07:53 PM »

So,

What are you saying? I have SH3 installed on an XP system and all the device drivers are listed as Microsoft with dates in the 2001 time frame. Has Starforce somehow 'tricked' WinXP and replaced the hardware device drivers with modified versions that don't show up as changed in the driver menu? That really doesn't make sense.

Regards,

Malta

RedDg · « **Reply #6 on:** March 30, 2005, 05:25:57 PM »

Here's an article on Starforce.

In Windows XP, go to the Device Manager. In the view menu up top, click the "Show hidden devices". If you've successfuly installed SHIII then you'll se the Starforce drivers. I think it's under ATA/IDE ATAPI controllers.

Nath_____ · « **Reply #7 on:** March 30, 2005, 05:34:49 PM »

I have SH3 installed. I can't find any indication of StarForce.

FiLtH · « **Reply #8 on:** March 30, 2005, 05:37:23 PM »

I jus tbought Brothers in Arms and it wont run on my system because I use a CDRW. It requires a cd-rom drive. Some sort of protection against copying I guess. Is this similar?

stantond · « **Reply #9 on:** March 30, 2005, 05:43:02 PM »

Ah,

Yes, I see the Starforce drivers under the "hidden devices" in Device Manager. Starforce is not alone. There are more "hidden" devices on my system than not hidden.

I have burned DVD's since having Starforce installed with no problems. I will keep this in mind when I uninstall SH3 or consider any future Ubisoft products.

Regards,

Malta

Engine · « **Reply #10 on:** March 30, 2005, 10:10:35 PM »

Why would SH3 need something that alters current drivers? Does it run without starforce?

Bodhi · « **Reply #11 on:** March 30, 2005, 10:21:59 PM »

I have it too...

Does anyone have a list of software titles that use this?

Reschke · « **Reply #12 on:** March 30, 2005, 10:45:48 PM »

I think it is installed with Pacific Fighters or another Ubisoft product as well. I don't have SH3 but I have PF in a combined installation with AEP and FB and Starforce is on this computer as well.

g00b · « **Reply #13 on:** March 30, 2005, 11:45:22 PM »

EW, it's on my computer, get if off, get it off!!!

Thanks for the heads up.

g00b

Schaden · « **Reply #14 on:** March 31, 2005, 12:14:03 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by FiLtH
I jus tbought Brothers in Arms and it wont run on my system because I use a CDRW. It requires a cd-rom drive. Some sort of protection against copying I guess. Is this similar?

I had the same problem with SH3, work around was copy the DVD to my plug in 120 gig H/D, load the game from the H/D once you've done it and then play using the game DVD.....pain in the arse but it works.