Advise Life expectancy of my DVD Drive

[fly999]

Hi Guys,

I really want to Install this sim , however I am a very worried man !

Reason is all this stuff i've read about Star Force.

If I install it, leave the disk in the drive , say a prayer to my god, tap my head and rub my stomache 3 times, then what are the chances of my PC/dvd drive,surviving ?

I read Iron Coffins as a child , played Avalon Hills Submarine , and now I have SH3 in its box here beside me ! the temptation to install regardless is unbearable ! !
What do you suggest ?
Many Thanks.

[Brag]

I've had it for over a year--no problems.

[ReallyDedPoet]

I've had it for over a year--no problems.

Close to 1 1\2, no probs either.

[fly999]

Thanks Guys.

...........................

[gabeeg]

I have to say I was one of those that were unlucky. Using the NEC DVD/CD ROM drive on my laptop with CD in the drive and StarCrap enabled, after awhile it stopped recognizing the SHIII CD :( Not long after that it started failing on creating CD/DVD's using nero and stopped recognizing some other CD/DVD's that I had...not even able to read them! I had heard that it causes some setting in the Microsoft OS to set a flag or some such somewhere in the registry or elsewhere maybe that starts downgrading the speed at which the drive can read or write. It supposedly does this after a certain amount of failures to ensure that by downgrading performance you can at least use the device...hopefully. At one point I went thru the registry to find this setting and could find nothing. I removed the device, removed it from device manager, reinstalled it and still it was having problems....so I don't know what the deal is. At work they had another DVD/CD rom device from an identical laptop and I installed it. From that point on it started working again as it should. I am using the No-CD patch now and it's all good.

My drive lasted about 2 months of loading SHIII an average of once daily before showing problems. I have heard of more people not having problems than people having problems...if that makes you feel better. I don't know but maybe only certain brands/models exhibit the issue. Personally I would never install any StarCrap game ever again....unless it had a no-CD patch!

[U-418]

So...let me get this straight, if possible.
Star Force can kill a DVD_ROM drive?

...

!?
:stare: :/\\chop

[GreyOctober]

So...let me get this straight, if possible.
Star Force can kill a DVD_ROM drive?

...

!?
:stare: :/\\chop

uhmmmm...sort of, yes. it can pork things up pretty bad but really it depends on the DVD manufacturer and type etc. I havent had a single problem with starcrap in 2 years while others have messed up their drives.

[U-418]

There better be a way to remove Star Focre.

...............

.................................................. .........nevermind......

[gabeeg]

There are ways....just its a legal gray area. You will not find the answer here, that is for sure and if you ask the tread will be locked/removed. Your best bet is Google.

[Kingcobra24]

I've been playing SHIII for over a year on a nightly basis. It's original, meaning with the DVD in the drive. I've had no problems, no CTDs, no freezes, no DVD units going up in smoke, no errors, nada but hours upon hours of VERY pleasant gameplay.
:lurk:

[P_Funk]

:stare: There better be a way to remove Star Focre.

Must...kill...Star...Force........................ .......:doh:
:/\\chop
There is a legal way to remove starforce of course. However you cannot "legally" remove starforce AND play SH3. Everytime you start SH3 if Starforce isn't onyour system then it will be required you install. You can however remove starforce with a special fix. I dunno where to get it. Google I s'pose.

Remember. "Legally" you need to have starforce to use SH3. You can remove starforce so long as you don't play sh3. Remember, "legally". Get the hint and don't, please don't say anything stupid.;)

[STEED]

I've had SH3 for over two years and no problem.