The admin is also a user ;) and code from trojans/virus which runs under admin rights is executed in ring 3 and do not has necessarily always kernel mode rights (ring 0) like the SF driver.

if SH4 has star force in it then i simply wont buy it.

i now simply boycott anything containing the starforce virus. that includes SH3 as i no longer play it.

its malware with disgusting public relations. end of.

My point was that a program that was made to intentionally kill Windows or wipe your files doesn´t need Ring 0 rights to do that, normal admin rights are enough.

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooo! I got SHIII when it first came out, played for a while, shelved it, and then about a month ago I started playing heavily again. Since then the servo motors that spin both my DVD ROM and my CDRW (which I never had problems with) have started to die. I get errors and failures like it's my job. It was all to mysterious until stumbling upon this thread. I hope this isn't true and they in fact just died of old age. We'll see what the evidence reveals. Interesting thread guys, thanks for the intel.

Welcome aboard!

Try to uninstall the SF drivers, maybe the errors go away:
http://www.onlinesecurity-on.com/protect.phtml?c=55

If that doesn´t help update the SF drivers:
http://www.star-force.com/protection.phtml?c=91

If all that doesn´t help delete the drives from the device manager and reboot. Windows will then redetect them.

I will add my voice to the choir and put it simply.I have been playing submarine simulations since an ancient one made with logo language,french i think,i don't even remember the name.


1)I want to see on the box whether Starforce is on the box or not.We are not citizens of 2nd grade in the EU.

2)If it has Starforce i won't buy it.And now that i know ,i will first search in internet to make sure it doesn't have it and only then buy it.

P.S:Ubisoft should at least release a patch allowing to run SH3 on WinXP 64bit,before hoping in any more money from me.

Think this thread has changed into a general starforce related thread. Therefore I will move it to the general forum.

Drebbel (with my moderator hat on)

Down the toilet with Starforce. :up:

There are other solutions out there, I have no problems with StarForce myself, never had, so I won't stop playing games because they have StarForce, however, in this case silence is consent, so by making clear the SH3 community, the customers, don't want StarForce in the future game, we give merit to the good protection systems that we are sure to be 100% safe to the customers.

I don't care if SH4 has StarForce or not, but I prefer to pay and support a company that provides a truely safe protection system instead of supporting the sinister StarForce.

No copy protection is completely safe or able to stop copying of a product. Pure and simple, no matter what anyone says.

And as said, most games today, just like SHIII are pirated before or at the same time they hit the shelves. No copy protection is going to stop that. Security where the discs are make has to be stepped up to catch the pirates red-handed.