1 Starforce issue fixed

[Kamikaze]

WARNING ABOUT THIS UPDATE!

I decided to attempt this update last night . . . just before some gaming with a buddy (should have known better). The update ran OK and things seemed good after the reboot. But when I tried to connect with my buddy and run LOMAC, up sprang a new STARFORCE warning that my games ID was not recognized.

Not recognized my ASS!

After trying my Serial Numbers and being denied by StarForce I let it do the INFORMATION scan (which told me it did not like LOMAC and to send the data to Starforce . . but not WHERE to send it!), and eventually the HELP menu. Somehow I ended up at www.star-force.com trying to do a manual ACTIVATION. All I was getting were error codes. The messages were not real clear as to what to do.

Luckily for the hell of it I tried LOMAC again . . and it ran fine. I then shut down all the damned STARFORCE windows and LOMAC seemed to be running fine.

I've no idea what I did to get it to run . . . but its running. Course it was NOT broken to begin with either! I then tried SH3 and it ran without a problem.

I'm suspicious the actual problem was the new STARFORCE drivers needing some sort of activiating and they just game me LOMAC errors as that was the first SF program I ran after updating.

FYI

[Gizzmoe]

I guess you have installed the update because you had some SF-related problems, right? What was the problem and did the update solve it?

[kiwi_2005]

Maybe if Ubisoft Romania did a simular option to HL Steam, and make it the only way we can get this game is download it of there site, then they might of not bothered to put in starforce. Cos its very very difficult to make a backup copy of a game this way. Only downfall is 56k users like myself wouldn't bother to dl SH3, it would take my modem a week and a half to dl.

[Kamikaze]

Originally Posted by Gizzmoe

I guess you have installed the update because you had some SF-related problems, right? What was the problem and did the update solve it?

I didnt have a specific problem, but I'm a believer in keeping your system drivers up to date. With the initial topic of this thread and its effect on CD-R/DVD burning it sounded like a reasonable thing to do. Update the drivers to the latest version. I just did not expect the confusion from the product. Also the horrible menu messages from the StarForce program itself did not help. Not intuitive at all! Probably designed by several programmers not talking with one another (my module is perfect . . the problem is with the others!).

BOTTOMLINE
To be safe, expect to have to spend some time going through activation hoops with this update. Maybe you will be lucky and it will go smoothly. Good for you if thats the case. I'm more concerned that I never got a "SUCCESSFUL ACTIVATION" message from StarForce, and LOMAC then started working fine.

[Kpt. Lehmann]

Pardon the dumb question. I haven not had any apparent problems/issues with StarForce on my system.

Is StarForce installed to the system with every version of SHIII?

[TDK1044]

Starforce is installed with every DVD retail version of SH3. You can uninstall it using the SF uninstall tool, but it will reinstall as soon as you launch SH3 again.

[Gizzmoe]

Originally Posted by Kamikaze

I didnt have a specific problem, but I'm a believer in keeping your system drivers up to date. With the initial topic of this thread and its effect on CD-R/DVD burning it sounded like a reasonable thing to do.

I´m sorry, but something inside of me forces me to write some smart-ass remarks... The SF driver isn´t a vital system driver, so the advice "Always keep your drivers updated" doesn´t apply here. Don´t update it as long as you haven´t noticed any problems, like much reduced CD/DVD burning speed or media recognition issues.

It is a good idea to install the update when there are problems, because it is likely that the possible advantages are bigger than the possible disadvantages. When someone decides to install it even when there are no problems the result is either neutral (=no changes) or bad.

[The Avon Lady]

Originally Posted by TDK1044

Starforce is installed with every DVD retail version of SH3.

It is also installed with and required by the downloadable version of SH3.

[Kamikaze]

Originally Posted by Gizzmoe

The SF driver isn´t a vital system driver, so the advice "Always keep your drivers updated" doesn´t apply here. Don´t update it as long as you haven´t noticed any problems <snip>

Let not HIGHJACK this topic Gizzmoe, but I'm going to choose to disagree with you. It can be said that Video and Audio drivers are also "non-critical" but experience has proven that keeping them current usually improves performance.

This thread is about an update to the STARFORCE drivers, I applied it to a system and experienced "odd" behavior. So I'm warning the population at large . . . a general warning of caution. I didnt expect queries of WHY!

Maybe its the quote from their website you gave us the URL for :
"Updating StarForce drivers can improve protected applications performance and drivers compatibility."

:rotfl:

[castorp345]

Originally Posted by Oombongo

There are two programs:

<Moderator edit: Do not mention such programs - Gizzmoe>

I didn't try them yet but I guess that they might do some "trick"

ok, while it's all fine and good to follow the stated policy of piracy prevention, what about the very unfortunate situation for those of us running winx64!? i own a legally purchased/licensed copy of sh3 on dvd but am unable to run it thanks to ubi's lack of driver support and the starforce implementation.
needless to say, i'm rather pissed off...
i payed $49.99 usd for something that should work (the os is xp and is in compliance with the actual application's—albeit apparently not the ******* protection drivers—required environment! also and unfortunately, dual boot to 32-bit xp is not an option in my situation), but am prevented from using because of somebody's lack of work ethic...
a fix sure would be nice and i don't particularly care where it comes from or really whether it violates an unreasonable and legally untenable-given-the-circumstances policy. it seems to me that the community should be interested in supporting it's paying base (ie folks like me who have shelled out hard earned cash) and work together to find a solution, not just censoring because 'we don't discuss that here'.

sorry for the rant all, but i'm pretty frustrated with this situation and don't really see it getting much attention. perhaps as more and more systems migrate to x64 we'll finally get a fix... but ubi's lost a customer and supporter here so long as folks like me are left excluded and feeling ripped off.


cheers
hc

[Gizzmoe]

Originally Posted by castorp345

it seems to me that the community should be interested in supporting it's paying base (ie folks like me who have shelled out hard earned cash) and work together to find a solution, not just censoring because 'we don't discuss that here'.

Don´t ask what the community can do for you, ask what you can do for the community!

If it is really important for you start a petition. Maybe Ubisoft listens and bring out a XP64 update if you find a few hundred people who support the petition. Start it here if you like, make a new thread and also let the people in the Ubisoft forums know that there is one.

By the way, the rule that we don´t discuss cracks and other similar topics in here won´t change.

[Mowgli]

I paid hard cash for my Silent Hunter 3 and despite the fact that Starforce possibly destroyed my one machine and screwed my DVD on my new machine, I just hope that people continue to buy this excellent game [...] <Moderator edit: Rest of sentence removed. Do not advertise cracks. - Gizzmoe>

If however, you are fed up with Starforc then you can visit their site and get their excellent Starforce driver removal program http://www.star-force.com/protection/users/ .

I can vouch for it as it really does remove their drivers. I can now play my music again.

[Gizzmoe]

Nice try, Mowgli...

[Mowgli]

Damn those escorts. Just trying to get through to the convoy.

[Lamarck]

I just don't play any games using Starforce. There are lots of excellent games out there that don't use it and I'm much happier for it