StarForce

Starforce is a software copy of the Russian developer StarForce Technologies (formerly Protection Technology ), which has achieved the status of Microsoft Certified Partner since October 2007.

Overview

Star Force works under the operating system Microsoft Windows. It enveloped executables and DLL files by bytecode, which then by their own Virtual Machine (English: virtual machine ) is translated.

It is believed that Star Force measures the physical angle between the first and the last written sector on the CD, which is the same on all copies pressed. Meanwhile, it is possible to reproduce this feature if some special factors to be considered when copy ( see below).

Further uses StarForce, as well as the copy protection SafeDisc and SecuROM, black lists of programs that emulate optical drives ( emulate ), such as DAEMON Tools and Alcohol 120 %. StarForce 3.x has the use of optical SCSI drives is not authorized if optical IDE drives are present in the system, since many optical drives emulation programs masquerading as SCSI drives. If no usable by StarForce IDE drives installed, SCSI and emulated devices operate without being affected by StarForce. As of version 4.0, no cases of such behavior of the StarForce system are registered.

Technical criticism

Star Force is under criticism because it installs a whole bunch of their own device drivers on my computer. Many users documented cases in which led the StarForce driver to system instability and crashes. It should be lost in the CD control by the installed driver DMA data packets. This causes Windows to shut enforce the Lese-/Schreibgeschwindigkeit the optical drives and repeat the read attempt. In extreme cases, the speed should be then reduced down to the speed of the 16- bit compatibility mode, with the many modern drives are incompatible.

StarForce drivers are up to version 4.0 does not WHQL -certified, which may indicate that the previous versions have known bugs and incompatibilities.

StarForce always reduces the performance of systems on which it is used, because it is already loaded as a system driver when starting the computer with the operating system and consumed as a result of memory and CPU resources, even if the protected game does not run. This power reduction remains at current Starforce versions even active if the corresponding game has been completely uninstalled, because the StarForce drivers installed and still remain active.

In addition, there is criticism that the driver is installed only in administrator mode and it ring 0 privileges must be granted.

It also incompatibilities with other copy protection measures ( such as SecuROM ) were reported.

A current problem is that software, which is equipped with older versions of Starforce, on systems with 64 -bit Windows can not run because of the StarForce device driver is programmed for use on 32- bit systems; Therefore, the operating system is denied in this case the installation. Even if the StarForce developer has a 64 -bit drivers available, it is not possible to use it with the originally distributed software with 32- bit drivers. Therefore, a patch from the manufacturer of the protected software is also needed, and so far only a few manufacturers have made ​​such a patch. StarForce -protected software that works on a 64 -bit Windows can be identified by the presence of a. X64 file in the installation directory of the software.

The benefits of StarForce protected games under the Linux operating system with the Windows-compatible runtime environment Wine is simply impossible without special (illegal ) procedures.

Another disadvantage of Star Force is that when you install the driver copy the permissions are set so that the user can modify the driver configuration without administrator rights. This also allows users declared as a user to run their own code on the driver level, which represents a serious security risk.

Supporters of StarForce counter this by saying that all set out stability problems were exaggerated and have been fixed in newer versions of the copy protection. Furthermore, had the Moscow company that developed StarForce, a competition launched in which the participants pay their own travel costs to Moscow and there reconstruct the drive corruption from StarForce on proprietary test computers. Had they succeeded, they would have to win an additional 10,000 U.S. dollars on the one hand, a travel allowance and on the other side. The very low participation, which is probably due more realistic view of the very poor conditions, the StarForce developers see as a confirmation of the stability of their system.

2006, the American Christopher Spence filed a class action lawsuit against Ubisoft, since sold by Ubisoft game with StarForce have damaged his PC.

Moral criticism

Many complain that the use of copy protection mechanisms such as StarForce specific end-user rights such as the right to make backup copies for personal use violated. In the context, it is also often criticized for honest buyers of the original have more problems and waiting times as a user of cracked versions.

Has been or will be detailed problem descriptions, critical suggestions and questions comment deleted for copy in the official StarForce Help forums and some Ubisoft forums, threads and edited censored. Users have been banned without warning. Moderators of Ubisoft forums have been due to their critical position to Starforce dismissed ( Soul Commander, 13thHouR ). Many well-known authors have been intimidated because of their critical article with legal consequences and threats by StarForce. Cory Doctorow of Boing Boing Below and Aaron McKenna of tomshardware.com.

On March 5, 2006, an employee of Star Force Linked to a forum on an illegal download source for just-published game Galactic Civilizations 2 Stardock. The example should serve as proof of the necessity of copy protection. Later Star Force has published an apology.

Versions

Ubisoft, Digital Jesters and Codemasters have been known to use Starforce on newly appearing software. However, Ubisoft sees in the future of the use of, among other things because of the large protests from. Star Force raises a claim to have reduced the piracy of computer games dramatically. Nevertheless, the use of this system among many consumers provoked a negative reaction.

The currently known versions of Star Force are:

StarForce Pro 3

Requires a so-called CD key, which must be entered when the game is installed. This key is the same as it encrypts the nature of the protection scheme on the master medium for all copies of the game. Therefore, most games still still use a conventional CD - key, as well as for playing online. (Examples: Trackmania, Chaos League, Etherlords 2, GT Legends )

StarForce Keyless

Here, no CD key must be entered. Nevertheless, the key exists internally: it is stored in one of the TOC fields of the medium. (Examples: Trackmania Sunrise, Freedom Force vs. The Third Reich. )

Star Force Pro 3.7

Supports for the first time and 64- bit systems. (Example: Chaos League: Sudden Death )

Starforce / Frontline 4.0

As a new automatic uninstall the driver, full 64 -bit support and protection from DAEMON Tools were called 4.0 on the official Star Force homepage. This version was the first to test compatibility Designed for Windows XP.

StarForce FrontLine 5.0

• Driver of the protection system is the Windows logo test for Windows Vista
• New graphical user interface of the protection system
• Protection of DOC and RTF files
• " Trial mode" has been significantly improved
• Support for PDB files in the protection

StarForce FrontLine 5.5

• Completely new Protection Studio 2.0, which reduces the deployment and configuration time of the copy.
• Complete support for 64- bit programs.
• Do not restart after the installation or removal of copy protection necessary.
• New graphical user interface that simplifies often incurred tasks.

Compatibility with Windows 7 and 8

Earlier versions of copy protection is not compatible with Windows 7, or 8. After a driver update StarForce copy protection from version 3.07.018 with Windows 7 compatibility. Support Windows 7 From version 4.5 is the copy with Windows 8 Windows8 kompatibel.Support

Evasion

Despite overall efforts of the cracker community, it is not yet possible to bypass the StarForce copy protection in a simple way, as is the case with other copy protection mechanisms. There are now by most protected by StarForce crack programs, but it took much longer until they were available. One of the top games of 2005, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, stayed more than 400 days ungeknackt, although many well-known cracker communities of the world had tried it. The methods that are used to circumvent the protection, at each program ( game ) are different, which means that still encounter considerable effort for each new protected by StarForce software. Meanwhile, the publication time of a crack for a protected with StarForce game is, however, only a few hours to days.

Another possibility is the StarForce copy protection easy to accept. Here, because the Original-CD/DVD is copied 1:1, the software can not be distinguished in the area, between the original and the copied disk. In this type of copying the appropriate burning program must be adapted to the copy protection and therefore compatible blanks are looking for, since the copy of the original perfectly the same, in order for StarForce not noticed the copy. The use of purely physical characteristics for identification of the original volume is the biggest hurdle.

In older versions of StarForce, the mechanism also could easily overturn by software- disabled all optical IDE drives, which could not be distinguished from real drives StarForce emulated SCSI drives programs such as Daemon Tools.