Intersting thread on the Ubisoft website with the companies (ubisoft) official view on Starforce and it's use.
Things like how it can gradually decay XP's use of DMA forcing you to use PIO and subsequently disable SATA/Burners or other SCSI like devices, or how it can give Admin access to non Admin priviledged user account

Some very good responses if you ask me (hence my use of their sig)
The thread went on for 9 pages with some really well written (IMHO) responses on why this software is just nasty by what appear to be some fairly informed people.

That said, the thread was eventually locked by Ubisoft citing they had all they needed as feedback

Lemme guess - digg'd or /.ed?

Watch it hermitech, they might sue you.

Lemme guess - digg'd or /.ed?

No actually, I very rarely read those unless one of the mates points me to a specific link.
Was talking about it after I showed the other admin here at work a demo of Rainbow Six: Lockdown (which I was looking forward to) and he mentioned it had Starforce and I was crestfallen! Ventured on over to the Ubisoft forums and found it that way

Didn't starforce challenge people to prove starforce has short or longterm damaging effects on a computer with a decent pool of prize cash? Pretty sure nothing happened with that.

It's still ugly though, I've been boycotting it from the start.

Yeah great challenge that, go to Russia on your own dime, then set your pc up in their labs and reproduce the error. If your pc breaks, then they give you some money.

I dont know about you but if my computer broke i would spend money on a new computer, not tickets to russia... well id still have to buy a new pc (or replace the broken part) of the same configuration as my old one so i could prove it would break.

last edited by Bah at 17:12:46 01/Feb/06

Yeah great challenge that, go to Russia on your own dime, then set your pc up in their labs and reproduce the error. If your pc breaks, then they give you some money.

More than enough to cover the trip to Russia.

I would've thought communities like boycott-starforce would've been more than game for that challenge, though there's nothing to say there couldn't have been a NDA to be signed before any cash was handed over.

More than enough to cover the trip to Russia.

Barely, and it assumes starforce wont just go "nah sorry your pc was just crap, not our fault"

I found it on this system but none of the games listed are installed.

I found it on this system but none of the games listed are installed.

Starforce hangs around indefinitely & independantly of your game installs.

I've been lead to believe that the offer was for a measly $1,000 unless the post I read missed a "0"

Edit: It was $1000 now it's $10,000

We want to end these rumors and so StarForce is raising the prize money from $1000 to $10 000. We are waiting for your applications!

"Prove it!" and receive $10 000 from StarForce!

/me puts on tinfoil hat
Sif you'd go claim cash from a software company in a country rife with organised crime and out of work KGB personal

last edited by HERMITech at 17:38:34 01/Feb/06

How the f*** can anyone meet those conditions?

The terms of the contest

1. StarForce offers you to participate in contest among users of StarForce protected applications in accordance with these terms (hereinafter – Terms).

2. At your own expense you arrive to StarForce headquarter which is placed in Russia, Moscow, Altufievskoe shosse, 5/2. Please arrange your visit with us beforehand and during working hours 10 AM to 6PM Monday through Friday Moscow time.

3. Using your PC (the subject PC’s hardware must be under warranty terms) or any StarForce office PC you demonstrate that:
- All the drives in the system are properly functioning prior to the installation of a StarForce protected product of your choice. A legal version of operational system must be installed and there must be no other third company products installed. StarForce experts have full access to the subject PC for verification of installed software.
- After the installation and start-up of StarForce protected product (the product itself must not be hazardous for optical drives) the CD or DVD drive in the subject PC is not reading CD/DVD discs or the drive is not writing CD/DVD discs.
- After this demonstration the subject Drive must be removed from the subject PC and installed into any other computer that has no StarForce protected products or drivers installed, that has a legal version of operational system and has no third company products installed. StarForce experts have full access to the subject PC for verification of installed software.

Should the subject Drive fail to read or write CD/DVD discs in the second PC, you will be acknowledged the Winner.

4. If you are acknowledged as the Winner StarForce shall compensate your travel expenses (air fare round trip to Moscow economy class, pay your two days lodging (three star hotel of your choice) in Moscow and pay 1000 USD as prize.
Your full name will be mentioned on www.star-force.com as the Winner of the Contest.

5. If you fail to reproduce the mentioned above terms, you will be acknowledged the loser and StarForce will mention your full name on www.star-force.com in the list of Losers of the Contest and any expenses shall not be compensated.

6. All disputes arising in connection of this contest will be resolved in accordance with legislation of EU.

7. Sending of application for participation in the contest confirms that you agree with these Terms.

StarForce Inc

- After the installation and start-up of StarForce protected product

How can someone successfully run said product if they aren't allowed to install their graphics card or motherboard drivers?

No actually, I very rarely read those unless one of the mates points me to a specific link.

Clearly what I meant wasn't understood: it appeared to be getting hammered with traffic and was unreachable for about half an hour when I tried.

there must be no other third company products installed

ROFL

Does that mean you cant have anything else on your machine besides the original install of Windows and Starforce?

If that's true then they are definately hiding something.

Sounds just like normal PC operating procedures to me!

Is there any software out there that hunts down and removes starforce for you?

Is there any software out there that hunts down and removes starforce for you?

Google + "Starforce Removal" = Starforce removal tool (very first search result)

I'm not trying to be a smart-arse, but seriously ...

last edited by parabol at 15:00:14 02/Feb/06

I'm not trying to be a smart-arse, but seriously ...

Not only that, but the removal tool is available in Hermitech's original post

thankfully I've never run into any problems with StarForce protection, but I still reckon it verges on malware.

you can google search any old piece of s***. I was wondering if there was anything you guys recommended. meh