Helpful links

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 11:09 pm

Got a couple for you today. This first one shows you how to find and remove unused device drivers. Previously, the only way I knew to do this was to boot in safe mode. And the (Windows + Pause/break) shortcut is handy, too.

http://techrepublic.com.com/5100-10877_ ... ag=nl.e101

The second is not so nice. It's about a copy protection method (like Safedisc) that acts more like the Sony rootkit. It definitely makes your computer less secure, and can cause performance problems by throttling back your IDE throughput. It's called Starforce, and it's in a number of games such as X2, X3, Bet on Soldier, and Freedom Force vs. the Third Reich. There's a list of Starforce-protected games and lots of info about it here:

http://www.glop.org/starforce/

TimberWolf · Post by **TimberWolf** » Wed Feb 01, 2006 11:26 pm

Gambit, are you trying to scare me from my X-univers games by showing me the crap Starforce info?

I wonder what happens if you set the Starforce drivers to start up on demand instead of when the computer boots up. I have two versions of Starforce on my computer, one from X2 and the other from X3, and they are both running at the same time.

Will look at the other link tomarrow, need to get ready for bed.

XMEN Ashaman DTM · Post by **XMEN Ashaman DTM** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 2:21 am

Funny... I have X2 installed and no record of any starforce software.

Win2kPro. All the latest updates. Even the latest updates to X2.

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Thu Feb 02, 2006 7:44 pm

Not all versions of X2 have the pesky thing. Maybe just the European, I'm not sure. There's some discussion of it on the forum there, but I didn't have time to read closely.

TimberWolf · Post by **TimberWolf** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 10:56 am

Gambit, how easy do you scare?

Try loading up X3 without the CD in the tray. An Starforce error sceen will appear with three options. Choose the middle one that says Information. Let Starforce do its thing and it will give you an option to view the report and give you an Error ID Number to use when contacting customer service. Look at the report and see how deep Starforce goes into your system.

Post by **XMEN Gambit** » Sat Feb 04, 2006 4:27 pm

I don't have X3.

For X2 I have a no-cd hack, which hopefully nukes the starforce req. if there was one. Lemme check... Yup, ran X2 fine, no Starforce. I think the only thing I've got that installs it is Freedom Force vs 3rd Reich.

Any program running on your system has access to a lot of information via standard windows calls. I don't know exactly what you're seeing, but I try not to let things "phone home" any more than necessary.

TimberWolf · Post by **TimberWolf** » Tue Feb 07, 2006 12:33 am

OK, I ran the Starforce remover and then ran both X2 and X3. Only the latest and greatest Starforce was reinstalled when I try to run X3. X2 no longer requires it. So I don't feel so bad now because I haven't heard many people complaining about the newer versions of Starforce.

The file it produces for the report gave almost every tid-bit of information about my computer just short of what CD was in my drives at the time.