This article's lead section may not adequately summarize its contents. Please consider expanding the lead to provide an accessible overview of the article's key points. (September 2009)

StarForce is a software copy protection mechanism developed by Protection Technology, which claims that products protected with StarForce are difficult to reverse engineer.^[1]

Product families [link]

Currently known official versions of StarForce include:

StarForce Pro 3 (developed in 2002)

Requires a "disk key" to be entered when the software is installed. This key is the same for all copies of the game, as it encodes the nature of the protection scheme as present on the master; this disk key is different from – and thus should not be mistaken with – the serial number which games traditionally use for online gameplay. An option to store the key on the product disk was added in later revisions.^[2]

StarForce 3.5 (developed in 2005)

Added support for 64-bit systems.^[3] StarForce-protected software that works on 64-bit Windows can be identified by the presence of a .x64 file in the software's install directory. Earlier versions would reboot the system or simply refuse to run the application on such systems.

StarForce FrontLine 4.0 (developed in 2006)

Fully supports 64-bit applications.

Fully supports Windows Vista 32/64 bit.

The first version of StarForce to pass WHQL Testing and be "Certified for Microsoft Windows Vista".

StarForce FrontLine 4.7^[4] (developed in 2006)

Seems it is just an evolution of 4.0. No additional information available.

StarForce Frontline 5.0 ^[5] (developed in 2007)

Provides a user interface for driver removal

Allows for the deactivation and reactivation of online-authenticated applications

StarForce FrontLine ProActive (developed in 2004, updated in 2009) ^[6]

Provides DRM + Protection solution for web distributed games and applications. Disc binding replaced by web activation. Doesn't utilize drivers or other low level modules.

Current version - StarForce FrontLine 5.7 (developed in 2009).

Includes web activation suite and disc check suite.^[7]

Protection Technology provides a driver update tool,^[8] but it does not widen compatibility for StarForce-protected games. For example, to add 64-bit support to a game built before StarForce supported it, a developer would be required to create patches specific to their product(s). Now driver update web-tool comes together with every application protected by StarForce.^[9]

Protection levels [link]

There are two confirmed "tiers" of StarForce protection:^{[citation needed]}

Basic

"[Allows] to protect the executable Windows file of the application and provide control of creation and distribution of licenses during the product’s lifetime."

Pro

"[Ensures] reliable protection of original data and code as well as control over creation and distribution of licenses during full life cycle of software products."

Some of the games known to use the Pro level of protection are Bet on Soldier, Pro Cycling Manager, Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory, TOCA Race Driver, Trackmania Sunrise, and ÜberSoldier.^[10]

Security [link]

When StarForce 3.0 was released, it initially provided extremely strong protection - the StarForce 3.0-protected game Splinter Cell: Chaos Theory was uncracked for 424 days.^[11][12] It also marked a significant step up in the effort required to reverse engineer it.^[13]

In March 2006 the warez group RELOADED released a vast array of documentation about how StarForce 3 works. Alongside many technical details, it revealed how several resource-intensive procedures were implemented, such as virtual file system and functions protected within a complex virtual machine.^[14][15]

Driver installation [link]

StarForce 3.0 has received criticism for installing its own device driver onto computers along with the protected product,^[16] which is generally not uninstalled along with the software^{[citation needed]} (Peter Jackson's King Kong being one exception). Colin McRae: DIRT, however, both asks the player for permission to install the drivers and includes a help file with information on how to remove them. Though a removal utility can be downloaded, StarForce has yet to be advertised or provided to users anywhere within protected games.^{[citation needed]}

Lite/driverless [link]

StarForce 3.0 drivers are installed with certain older game demos, freeware and downloadable games, like TrackMania Nations. Their presence is intended to prevent crackers from using demo executables to help break retail executables (as the two will usually be quite similar), and can also help to prevent online cheating.^{[citation needed]} In response to criticism over this, Protection Technologies began offering a Lite version of StarForce which, instead of installing device drivers, asks for the original CD every three days. The lite version is also used in some StarForce-protected demos and downloadable games, minus the requests for discs or any connection requirement.

Clients [link]

CDV, Ubisoft, Digital Jesters (now defunct), JoWood Productions, Egosoft, Codemasters, Eagle Dynamics, Midway Games, and Bohemia Interactive Studio have used StarForce 3.0 on some of their products.

However, following a campaign against the product in 2006 (see below) Ubisoft and JoWooD announced that the North American version of their games would no longer use StarForce, citing "problems with StarForce's software".^[17] CDV also announced that they were dropping StarForce for all future games in May 2006 in favor of the TAGES copy prevention system, citing customer complaints.^[18]

Now among StarForce client there are such publishers like (according to StarForce website ^[19]): 1C Publishing, Nival Interactive (now Nival Network), Mail.ru, Akella, Buka Entertainment, Game Factory Interactive, ND Games, Eagle Dynamics, Katauri Interactive, Cenega Publishing, GSC World Publishing, Russobit-M.

Community response [link]

Some gamers have advocated boycotts of games or publishers known to use StarForce.^[20] These gamers claim that StarForce software causes system instability and crashes, and that Protection Technology refuses to address the damage their software causes. In 2006, a $5 million lawsuit was filed against Ubisoft for using StarForce in their games on the allegations that StarForce compromises PC security,^[21] slows down PCs, causes crashes and even damages optical drives.^[22] However, the case was dropped two years later due to lack of evidence.^[22]

Ubisoft decided to investigate the extent of the StarForce boycott and ran a poll on their forums, the outcome of which was against the use of StarForce.^[23] As a result (along with general discontent on the web^[24][25]), in Heroes of Might and Magic V and GTR2, StarForce 3.0 was replaced by SecuROM.

Removal of StarForce drivers [link]

Uninstalling a StarForce-protected game does not remove the StarForce driver from the system. The StarForce SDK provides functions for implementors to remove the driver during uninstall of the game, but is not automatically carried out. An official utility program exists to remove the StarForce driver from the system.^[26] The program is hosted at a third-party website with a link on the official StarForce website.^[27] Instructions for manual removal have also been provided by the community.^[28]

Starting from StarForce 4.0 it includes a removal service. This service automatically uninstalls StarForce drivers after StarForce protected product is uninstalled. After the drivers are uninstalled, the service uninstalls itself as well.

Controversy [link]

On January 1, 2006, Boing Boing claimed that StarForce was malware, mentioning several problems claimed to be associated with the protection system, including disk drive performance degradation and weakening of operating system security and stability,^[29] despite the lack of any evidence that it does anything harmful.^[22]

See also [link]

• SecuROM
• SafeDisc
• CD-Cops
• Extended Copy Protection ("XCP")

References [link]

External links [link]

• Official site
• StarForce Drivers Removal Tool Location
• Tweakguide's analysis of the StarForce controversy