Starforce and Chaos Theory
 

Hello, I have a question about how Starforce works. I have a legal copy of Splinter Cell 3: Chaos Theory. I installed it on my computer, and have been playing it. I also want to install it on my girlfriend's computer so I can play it when I am over at her house, but her computer will not take the install. I know that the protection scheme makes it virtually impossible to crack the disks, but is there something in it that prevents the protected disk from being installed on more than one computer?

Thanks

Moving to OS and Software.

Unless the protection scheme is based on magic, you should be able to install it anywhere you want to.

Yes, what's preventing it from being installed, exactly? System requirements?

Chaos Theory apparently has some really tight security in place.
All I can suggest is create .ISO's from the disks, get Daemon, mount the ISO's from there, get Starforce Nightmare and click 'Disable CD' - it'll force the program to run from the virtual drive.

Try and install from Daemon first, I only use Starforce Nightmare when you first try to load the program and get a 'Insert the correct disk error' or something to that effect.

Either that or google away until someone comes up with a solution.

THe computer meets the requirements - the program does install but then will not accept the serial - it says it is invalid.

ya it wont work...so u have to use an iso of it mounted in Daemon Tools 4 and also u need to unplug ur ide bables of ROM (but in some motherboards unplugging in not necessary...like my MSi one)

Does it do a check by connecting to some server during installation? Otherwise it wouldn't make sense to not accept the serial if that's the one you got when you purchased it.

It makes perfect sense: this happens in 90% of the games I own that use Starforce. Sucks, doesn't it?

The only solution I've ever found to this issue is a reformat, which, in most cases, isn't an option. (Even after a reformat, Starforce occasionally thinks that I'm an OMG PIRAT.)

THat is what I thought was the problem - the game does not specify an internet connection in the requirments, and my firewall is good at alerting me when new programs try to access the internet. Still I thought maybe they made a sneaky entry to an online db that associated the my mdac with the game serial, or something. But in all my reading about Starforce (and there isn't much out there), the security scheme it implements seems to revolve around the properties of the actual manufacturing of the disk.

THe one weird thing I learned, and this might help you Snowknight, when you install a game that uses Starforce, a device driver is installed on your computer and does not uninstall when you remove the game. You need to get a special tool to remove it. Maybe removing that device would obivate the need to reformat.

I am perplexed. If I have any breakthroughs I will post them.

yeah there is a tool to uninstall those drivers..i think Starforce remove its called.

here's the link for the removal tool

http://www.onlinesecurity-on.com/protect.phtml?c=55