OT- DVD drive trouble

Saber Cherry · #1 March 20th, 2006, 07:15 AM

Antiviruse programs cause all kinds of trouble with software, so I don't use them and haven't since 1997. But I've never heard of one causing trouble with hardware before, so I doubt it.

Starforce is an copy-protection virus that comes on games by some companies like Ubisoft. It hides in your computer and disables CD-copy software like Nero, and it stays when the game is uninstalled. It also interferes with the correct function of optical drives and sometimes damages them.

Wikipedia has an article on Starforce:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Starforce

and near the bottom, a link to a removal tool:

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

I don't know if it tells you "You had Starforce and we removed it" or what, since I've never used it, but I assume it works.

P.S. I doubt that Starforce is the problem, but you never know. Besides, it's not something you want on your computer anyway

Saber Cherry · #2 March 20th, 2006, 07:20 AM

Found it! This even has nice little screenshots.

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

Randallw · #3 March 20th, 2006, 08:17 AM

well I had like 3 different versions of Starforce

. Removed them all.

I downloaded and installed the nforce stuff. Still no luck

I can't use winflash. It wants a sys file, I assume IO.sys, and as I said as far as I know I don't have it. Is there another sys file I have to use?

I am grasping at straws here, and I apologise for not having any luck. I am mentioning things in case they matter.

my computer's HD is split into a C drive and a D:backup drive. There are is also a floppy drive (A) and the CD drive (E). IS it getting blocked by all the drives ie. no letters left or something. When I use the DVD playing software that came it seems to try to use my CD drive (E). I tried disabling the E drive but it made no difference.

Saber Cherry · #4 March 20th, 2006, 09:17 AM

Quote:

well I had like 3 different versions of Starforce . Removed them all.

Hahaha... wow... I can't say why that seems so funny to me. Starforce sure gets around; they're like STDs.

Quote:

my computer's HD is split into a C drive and a D:backup drive. There are is also a floppy drive (A) and the CD drive (E). IS it getting blocked by all the drives ie. no letters left or something. When I use the DVD playing software that came it seems to try to use my CD drive (E). I tried disabling the E drive but it made no difference.

No, you can have all 26 letters used for disk drives, maybe more. Sometimes the letters get changed when you add new hardware (e.g. I added a DVD burner and it stole E, bumping my CD burner to F) but don't worry about it.

Winflash: I just gave you the executable, as that is the only file in the directory; maybe the installer comes with the missing file.

You can get the installer here:

http://www.ecsusa.com/downloads/bios/winflash151.exe

Plus, it's a newer version, too; not that that matters.

Once you update the bios, now that you've installed the latest nVidia drivers, and now that Starforce is dead... if it doesn't work... take the drive back. Keep your fingers crossed, though.

Suicide Junkie · #5 March 20th, 2006, 12:19 PM

Odds are good that they were not actually removed, and are still festering.

I suggest backing up your files to another disk (if not a CD, another harddrive is good), then format & reinstall the OS.

Fyron · #6 March 20th, 2006, 12:28 PM

Quote:

Randallw said:
I can't use winflash. It wants a sys file, I assume IO.sys, and as I said as far as I know I don't have it. Is there another sys file I have to use?

You should. To my knowledge, there is no such thing as Windows without IO.sys (maybe Vista won't have it, who knows). Try showing hidden files in the folder options window (accessible from Tools menu of explorer). It should be right there on C:\. If not, do a search of the Windows (or Winnt) folder for it.

Of course, my C:\IO.sys on Win2k is 0 bytes, and I have a NTIO.sys in System32. Make sure you are reading instructions for XP.

Randallw · #7 March 20th, 2006, 10:25 PM

All I get is a message telling me "Winflash MFC application has encountered a problem and has to close". At least before it asked me for a sys file. Now I don't even get that prompt.

EDit: I guess I'll just have to take it in to be fixed up, or change it for an internal one that will work. As I said it works fine on my brother in laws laptop, which by the look of it is newer than mine.

Randallw · #8 March 21st, 2006, 04:29 AM

I'd like to know. Should the Nvidia stuff be sitting on C: drive or should it be installed somewhere under windows?

narf poit chez BOOM · #9 March 21st, 2006, 04:31 AM

The latest nvidia stuck itself on the c: drive on my comp, so probably yeah.

Renegade 13 · #10 March 21st, 2006, 04:42 AM

Quote:

Randallw said:
well I had like 3 different versions of Starforce

. Removed them all.

Note that none of the games that were protected by Starforce will function anymore, as long as the "protection" drivers are uninstalled.