SiliconImage VIA SiS chipsets and WPCREDIT tool vs StarForce

[Cuddles]

There are efficient methods to defeat StarForce on systems with SiliconImage, VIA or SiS controller. The main idea is to reprogram controller to report false vendor id, device id and other parameters. Personally I have VIA chipset mainboard and this method allows me to run all StarForce protected games without unplugging CD drive or switching it off in device manager. All I have to do is to run WPCREDIT and edit one number (or use WPCRSET to automate this process during each system startup). Here are the articles (they are in Russian so you have to use some online translator):
SiliconImage vs StarForce
VIA vs StarForce
SiS vs StarForce

[IcarusV2X]

Cuddles perhaps you can put it in a better perspective on how you do it cuz so far by reading all that russian text I got the impression that it's a very good method to avoid actually opening the chasis. If you can please put into detail what you do I'd appreciate it.

[FnF]

I tried to translate it with Wordlingo, but I don't really understand how it works. Maybe its due to the massive russian words in it, so is it possible for you to make a detailed English guide for this?

[Cuddles]

I am not interrested in translating all these articles but here is what I do to get rid of that "Insert disc into another drive" message. I have a VIA KT266A chipset mainboard, but I think it will be the same for other VIA chipsets.

1. Run WPCREDIT, press Ctrl+D to select device, choose IDE Controller. You will see something like this:

http://images.people.overclockers.ru/62040.png

2. Registers 02, 03 (red frame) hold device id (look at the "Device ID" label at the top of the window). StarForce uses this id to find out if it can communicate with device directly, bypassing Windows drivers.
3. Registers D2, D3 (second red frame) are called device id backdoor registers. They are used to change contents of registers 02 and 03 (device id). Now all you need to do is to change this number using Edit button. For example, I have device id 0571 and I change it into 0572.

The good thing here is Windows does not react to device id change. It looks like the only affected program is StarForce protection.
If you want to change registers at every boot you can use WPCRSET.
The method is the same for SiS and SI controllers but it uses different registers of course.

[IcarusV2X]

Thx alot, I will try it later, I have a nforce 2 mobo and it detects the drives and I have a really really strict no-opening-the-chasis-ever-ever-ever-ever ... ever or loose waranty. :-D

[Cuddles]

Don't try it on nforce2 - it won't work. This method is intended for SiliconImage, VIA and SiS controllers only.

[IcarusV2X]

Dammit. Well guess there's no other way than to wait for IDEblocker, if it's gonna come like DT4.0 came then guess I'll have to find a way to bypass SF5.9 by the time it's out.

[canTsTop]

I am not interrested in translating all these articles but here is what I do to get rid of that "Insert disc into another drive" message. I have a VIA KT266A chipset mainboard, but I think it will be the same for other VIA chipsets.

1. Run WPCREDIT, press Ctrl+D to select device, choose IDE Controller. You will see something like this:

http://images.people.overclockers.ru/62040.png

2. Registers 02, 03 (red frame) hold device id (look at the "Device ID" label at the top of the window). StarForce uses this id to find out if it can communicate with device directly, bypassing Windows drivers.
3. Registers D2, D3 (second red frame) are called device id backdoor registers. They are used to change contents of registers 02 and 03 (device id). Now all you need to do is to change this number using Edit button. For example, I have device id 0571 and I change it into 0572.

The good thing here is Windows does not react to device id change. It looks like the only affected program is StarForce protection.
If you want to change registers at every boot you can use WPCRSET.
The method is the same for SiS and SI controllers but it uses different registers of course.

thank you, it works for me with prince of persia 3

[TOJA]

Sorry for that stupid question but how it works for you - you mount your pop3 image and thats it? Should i let starforce to install itself? it aint working for me - ive changed device id using wpcredit but starforce still saying that serial number that i entered is wrong ( that it doesnt correspond with cd in my drive )
i have via based motherboard ( kt400a).

[AnalCobra]

Sorry for that stupid question but how it works for you - you mount your pop3 image and thats it? Should i let starforce to install itself? it aint working for me - ive changed device id using wpcredit but starforce still saying that serial number that i entered is wrong ( that it doesnt correspond with cd in my drive )
i have via based motherboard ( kt400a).

How did you create your image (which program/settings)?

[TOJA]

til this day i didnt think tahat its important how i create images... Anyway - in case of pop3 ive used Alcohol ( i dont remember which version but sure it wasnt newest) with default settings - speed 24 or 32 i think - it was long time ago. yes ive read on this forum about how good dpm influence on image quality... should i create one more image?

[AnalCobra]

Create a new image using the latest Alcohol (www.alcohol-software.com).
Start the image making wizard and enable the Data Position Measurement (DPM) option using high precision. Alcohol will ask your for choosing the read speed of the DPM, choose a slow one like 1x, or 2x,4x if 1x isn't working.

[FordPrefect]

Here ( pcidevs.txt ) you can find a huge list with vendor ids and so on.
Don't know if it's needed, I have no Starforce protected games to test, but I don't think you can change your ID to anything. Or doesnt' it matter to what it is changed as long as Starforce "thinks" it can't communicate directly?

Can someone of the admins / developers here - or anyone else who knows it - tell me if this workaround can easily be avoided with an update to Starforce?

[Terramex]

The question is rather whether it can be changed at all than what is changed.

Can someone of the admins / developers here - or anyone else who knows it - tell me if this workaround can easily be avoided with an update to Starforce?

This already happened (at least for SiI 0680) with SF 3.7.16 and the PRO version of 3.7.13.01 used in City Life (german version)

[hobophobic]

Thank you, thank you, thank you!

I got X3 working using this method. My chipset is a Via K8T800 Pro. Haven't tried any other games yet...