StarForce can't be installed on Windows 10. The support for security compromising optical disk DRMs (SecuROM, SafeDisk, StarForce) was also removed from Windows Vista/7 with update 6 years ago, but can be reverted. Use CD crack or Windows XP environment.

so will the installation not even work? or will it install and just not run - windows 10 wont even let the startforce drivers install is that correct? so if thats in the install process it wont happen?

Agathosdaimon wrote on 2021-04-27, 05:37:

so will the installation not even work? or will it install and just not run - windows 10 wont even let the startforce drivers install is that correct? so if thats in the install process it wont happen?

I believe the installation will work but StarForce drivers won't work. You will need a crack thus

Some StarForce versions can work on Win10. It depends on which StarForce version was used with this game. More information:
https://www.star-force.com/support/users/windows10/

But if you install a wrong driver version, and restart, your PC may fail to boot, because Windows will refuse to load the boot-start StarForce driver which was not signed for that OS version.
So it's always safer to not install any StarForce drivers, and just get a no-CD crack.

The Serpent Rider wrote on 2021-04-27, 05:27:

The support for security compromising optical disk DRMs (SecuROM, SafeDisk, StarForce) was also removed from Windows Vista/7 with update 6 years ago, but can be reverted.

This is not strictly true. The only thing that was actually removed is SafeDisc (secdrv.sys). I understand that certain SecuROM versions also fail to work with Win10, but it's hard to find correct documentation on it. The few games that I have which use SecuROM (GTA Classics Collection comes to mind) worked with no issues and no patches on my Win10 system.

i know i would need a no-cd crack, but the install starforce part is not really optional is it? it will install/try to install in the installation process for the game - at least that is what i recall happening with some other games

It depends on how the installer was written. In any case, I believe Windows should warn you before it will let you install an unsigned driver.

To be safe, you should run the SFREMOVE utilities from the link above, after installing the game. Based on the age of the game, I assume its StarForce version is too old to work on Win10, even if you update the driver.

well funnily enough i was just looking up the game to see if there is a crack and there doesnt look to be a crack for it - nothing from the usual sites, so i might be screwed.

however i can i suppose just get a ps2 version of the game and play it in pcsx2 - so annoying that one actually has an easier time playing ps1 and ps2 versions of games on windows than the actual game that was made for windows - i got F1racing for ps1 and just was able to make a cd image of it on my pc and play it with the ps emulator Ducktstation the other day,

Agathosdaimon wrote on 2021-04-27, 08:59:

however i can i suppose just get a ps2 version of the game and play it in pcsx2 - so annoying that one actually has an easier time playing ps1 and ps2 versions of games on windows than the actual game that was made for windows

Well, the consoles backwards compatibility is limited as well. It seems, for instance that PS5 is only backwards-compatible with PS4 titles, nothing older...

well i am only interested in the ps1 and ps2 titles and the fact that i can play these perfectly on my PC is a great alternative for when the windows versions are not playable

That's not 100% true, SecuROM DRM works fine on Windows 7/8/10, the DRM is on the CD/DVD itself, no driver is installed into the system.

I have some SecuROM 4/5/7 protected retail games and they run fine on Windows 10 without the use of a no-cd (The Wheelman, Stranglehold, Silent Hill 3/4, Boiling Point, Outrun 2006 C2C, Saw, Reservoir Dogs, NOLF 2, etc.)

Safedisc and Starforce on the other hand, yeah, they install a driver that fails to load with Windows.

The Serpent Rider wrote on 2021-04-27, 05:27:

StarForce can't be installed on Windows 10. The support for security compromising optical disk DRMs (SecuROM, SafeDisk, StarForce) was also removed from Windows Vista/7 with update 6 years ago, but can be reverted. Use CD crack or Windows XP environment.