Simple Question:
If all my CD drives are connected via an additional contoller card, (i.e. silicon 680 Raid), would I still have to unplug them? The raid controller ist listed as SCSI device in windows, although it uses a regular ATA-133 interface.

Thanks for info!

Eh
you'll have to be a bit clearer ,
unplug what, ide cable ,power cable

Anyway plug card into pci slot, connect cd drives to card
and EH: connect power leads to drives

I think that there is some method of getting past starforce copy guard that involves disconecting some of your drives for some reason (to lasy to go figure it out). I think what he is asking is how this would work if he is using a raid controler rather than onbord ide.

Well, lets clarify something about Starforce.

First, since 3.4.65.09 version of starforce engine, it have been turned into a very restrictive way.
To "prevent" (with so minor success) Starfucker tool to work, Starforce have tried to get control of internal windows OS routines, i say, IDE control, as example. Starfucker just deactivated some IDE drives to windows, and in consecuence, any good mini-image (complete images doesn't work with this tool) could be launched from virtual devices ( Daemon, Alcohol).
Prior to above version, this "trick" worked so fine ( for MOST users (not all)).
Then, Starforce have modified its drivers to avoid that, and in consecuence, tries to reset IDE bus prior to checking disc.
This have some important variants when launching mini-images or equivalent:

1.- If manual IDE unplugging happens ( to launch with Alcohol for example) (first known method) then Starforce will be near 2 minutes reseting bus to check if everything is OK. This way, any Alcohol image/mini-image will always last 2 minutes or more to be launched.
2.- The same happens by BIOS IDE deactivation
3.- Tha same happens when deactivating IDE channel in newest starfucker version ( starforce nightmare 1.01).

To prevent this, only starforce nightmare option to disable just ONE drive, will launch inmediatly.

Well, what can i say. Not a lot, just that with time, Starforce will be as incompatible as laserlock star were time ago ( there are very few titles with such protection cause compatibility). Starforce doesn't keep in mind compatibility, and just tries to prevent "external" launching by getting Windows control. This will have important consecuences in game specs, cause game box requirements will not be the real ones. Could be the case, a original game would be natively perfectly launched onto a windows XP SP2 system with newest PCI-E graphic card, but with SF present, such game will always refuse to be launched due copy-protection. Why?, well, cause native mode controllers for PCI-E. Starforce will not allow that to avoid mini-image launching. In a near future, everything should have the native controller mode to support the windows hardware logo, and what will happen then?...supose yourselves.
Till now, i always believed SF were a miniOS inside Windows. Now things have changed, and SF, when running, is the main OS, and windows just a program.
Unless starforce changes policy, will be forgotten in a very near future due incompatibilities, like laserlock star.

This is extensive to USB controllers ( CD/DVD writers connected by), RAID, SCSI, PCI-E, ATA, S-ATA and any other connecting "protocol" u could say.
Starforce is getting mad, and even with its actual policy, it is not getting success to avoid tools such Starforce nightmare (cause works like Starforce does).
Again, war between freak world, and copy-protection.

Many users will not be able to launch its original games cause copy protection, and a lot ones will permanently crash their systems just with Starforce execution.

Conclussion:

I do not recommend to use Starforce Nyghtmare, even with a deeper knowledge of what it makes (:-)), but i do not recommend too to buy a Starforce protected game. Starforce nightmare will work, will partially work, or will not work. Now everything is hardware/software-dependant.

If u still thinks u want to use a starforce protected game, then do it at ur own. It is dangerous.....

Morg @CdSTeam

It's funny the lengths some people will go to to try to prevent copying. Don't they realise that no mater what they do, someone will find a way arouind it (look at how much good sony arrcoss did). All it does is makes it harder on legitamate users even to the extent of pushing some to go to illegal copies (if the legal copy won't even work). I think I would rather download a hacked version of the game (it's not like they are hard to find) than spend my money on something that I knew in advance only had somewhat of a chance of working. It's not like the store is going to give me my money back if it doesn't work (if it's a computer game).