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Thread ID: 61676	2005-09-13 01:52:00	Legal Spyware - Securom	pctek (84)	Press F1

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
387975	2005-09-13 01:52:00	Recently I installed a game demo. Great game - will buy it when its out. However after uninstalling it I discovered it had the latest Securom (not yet given a version number) on it. Rather excessive for a demo. Not only that, but it did not uninstall Securom either. It places several files in C:\Docs&settings/Username/Application Data. 2 of them are not removable. At all. It creates 2 other files in System32 - such as cmdline.dll. These recreate themselves if removed. It also creates a Registry Entry. This is not removable nor renamable. None of these files are normally shown. I questioned Securom about it and was told Not to worry about it, they are not harmful. That was not my question actually. Anything that installs itself )A without asking B)Hides itself C)Resists removal is in my opinion spyware - regradless of whether or not its harmful. I'll still buy the game but I'll block its reg installs and if it requires them to run, do what I did this time - reGhost my PC once I have finished and have uninstalled it. Nasty.	pctek (84)
387976	2005-09-13 01:54:00	Whats the game? Just to make sure I don't buy it or install the demo.......(it wasn't AOE3 was it?)	Metla (12)
387977	2005-09-13 02:05:00	Probably F.E.A.R. We did install Area51 demo too, but I'd say Fear going by the discussion about copy protections on their forum. Won't help avoiding it you know - I'd say there will be a LOT of games using it soon.	pctek (84)
387978	2005-09-13 02:13:00	Hmmm.....Quite happy to go without,and not give my cash to companies that spread rot. So far have managed to avoid all starforce games and still don't have enough time to play the games I have bought.	Metla (12)
387979	2005-09-13 08:45:00	Hah, success! Using my sons PC as guinea pig (well he already had the infection demo on it) I had another go. None of the remove on boot things work. GIPO reported that the file did not exist, haha. So - first I did a system restore to take care of the registry. Deleted the file I could remember out of system32. Then I booted off a DOS boot disk. Actual DOS. Theres 2 directories - Docs & Settings - !SUBMIT. Killed all of that. Docs&Settings - User - App Data - Securom - killed all of those too. A nice simple attrib on the lot and a deltree. DOS rules. Of course it helps if your main partition is Fat32 - haven't tried any of these NTFS DOS thingys. Are they actual DOS? Or just command line tools?	pctek (84)
387980	2005-09-13 08:58:00	Any chance you could try the same trial on an NTFS partition based install? and let us know how ya got on :) Metla.. as for those games you don't have time to try... flick em my way (on an appropriately [graphics card-wise] powered machine) and I will test all you want :D	Myth (110)
387981	2005-09-13 09:03:00	Any chance you could try the same trial on an NTFS partition based install? and let us know how ya got on :) Haha, you go ahead and get back to me. I don't have an NTFS partition...	pctek (84)
387982	2005-09-13 09:07:00	Haha, you go ahead and get back to me. I don't have an NTFS partition...Awww but that means I gotta boot back into Windows :( Besides, I don't have access to the game, whereas I know you have access to the game, and probably a spare harddrive :p	Myth (110)
387983	2005-09-13 09:24:00	Look like some tools here www.gameburnworld.com	netchicken (4843)
387984	2005-09-13 09:54:00	Look like some tools here . gameburnworld . com/cdprotectionutilities . htm" target="_blank">www . gameburnworld . com They're designed to hack the game . And they are all old ones . This is the new as yet not in common use Securom . The whole point is have a new method - I bet its going to require you to validate in some way online too - sort of Steam but not as in downloading - just an online check . It also defeats the excuse that "I just want to run the game without my CD in the drive" by having this stuff on your PC and running checks . IT checks old games too . And Tazz - all my drives are Fat32 . Anyway asked a friend - he's used NTFS DOS - dunno which one - he said its not quite as good but seems to work more or less - it can stuff your File Allocation table (does NTFS have a fat?) or NTFSs equivalent - but running windows again will launch chkdsk and fix it so no worries . I don't object to their new protection - just the way it behaves - I complained to them - not that they care really . The book 1984 was just 20 years early .	pctek (84)
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