Starforce protection - hw changes HDD

[gerd]

Hallo,

 

The manual states that after certain amount of changes in the computer one needs to rectivacte the product - change of HDD is for 3 points. As I habe several HDDs, I would like to know which actions do have an impact on the score:

 

1) exchange of system HDD (the one with windows - consider cloning to SSD)

 

2) exchange of HDD with DCS installation (I keep it on separate drive for better speed - consider cloning this to 7200 rpm drive from this shitty WD Green)

 

3) addition/removal of another HDD with data (unrelated to windows or DSC - from time to time friends give me their hdd with raw video und I make clips for them)

 

3a) in case 3) impacts the score, does every addition / removal count, or if I keep using e.g. set of 3 HDDs from 3 friends, I will lose 3x3 points initially, but then as the HDDs are known to the system, no further points will be charged for subsequent swapping?

 

4) mounting virtual image of a HDD (sometimes my work requires me to mount an image of a production computer and get some data from it)

 

 

I understand 1) will probably charge the points, but what about the other cases?

[sobek]

Proactive creates the key in your registry so that you can only play DCS with your current set of harware. Any change in that hardware is registered.

[gerd]

That is most unfortunate.

 

I guess I will eventualy waste most of the points on 3) and 4), since 1) and 2) are only one-time operations.

 

On the other hand, after I deplete all the activations, I will still have one (recharging every month), right? 1 activation = 12 points = 4 HDD changes, that should be enough per month.

[sobek]

On the other hand, after I deplete all the activations, I will still have one (recharging every month), right?

 

Yes, if you are depleted, you get one back, but you remain capped at one. So if you don't use that one for an additional month, you don't go up to 2.

 

Edit: On second thought, i have on several occasions used virtual optical drives and had no problems with starforce, so i'm not sure whether this will be a problem. You should probably check with them to be sure.

Edited September 15, 2013 by sobek

[EtherealN]

I can't swear by it, but my own tests from modifying my computers is that changing the same variable multiple times is not additive; that is, if you change HDD, and then change HDD again, it still only counts as the one change. So for example, changing hardware through emulated hardware will count as one change on that scale, but when you change back (through disabling the emulation) you still have only made one change. Enable the emulated hardware again - still just one change.

 

I haven't gone methodically through those tests, but that is my experience.