"Really old"

2004.

You really know how to make someone feel their age, you know.

Anyway, the PCgamingwiki suggests paying a visit to the Starforce website and following instructions there.

There are other methods, but to discuss them openly would put my four stars at risk.

As long as you own a game legally, "other methods" are fine to use - imho.
I once used "other methods", because a game that I had legally purchased used TAGES, and the TAGES-servers went down.
Using workarounds in that situation is no problem, as far as I am concerned.
Of course - to use "other methods", without owning a legal version of the game - that's something else, entirely.

But of course. But that's using them. Discussing them, eeeh, kinda risky.

I think calling a 15 years old video game "really old" is accurate since you can't seem to run them on the last 3 Windows versions...

Do you think a virtual XP console could run it? I don't think the starforce website will provide any help. I don't want to get a virus but I do own a copy lol

Why do you think so?

I don't own this game, but it seems that it uses a StarForce driver as DRM which doesn't work on Windows 8 and newer versions. The PCGamingWiki site points to the supprt page of Starforce where you can find the download links for two tools. One is for updating the driver, the other for removing it. The latter could solve your problem.

Quote from PVGaming Wiki:
If the game uses online activation remember to deactivate the license before removing the driver.

It doesn't work because the removal only works for versions after 5.5. My version is 3.xxx and I got this message: "
Unfortunately, this application uses very old protection version 3.04.063.003 and will not run under Windows 10 x64.

You can read about support of Windows 10 x64 here: http://www.star-force.com/support/users/

You should contact your product customer support service and ask them to make a patch, which will either update protection system version or remove protection at all.
Unfortunately, StarForce company can't build such a patch since we neither have legal authority to produce any patches nor original application files required for that.

Please, accept our apologies for the inconveniences."

and for the versions before 5.5 updating doesn't work:(

There is a removal tool for versions before V5.5:
http://www.star-force.com/support/drivers/
On the bottom on the page, last paragraph, is the download link.

Did you try this one?

Yes I tried it and there was no protection driver found to remove.

The removal tool doesn't remove the DRM from the game, it removes the drivers from your system. Windows is preventing those drivers being installed in the first place.

The only way around it is to use a copy without the DRM... and those don't officially exist.

Thats not completely true. In germany we had a game magazine which had a game in every edition. In 08/2006 of "Computer Bild Spiele" this game was Scrapland. The DVD and the game on it had no protection. I tested the game (not completely, start and some flying) one hour ago and it works fine on windows 10. If someone really wants a legal copy without StarForce this is the best idea, but I think its difficult to find a used copy. I also dont know which languages besides german are possible to install, but maybe you can use a starforce copy with the exe on the DVD. With some googleing you can also find the exe on the internet, but Im not linking anything here ;)

PS: When I tested the game I was really impressed how the game aged, especially when you know that it is from 2004. Its abolutely playable today.

(A picture of the DVD is attached)

Yeah, "Scrapland" is weird and nice but repetitive. It's an American McGee (Alice) game.
I own the retail version that has Starforce. The Starforce driver version is a problem on Win 7 x64 as well.
Also, my "Second Sight" retail version has the same problem.

Well, technically, it did run on Windows 7 x64 - I managed to run my retail copy on that. With some copy protections, you had to be a little bit creative in reactivating drivers that a windows security update disabled, but entirely possible. Windows 10, this doesn't work as the drivers never existed in the first place.

Regarding the other point, I'd say the virus risk is overstated - and given the age of the files in question, any decent antivirus should pick anything up. Up to you what you're comfortable doing though.

I'd agree with Darvond though - I don't see 2004 as really old - I still have a lot of fun with Unreal Tournament 2004, Civ IV and SimCity 4. Really old - that's pre-Wolfenstein 3D in my book.

Hmmmm, any chance GOG could get their hands on Scrapland?

I still have this game on discs from a retail box somewhere in my stacks and book-cases of games.

ie: Original Scrapland version:

I'm just running a test atmo using that German version that was on computerbild cover-disc ,works on WIN 10 and you can add a couple of English files into it from the English game version to make the menus Eng.

Best way i've found so far is to copy the English text into German.txt in the Language folder and maybe add the English.packed file.

Still testing to see if it's completely English.


I was thinking of trying to rename the "English.packed" file to "German.packed" .

Always worth trying the simple stuff first :)