i bouth the game X3 reunion today. however, when i put the dvd into my computer, it doesnt recognise that there is even a disc in my machine. I look it up on the net and see that this release of it was still starforced, and discover that when i installed X2 a while back, that i must have had starforce installed when i played that.

so i go into the hidden drivers, and low and behold starforce is there. so i remove it using the official removing tool, and nothing has changed. (though i assume that the removal was successful as there are no complaints from other people a la the sony rootkit scandal).

So I then think, mabye I just got a busted DVD. so i pop it into the new computer that we got for our network server (since it died, coincidentaly at the same time as the modem we use) and it goes to the installation menu without a fuss.

Then, it crosses my mind that my dvd-rom drive may not be compliant with australian law (I.E. it still enforces region codes when the ACCC ruled that dvd players must ignore region codes). I check, and it still features the ability to change codes (5 changes left), but i am not going to change it in case there was an australia specific patch that disables region lockout, but i doubt there is.

So, does anyone know of a website that will let me know if my player is still enforcing region lockout, and if it does how to disable it, or, if any other ideas come to your head.

Note: this is the only DVD that is giving me trouble, as the other game i bought today, which is a dual layer dvd, worked perfectly.

( http://www.consensus.com.au/ITWritersAwards/ITWarchive/ITWentries02/C1CaitlinFitzsimmons.htm ) : link to proove that we Australians have the consumor right to disable region lockout.

Region Codes are only relevant with video DVDs.

Other than that I can't help you.

See if you can use it via steam somehow. Maybe there's a code with which you can activate it.

Lucky Aussies.

Don't worry about that game.

It's totally sucksauce.

This is a good idea. Wikipedia says it's on Steam, if that's true then you can just activate it with the serial and download the game content. You can just throw your DVD out and keep the serial, as long as it's tied to your Steam account.

yeah, but there has to be an easier way than two weeks of constant downloading. (australia also has crappy internet speeds for the general public)

do you think i would be possible to install the game over the network? i.e. put the cd in the computer that works, and run the install through the network on my computer.

No, because then all the install information is on the wrong computer.

it also tells me that the product code is invalid. (as in, not already taken, but not actualy a valid code).

I think this is because the steam release is a different version to the store release.

Yeah, Steam's didn't have StarForce.

also, the recent patch for X3 also removes starforce from the store version, that is why they say to install the patch before playing it if you are installing it fresh.