BioShock Demo Installs SecuROM Service
2K Games recently issued at statement addressing the DRM protection and widescreen problems for the BioShock PC game. In the statement 2K reveals a change in number of activations available with each copy of BioShock. Consumers are now allowed to activate their copy of BioShock a total of five times via the SecuROM network. Problems have already surfaced on the third-party severs preventing users from activating their copy of the game.
What 2K has failed to address is the the SecuROM service installed on your computer when installing BioShock, which is also included in the demo.
Microsoft offers a utility called RootkitRevealer located: here. The program will scan your system for rootkits. Once you scan your system, the program will reveal the SecuROM service with this message:
…\Software\SecuROM\!CAUTION! NEVER DELETE OR CHANGE ANY KEY*
This is due to the * character at the end, causing the “Key Name Contains Embedded Nuls” message. Unfortunately, you may have to follow this lengthly procedure posted by a 2K forum member to remove the service installed by SecuROM (Thanks Wingsong):
Download RegDelNull here and place in C:
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/sys…egDelNull.mspxDownload MoveOnBoot from here:
http://www.snapfiles.com/get/moveonboot.htmlRegedit (or more specifically..Securom) will not allow deleting of Securom Registry keys, hence the need for Regnull.
From command prompt (assuming RegDelNull is in root of C, type/paste
C:\regdelnull HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-2052111302-1757981266-725345543-500
\Software\SecuROM -s(Im assuming this key is the same for all users..you can check yourself using Regedit)
When asked to delete..choose YesDo the same with this Key from command prompt (Start..Run):
C:\regdelnull HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\SecuROM -sNow run MoveOnBoot and navigate to the “hidden” securom folder in:
Docs and Settings\Admin\AppData\Securom
I chose 3 files for removal upon reboot. After I rebooted, Securom
wasnt in registry or Docs & settings folder.Delete UAService7.exe from your windows/system32 folder.
The demo doesn’t require activation to play, so why is the SecuROM service included? This will most likely prompt another response from 2K Games to calm this ensuing anger from consumers on yet another problem despite the high ratings of the game.
Additional Information:
The SecuROM website defines its service, which might clarify what is being installed and how to remove it in a more simple manner:
SecuROM™ will install a Windows™ service module called “User Access Service” (UAService) on your system. This is a standard interface commonly used by several other applications as well. It is no spyware or rootkit at all. This module has been developed to enable users without Windows™ administrator rights the ability to access all SecuROM™ features. Please be assured that this service is installed only for security and convenience purposes. Since it is a standard Windows™ service, you can stop and delete this service, like any other Windows™ service. If deleted, the access for non-administrator users to SecuROM™ protected applications will be affected.
*REFERENCES TO ROOTKIT HAVE BEEN REMOVED, FURTHER INVESTIGATION HAS REVEALED A MISUNDERSTANDING IN THE SECUROM SERVICE
Refer here for alternative directions: SecuROM Removal
August 23, 2007 at 11:37 pm | Shooters, Software |
August 24th, 2007 at 1:58 am
Thanks for posting this. Installed the demo but I didn’t seem to get the securom rootkit - whew. Confirmed this with rootkit revealer.
August 24th, 2007 at 2:40 am
You really need to go learn what a rootkit is amd what it actually does, you’re spreading more FUD than microsoft!
The reason that the RR tool warns you is because of the * in the entry, it even tells you that if you bother to read it…
Microsoft offers a utility called RootkitRevealer located: here. The program will scan your system for rootkits. Once you scan your system, the program will reveal the SecuROM rootkit with this message:
…\Software\SecuROM\!CAUTION! NEVER DELETE OR CHANGE ANY KEY*
This is due to the * character at the end, causing the “Key Name Contains Embedded Nulls” message.
What part of that was unclear? Because there’s an * it’s a rootkit? Ya, Smooth, Nice fud.
August 24th, 2007 at 2:46 am
I am the one who wrote “This is due to the * character at the end,” so I am clearly aware of why RR thinks it is a rootkit. I don’t care if it is one or not. My point of this article is that the SecuROM service doesn’t need to be included in the demo if we don’t have to activate it.
August 24th, 2007 at 11:16 am
So wait, you just admitted that you willingly lied and put up a headline that you KNEW to be false/misleading solely for the sake of page hits/site ratings?
If you’re willing to resort to such things, why should I or anyone else trust a single word you say?
August 24th, 2007 at 11:33 am
I am simply stating what is being said across the internet in several forums. Run the RootkitRevealer program, and the SecuROM service shows up. It’s about letting people know what is being installed with the demo, unsuspectingly.
Rootkit Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rootkit
I will let the readers decide for themselves if this is a true rootkit. If 2K clarifies the situations I will publish that as well.
August 24th, 2007 at 9:00 pm
Alright, before slashdot trashes the article, let me clarify the use of “rootkit”. When I read about this on a forum, the general term was used to describe the SecuROM service.
I installed RootkitRevealer, and discovered it on my computer after installing the demo. I then found a fix to remove it on the 2K forums. In order for others to learn about this I used the word “rootkit”, because it is what would naturally be typed in to search engines.
The point of the article is to let people know that the SecuROM service was installed with the demo,and I have provided a way to remove it. This is a benefit for anyone who searches for “bioshock rootkit” or “SecuROM rootkit”. I am not using it just for “traffic and ad revenue”.
August 24th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
And this is exactly why bloggers will never be treated as journalists. Because at the core of it, there isn’t the same need for integrity in the profession, and as a result, the same trust can not be given to them.
August 24th, 2007 at 9:19 pm
It always amazes how blog postings like these attract kooks and weirdos who seem to want to criticize the OP just for the sake of criticizing.
But more to the point, didn’t we already go down this road with Sony’s DRM rootkit on their audio CDs? How many millions of dollars did that end up costing them? Keeping in mind that SecuROM is courtesy of Sony’s DADC group, you’d think they’d learn after that last debacle.
Bottom line, Bob, you called this one spot on, and anyone who says otherwise needs to have their IP checked to make sure they aren’t posting from Sony or 2K.
August 24th, 2007 at 9:41 pm
Purposefully installing a bad key is more like a Denial of Service. There is no reason to install a bad key. It did not need to be installed.
2k says the service will be used by “several applications”. Is that enough to justify it ?
What was wrong with developing a security system that worked in user mode without the need for any service.
I also don’t like software that will be activated only 5 times.
You might trial Vista. You might have a hard drive crash, you might buy a new computer. Easy to get to 5 in a few months.
August 24th, 2007 at 9:51 pm
[...] game and shelve it for a couple of months. Why? Because the SecuROM copy protection Bioshock uses exhibits rootkit-like behavior. Sound familiar? It’s exactly the same sort of thing we saw about two years ago, when Sony [...]
August 24th, 2007 at 10:03 pm
I installed the Bioshock demo through Steam on a Vista machine, but confirmed with Rootkit Revealer that no rootkit was installed on my system.
August 24th, 2007 at 10:11 pm
To say that this is the reason bloggers will never be accepted as journalists is total crap. The same or worse happens/has happened with journalists at outfits such as NY and LA Times.
August 24th, 2007 at 10:13 pm
Complaints of the content and quality of this article aside, the fact is that BioShock secretly installs a program that establishes a connection to a server without your permission or (until the news broke) your knowledge; with that in mind, let me ask everyone this:
What part of this is in any way acceptable?
It’s inevitable that this protection will be defeated - like every other copy protection scheme out there - and pirated copies will become readily available; unless SecuROM disables the protection once this happens, the only people who will continue to be punished are the legitimate customers.
In the end this tactic of treating the customer like a thief won’t help or harm sales; a majority of people who planned on pirating this game still won’t pay for it, a majority of people who planned on buying the game will still buy it, and only a minority in the two camps will switch over. Personally, I’m taking my money to the competition.
August 24th, 2007 at 10:21 pm
[...] Read [...]
August 24th, 2007 at 10:30 pm
>Personally, I’m taking my money to the >competition.
Erm…what competition?
I couldn’t run my purchased, registered, copy of “Neverwinter Nights 2″ because the crapware “protection” complained about SysInternals (now part of M$) filemon. Solution? Download the “NoCD” crack.
August 24th, 2007 at 10:39 pm
I agree with drive by spammer. This is an outrage to me. Do we know what SecuROM is for or what it will be sending out? I find it an invasion of my PC and if I find it (SecuROM) I want it out.
August 24th, 2007 at 10:44 pm
[...] Get the whole story and directions on how to remove the DRM[...]
August 25th, 2007 at 12:04 am
[...] did demos need copy protection?" This is sad Slashdot | BioShock Installs a Rootkit BioShock Demo Installs SecuROM Service - GamingBOB.com [...]
August 25th, 2007 at 12:13 am
============quote=========
# Sean Says:
August 24th, 2007 at 9:17 pm
And this is exactly why bloggers will never be treated as journalists. Because at the core of it, there isn’t the same need for integrity in the profession, and as a result, the same trust can not be given to them.
===========end quote===========
so your saying that all those journalists that work for the big new outlets all have high standards of integrity and ethics.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
history says otherwise, people get it wrong, be they a trained journalist (though “reporter” is a better name for most of them) or Blogger, and it is usually a blogger that exposes the blatant miss-reporting of those so called journalists with integrity.
As to the rootkit issue, I see an appology has been made by GamongBOB
“*REFERENCES TO ROOTKIT HAVE BEEN REMOVED, FURTHER INVESTIGATION HAS REVEALED A MISUNDERSTANDING IN THE THE SECUROM SERVICE” that puts him a step up on most journalists IMHO
August 25th, 2007 at 12:50 am
You have to use copy protection on the demo as well as the production release because you can often times take the demo EXE and copy it into the installed production directory and launch the full game without any protection
August 25th, 2007 at 1:00 am
Any company that trys to install any service or program with out letting the consumer directly know of ahead of time is violating the consumers trust. And probably can and should be held accountable in a court of law. This sort of action needs to be stopped. Or else one day you never know what will be placed on your computer by a game or software company.
August 25th, 2007 at 1:05 am
I don’t care if it’s a rootkit or not. Securom messes with my system. Crashes start occuring every 2-30 hours (normally no more than 1/month), and disk burning becomes almost impossible. (Well, it only trashes about 4 out of 5 burns. To me, that makes burning unreasonably difficult, or for all intents, impossible.) Securom did “offer” for us to prove it to them, but I really can’t afford to meet their terms. (Fly across the world to their offices, etc…)
Securom is evil in software form.
Guess I can’t buy Bioshock until either 2k removes Securom, or an “unauthorized patch” is created.
August 25th, 2007 at 1:10 am
Even if this isn’t a rootkit, it still begs the question: why the hell install protection software on a demo?
August 25th, 2007 at 2:20 am
Luckily, I have a platinum card so when [deleted] wouldn’t take back the software because it was opened, I simply called my bank to explain and had them reverse the charge. I FedExed the game back to the store.
*I* own my computer.
Not Sony and not 2K.
I refuse to buy Sony.
Now, I refuse to buy 2K.
August 25th, 2007 at 2:26 am
# Josh Says:
August 25th, 2007 at 1:10 am
Even if this isn’t a rootkit, it still begs the question: why the hell install protection software on a demo?
—-
The answer is simple. Sony just wants to get the “service” on as many machines as they can in the shortest amount of time. Since that’s their goal, they’ll quietly install it anytime they can, regardless of what it is they’re peddling.
It’s a shame, really. Bioshock really did look good, and I’m too old for the pirating software nonsense these days.
August 25th, 2007 at 2:34 am
Oh and whoever said bloggers will never be regarded as journalists, alluding to the superiority of journalists… I say GOOD!!
WHen I think of journalistic integrity, I recall fiascoes like the fictitious piles of dead bodies and roaming rape gangs during Katrina. I think of the talking heads “courageously” standing in a boat giving a newscast — in 1-inch of water.
When I think of the nobility of today’s mainstream journalists, I think instead of their whoredom.. they’re sensationalists only. They have a product to sell and it has to be as flashy as possible. That’s why they peddle misery and discord. The truth isn’t the point anymore. Hasn’t really been for at least 20 years.
Journalism of today is a sad shadow of what it used to be, imho — apparently the by-product of competing cable/satellite stations with 24-hour newscasts that feed on a steady stream of “news” to fill the dead air.
Thanks Ted!
August 25th, 2007 at 3:00 am
This really sucks. I bought the game 2 days ago and I have yet to install it. I refuse to install an infected piece of software (harmful or not) on MY computer.
I will not install this game until a patch comes out to fully remove SecuROM or they come to a reasonable fix. If this does not happen soon, my game will be sitting back on the shelves and I will have saved $50.
August 25th, 2007 at 3:26 am
You people are ridiculous. If you don’t like it, stop whining about it and don’t buy the game. If you’ve already bought the game, bring it back. No need to make grand pronouncements of doom, gloom, and refusal to buy — nobody reads them except other whiners.
Oh, and to the gentleman who fedexed his game back after disputing the charge: I hope you’re prepared to have that charge reinstated after it goes through the merchant dispute and resolution process assuming they had a clearly stated return policy.
August 25th, 2007 at 3:31 am
Annoying though it might be, we pretty much have ourselves to blame for this.
Did anyone really think that years of pirating games routinely over bittorrent DC, and so on wouldn’t have an effect?
What we did was make the game industry desperate, and that let in these sharks. Nicely done….
Mutter we might, but a little less downloading might have stopped this. Too late now though /sigh.
August 25th, 2007 at 3:40 am
every demo exe has the protection of the final game. Be it securom, safedisk or starforce. This isn’t done to screw over people, but because they dont want to hand out a unprotected exe of the game.
and securom registry entry a rootkit … geez …
first off , that registry entry exist since the dawn of time (or securom …) , and since when is a registry entry a rootkit ?
August 25th, 2007 at 3:42 am
No, Jimmy, you are ridiculous, for accepting such practices from software companies in the first place. Greater awareness of the abuses of DRM will lead to less use of DRM and thus better software. Your attitude of sticking your head in the sand will result in precisely nothing.
August 25th, 2007 at 3:45 am
ruggle, a large part of why people download right now is to avoid practices like this. This is a great example. My interest in buying Bioshock has plummeted. I think I’d rather wait for the pirated version that doesn’t install crapware that tries to take over my system. Similarly, most “pirates” became so by searching for no-CD keys so they could actually play the game they purchased. At some point people say to themselves “why don’t I just take the extra step and download the game along with the no-CD crack” and a new pirate is born.
August 25th, 2007 at 4:03 am
Will
Alas, your approach is somewhat flawed (I’m not flaming you, this is just my opinion). It’s somewhat of a circular thing.
“People pirate games because Game publishers add DRM to purchased games because people pirate them.”
Its no coincidence that anti piracy measures have got much more oppressive since bittorrent caused widespread downloading of games. I did wonder if this would happen back when suprnova was in its hayday.
I don’t pirate games, can’t be bothered. It’s not a morality thing, most games are huge, and I can’t be arsed.
Instead (and this is probably just as annoying to the publishers) I deliberately wait until games get farmed out to the discount publishers (SoldOut for example), which makes them so cheap it wouldn’t be worth the bother of downloading them anyway. £40 for a game is too much, but £10 for a game that’s a year or two old suits me fine.
Also, it usually gives games enough time to be fully patched. Yes there is a delay, but Take for example ‘X3 -The Reunion’. It was released buggy as ****, and with godawful CD drive killing DRM in the form of Starforce.
A year later the bugs are almost all gone, Starforce has been patched out by the publisher, and the game is a decent buy. OK it’s not on the discount publisher thing yet, but I still got my copy for £15 new.
I won’t play Bioshock at all though, cheap or not, unless the budget title version, when it appears, is DRM free.
August 25th, 2007 at 4:09 am
[...] never buying music or games again BioShock Demo Installs SecuROM Service If installing games, even demos, installs rootkits (essentially malware/spyware to most of you) on [...]
August 25th, 2007 at 4:23 am
Will, I said nothing about accepting about. I’m just not going to buy it, and realize that whining about it to places such as these is as effective as preaching to the choir.
August 25th, 2007 at 5:26 am
I was going to buy this game for the xbox 360, but there is no way I’m supporting a company that uses DRM and especially rootkits. Instead I’ll wait for a cracked PC release.
August 25th, 2007 at 5:27 am
Another uninformed member of the unwashed masses asking why demo’s are protected.
Its because its not at all unusual for pirate groups to use the demo .exe on the full retail game. So they have to protect everything nowadays.
August 25th, 2007 at 5:31 am
i’m glad i use adblock now you jackass.
August 25th, 2007 at 5:49 am
Most pedophiles became pedos by seeking out children so they can actually molest them.
Will: “Similarly, most “pirates” became so by searching for no-CD keys so they could actually play the game they purchased.”
August 25th, 2007 at 6:28 am
Will: “Similarly, most “pirates” became so by searching for no-CD keys so they could actually play the game they purchased.”
Oh really? That’s amazing. I did not know that. Except you just made it up. Where’s your evidence to support your dubious claim? I think you’ll find most “pirates” became so by wanting to get something for nothing.
I have installed the BioShock demo. I do have the SecuROM directory in my App Data folder, and I do have that registry key, but I don’t have the UAService. Also, the information posted about the SecuROM service only addresses the purpose and removal of the UAService, but not the removal of the SecuROM system itself.
August 25th, 2007 at 6:43 am
Also, in my SecuROM app data directory, there are 2 files with a load of crazy characters in the filename, which I can’t delete because windows claims they don’t exist when I do. MoveOnBoot can’t remove them either.
August 25th, 2007 at 7:57 am
Regardless of what it is, its not needed or wanted. Im in agreeance with with annoyed people. I wont be buying this due to the so called “protection”.
If i wanted malware/rootkits/unauthorised software installs, ill download activex’s from porn sites.
August 25th, 2007 at 7:59 am
I should also state, that I have nothing against activation, cdkeys or anything like that. As a software developer im in favor of them. But not when it comes to softare installing itself under the radar. Its just not cool.
August 25th, 2007 at 8:56 am
To people that say it contacts servers without asking. That’s completely and totally a lie. After you install, when you first run the game, it has a giant dialog box that says DO YOU WANT TO CONTACT THE ACTIVATION SERVER NOW? Then when you say Yes it changes to NOW CONTACTING THE ACTIVATION SERVERS. I don’t know how they could make it more clear for you. I’m not a big fan of DRM either, but there’s no reason to just make **** up about it.
August 25th, 2007 at 9:14 am
Sean wrote: “And this is exactly why bloggers will never be treated as journalists. Because at the core of it, there isn’t the same need for integrity in the profession, and as a result, the same trust can not be given to them.”
Bwahahahahahaheeheeheeheehoohoohoohoo…
Journalists? Integrity? Stop it! You’re *killing* me!
August 25th, 2007 at 9:19 am
So who are jj, BigD, and Daryl Surat? Do you ****ers work for Sony?
I wish every person on here who doesn’t want this crap installed on our damned computers could kick your little asses.
Kick Sony in the ass, and then kick you in the ass.
August 25th, 2007 at 9:26 am
the reason why more and more demos come with copy-protection is to make it a bit harder to crack. if you have a working demo without protection and the “protected” executable from the full version, it is much easier to find the differences. and as my pc got this securom on it for quite a while now anyway and didn´t destroy my dvd-drive (i was just lucky), i can go ahead and buy the game. no sense in removing it, as i´m a dungeonmaster in nwn2 and would like to continue our campaign - can´t go like “sorry, guys - there is a booboo software installed on our systems, thats why we shelve the game we paid for big time. hah! that will show them!” …rrright.
so - the securom stays on it and bioshock, here i come. 
August 25th, 2007 at 10:46 am
The only reason for that service existance is for SecuROM to be able to work access hardware (optical drives and who knows what else) directly from regular, non-admin user account. That said, I believe that no game should have direct access to hardware. They don’t write their own video drivers to be able to access GPU, right?
Any service installed in such a way that it is difficult to discover and remove is a rootkit. Period.
Those who accept this shoveling from software companies are most likely the same idiots whose computers are used to spread spam and viruses around because “my pc got this spyware on it for quite a while now anyway and didn´t destroy my pr0n collection”. Dumb ****s.
August 25th, 2007 at 11:12 am
I think that companies which try to enforce copy protection via such mechanisms are just ridiculing themselves. The games get cracked and torrented sooner or later anyway. There are much better ways to encourage people to buy games. Take Steam for example.
August 25th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
Hm. @Igor: no need for namecalling here. i don´t mind what you believe or how you define things - i wouldn´t call a trojan horse a virus for example.
sonys rootkit was in fact a rootkit. securom is not - even if *you* can´t find it or have troubles modifying the registry. about accessing the hardware directly - that is why opengl or directx were invented - saves a lot of time (and buying a drm-solution like securom or starforce as well). 
to cut it short: if you don´t like it - don´t use it. about the “most likely the same idiots” - interesting theory. “people who buy software collect porn and have lots of mal- and spyware as well as trojans and viruses”? what kind of logic is that? O.O
i´d rather say that honest buyers get their drm-malware and downloaders the trojans and viruses. so, everyone gets his share of unwanted software.
seriously i don´t get the discussion about securom and bioshock - people act as if securom would be something completely new - where was the outrage when neverwinter nights 2 or older games came out? would you rather have star force instead…?
btw - as a buying customer i had my fair shair of troubles with activations - especially with HL2… and i do agree that it is more than only a nuisance to be treated like that as a honest buyer - while others allready play the cracked version without troubles. but i try to see the other side as well (from a manufacturers point of view), in order to be able to get a balanced opinion of the whole problem - and not only look at one side of the coin.
August 25th, 2007 at 12:02 pm
[...] To clarify: securom itself is not entirely malware. From the company’s site one can gleam that it doesn’t snoop into your computer past the CD protection. However, considering that Sony’s the one really providing the technology, such claims are at best, ambiguous. However, due to its nature, securom can be extremely difficult to remove - its nearly impossible to delete it from the registry using regedit, while anti-virus programs cant remove it either. For a quick lesson in rootkits, one can go here. For those that may want to remove the rootkit, there’s a somewhat easy method here. [...]
August 25th, 2007 at 12:45 pm
I will NEVER buy another Sony product again!!!
Bunch of bastards should be prosecuted!
August 25th, 2007 at 12:54 pm
DRM?…lol
Before all of you NOOBS start bitcing about rootkits and DRM, you should all have a look at what Vista REALLY does to your computer.
DRM and rootkits are NOTHING in comparison to Vista.
August 25th, 2007 at 1:04 pm
Can someone help me with this since it seems that there isnt any help section for regdelnull on the MS website.
When i enter the line in the command prompt it tells me:
‘C:\’ is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
what is the problem?
August 25th, 2007 at 1:44 pm
Hiya, yeah tbh I’m happy with the information. I also do not think he once in this post slandered any company’s mentioned and merely pointed out some information being investigated online.
I think he has done a very good job informing us, after all it is just letting us know that gaming companies are willing to install services on our machine for no other reason than there own. the service is not needed for the game, its an intrusion to our systems for no reason other then to obtain more wealth.
Some surveys are conducted for the good of man kind, most are to increase sales and to learn how to better manipulate us.
So if this action is to survey us, then where would we benefit from there intrusive survey?
Its simple, if installing a service it should be show and the option given to the user whether to
proceed with with installing the service or even the installation of the product.
And if this is the case it should then be on the packaging that the game requires installation of certain services for x and x reasons.
If not on the packaging you should have the right to return of an refund if you wish not to install.
It has to be balanced or company’s can just take advantage of consumers.
August 25th, 2007 at 1:49 pm
Honestly those people saying that its the companies making the pirates are fairly wrong i would say that the majority of people pirate because its free and its easy, and while theoretically morally wrong it just doesnt feel like stealing such as taking it off the shelf, i mean its just a load of information why should i pay 50 - 100 bucks for something that takes 10 hours to download while im asleep
August 25th, 2007 at 1:51 pm
Dizzy juice - I have to wonder whether I would rather have SecuROM or Steam on my computer… Steam is one of the worst-programmed and slowest most unwieldy pieces of software I have ever seen, and I had Vista Betas installed on my computer. Steam is NOT a good alternative to secuROM, or anything else. And it, too, has been cracked.
Bhopx - Sounds like you just copied and pasted from the instructions. Try this -
regdelnull HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-21-2052111302-1757981266-725345543-500\
Software\SecuROM -s
There is a space between regdelnull and and HKEY line, and between the -s at the end and the key before it. Other than that there should be no spaces. On reflection that line will only work if you run it from the command prompt (”cmd” in the Run line) from the directory you have regdelnull in - in this case “c:\”.
As far as BioShock DRM goes, I hear the comment about the demo having DRM because crackers will use it to make a noCD for the real thing, that’s pretty true. However I can not agree to the installing of ANY software or service, rootkit, malware, spyware or not, without letting the user know that it is being installed. That is underhanded and essentially killed my trust of any retail software now - they are one of the first to install such a thing, but I am sure they won’t be the last. No more installing retail software - or the demo’s, it seems - for me without extensive investigation first.
August 25th, 2007 at 2:11 pm
The key isn’t the same for all users - at least, it wasn’t the same for me. I just had to copy it over from RKR, but thats really no trouble.
August 25th, 2007 at 2:36 pm
There was no mention of installing securom during the install routine, or in the EULA, therefore I think we should all join together and file a class action lawsuite against 2K.
Thats the only way any american company learns anything.
August 25th, 2007 at 3:32 pm
I have the demo installed, and the most recent RootkitRevealer turned up nothing at all about a rootkit. There were three hits, two of which were installed when XP was, and one more legit one from a few months ago. Blogs should be taken with a grain of salt.
August 25th, 2007 at 4:11 pm
The use of copy protection is thanks to two factors: Greed and Fear. Publishers are greedy SOB’s, so of course they will buy into all the “research” and “surveys” from people like SecureROM and Starforce showing a pie graph of how much revenue they’re losing to piracy. They’ll gladly F over a percentage of customers to regain some of that cash.
The very source of that fear however - the piracy - and the revune loss attributed to it is laughable. People pirate software for a variety of reasons that have been touched on by other posters here. Some bought the game but don’t like having to keep the disc in the drive. Some don’t want to have to deal with the copy protection crap in the first place. Some - the true pirates - really want the title but simply don’t want to pay a dime. But there are those - a large number of them - that do it because it’s easy, it’s free, and just simply because it’s “there”.
That is where chain breaks. Publishers and DRM companies would have you believe that every download of pirated software would have been money in their pockets, when in fact many of those people never would have bought the software/game in the first place. They do it just because it’s there. Doesn’t make it right, I’m not defending pirates… just saying that publishers should look at their own business model and how they treate their paying customers instead of pointing fingers at torrent downloads and calculating how much money they just “lost.”
August 25th, 2007 at 4:18 pm
erm, did you even check to see if this so called service is active?…
August 25th, 2007 at 4:28 pm
piracy is NOT stealing, your copying!
piracy comersials show someone grabbing a bag or stealing a car, real piracy you copy stuff.
if i looked at someones bag and decide to copy it in RL im ALLOWED TO do so for personal use, some countries stil ahve those rules for software/virtual stuff that doesnt realy exist except in 1s and 0s..
im a bit drunk right now and sorry about that.. ;p but what they did is wrong! you should be notified about sutch happenings, you should be notified about concequences, you should be able to REMOVE securom, and you should be able to make a cleansed image backup copy if you own the original game (thats stil allowed in some countries that have consumer RIGHTS left)
so realy its wrong, and its close to illigal not notifying and not allowing to remove this **** that behaves like a rootkit and hides from users.
this is epic, and its no different then what sony did to their music CDs except it might be even worse then it. either it goes to court or they remove the malware (malware installs without letting yopu know, JUST like securom, its also illigal in some places)
so realy, weither or not its a real rootkit or not, it behaves like a rootkit, it behaves in a way that should be illigal(and is, again in some places..) it behaves like malware/spyware and rootkit. it shoudltn be done and has NO place in games..
i hope they remove it, or that customers download cleansed image files and let the world know why people do “bad” things… piracy is GOOD! it balances both economic overflow and it helps these situations.
if you did wrong, you will know about it.. people will “pirate” this game more then any other game because of its extreme (and unconvenient) protection.
new world order wants control, dont let them get control..
August 25th, 2007 at 4:35 pm
[...] article gives instructions on how to find and delete the rootkit. I have verified that my system is [...]
August 25th, 2007 at 5:30 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments Office Depot Featured Gadget: Xbox 360 Platinum System Packs the power to bring games to life! [...]
August 25th, 2007 at 5:34 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
August 25th, 2007 at 5:41 pm
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August 25th, 2007 at 5:52 pm
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August 25th, 2007 at 6:03 pm
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August 25th, 2007 at 6:42 pm
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
August 25th, 2007 at 6:44 pm
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August 25th, 2007 at 6:50 pm
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August 25th, 2007 at 6:57 pm
just a quick note to apologies for the swearword you had to delete, I got a bit carried away…
August 25th, 2007 at 7:08 pm
[...] Source « Half-Life 2: Red Computer Case MOD [...]
August 25th, 2007 at 7:33 pm
Companies are wanting DRM because they feel it secures sales. I dont want it because it feels like being screwed.
But ppl saying they wished they were warned.. Isnt that what the eula is for?
August 25th, 2007 at 8:18 pm
dude I know what you are saying, Rootkit or not the secuROM service does not need to be installed on the demo!
I installed the demo from steam with plans to purchase game. RKR did not detect \Software\SecuROM\. Ty for the info GB!
August 25th, 2007 at 8:22 pm
[...] PC gaming with their invasive DRM. Facts have surfaced that show that the recently released PC game BioShock installs a rootkit, which embeds itself into Explorer, as part of its SecureROM copy-protection [...]
August 26th, 2007 at 12:03 am
I cannot believe the contortions of logic some you will go through to justify your theft of software.
It’s not just “a bunch of 1’s and 0’s” and “It’s not stealing, it’s just copying!” are weak, pathetic arguments at best.
It is still a physical product created at the cost of 1000’s of man-hours. There was someone, somewhere slaving over a hot screen to provide you with hours, days, weeks, and in some cases, years of quality entertainment. Companies have to pay for a building to work in, cover the cost of utilities and equipment and then pay the salaries of the developers, marketing costs, etc.
It takes money to make these things. The makers have sweat equity invested in them and they deserve to make money if the product is a good one. If you are cheap/poor like me, wait until the game comes down in cost. But don’t try to play it off as if you weren’t really interested in the game, you just happened to comb the web looking for the file and/or cracks so you could play it from beginning to end. Another weak, pathetic argument.
And no, I’m not a developer. I just feel that morally it’s wrong and it’s hurting the industry. If enough people pirate, the profit margins drop, investors take their money elsewhere and you get crappy, poorly made products. (Kinda like most of what comes out of that video game version of a Kathy Lee Gifford sweatshop, EA.)
August 26th, 2007 at 12:04 am
[...] it’s old tricks. Even the demo installs a rootkit. Who the hell needs copy protection on a demo? Link to article __________________ "With the first link, a chain is forged. The first speech censored, the [...]
August 26th, 2007 at 12:38 am
I’m sorry. I haven’t scanned every post here, but, as a Windows Admin - this little nugget:
“This module has been developed to enable users without Windows™ administrator rights the ability to access all SecuROM™ features.”
Is all I need to know, you call it RootKit, Frankenware, whatever, but it’s persona non grata on any server / client I’m in charge of.
August 26th, 2007 at 12:39 am
Thank you. I appreciate you posting this information. Unlike those other useless ****s who are bitching for some reason.
August 26th, 2007 at 2:13 am
I already bought the game, so I’m certainly going to play it after my new computer arrives. I will definitely keep an eye out for hacks/programs that can remove Securom (without ****ing the game).
August 26th, 2007 at 2:25 am
[...] BioShock Demo Installs SecuROM Service - GamingBOB.com (tags: bioshock rootkit games security) [...]
August 26th, 2007 at 4:16 am
Wow, securocom security is going to save 2k alot of money…
o wait… there’s already a cracked version on the internet right now… 3 days after it’s release.
August 26th, 2007 at 5:00 am
GamingBOB - don’t let the idiots beat you down. It may not be a rootkit (I personally think it is - the registry entry is a symptom not a cause. You can tick of the definition of rootkit against Securom easily) but it is certainly malware.
August 26th, 2007 at 5:20 am
No 1 gives a damn whether wateva is installed has the dictonary meaning of rootkit or not.
if the rootkit revealer is revealing the thing as a rootkit, its enough for a layman 2 call it a rootkit.
And at the end of the day u hav 2 get rid of the drm crap neway.
so
stop flaming the author!
and the dude who said bloggers shud not b considered journalists… Thanks! Journalists are pathetic at their work, exaggerating stupid things and creating false stories.
We (bloggers) r thankful not 2 b called as journalists!
August 26th, 2007 at 6:57 am
wrangler: if i have the game legaly, i can burn the box, throw away the CDs, download a image (thats JUST 1s and 0s) thats cleansed, and use it legally aslong as i have the reciept…
DONT call me a pirate funding terrorists as commersial US propaganda does thats denying my rights.. ;p
if you bought the game, you own that piece of plastic and cardboard, you can burn it up, you can lick it, you can drive over it, and if your lucky and live in a real country you can make a backup incase you drove over it by accident… ;p
piracy is a overblown propaganda thats more and more becomming like “the terrorists income!!1″ omgods oh noes…
piracy is what organisations do, piracy is selling copied stuff, and it has nothing to do with terrorists as some idiots want the world to believe..
as a customer, you should not be compared to a large organisation selling things, witch you just compared me with… im a customer, a consumer, i have rights to do certain things with the stuff i bought, if i can destroy it legally, i can clone it legally, i can do wtf i want with it, i bought it, its mine.. if you want to drive your car down a cliff your allowed to, if you want to make a clone of your car your allowed to, if you want to modify your car your allowed to! if you want to rearange 1s and 0s your NOT allowed to, or well i am because i live in a free country…
yet people see me like a terrorist funding idiot making millions of workers unemployed. thats sick and realy shows how fcked up your personal rights have become today.. dmn hangover ;(
August 26th, 2007 at 8:38 am
Question: I’ve got a hold of the legit version of Bioshock retail 9serial and all that). Also got ahold of the maxi-image that fools Securom into thinking there’s a DVD in the drive (this, btw, goes to show that Securom *is a complete waste of time*). Can I remove the Securom reg keys and still play the game?
TIA.
August 26th, 2007 at 10:11 am
Sorry all I can hear is wah wah wah
August 26th, 2007 at 10:43 am
Just wanted to say I downloaded the demo before and I do have this on my computer. I can’t see to get regdelnull to work though…
August 26th, 2007 at 10:44 am
And after I uninstalled the demo it was still showing up when using Rootkitreveal.
August 26th, 2007 at 11:24 am
[...] But ppl saying they wished they were warned.. Isnt that what the eula is for? [...]
You cannot read the EULA unless you’ve opened the package and either a) begun installing or b) read the manual; in either case, you’ve already opened the package and I don’t know of any stores that accept opened PC game packages anymore.
August 26th, 2007 at 12:46 pm
[...] to reports (e.g. digg) Bioshock installs a DRM rootkit on your machine. The original report does indicate that Microsoft’s RootkitRevealer application flags it as such, but it actually [...]
August 26th, 2007 at 1:02 pm
program that give someone’s (or other program) administrator rights (compare to mac and linux “administrator rights” = “root”) . it’s a rootkit.
August 26th, 2007 at 1:06 pm
Steve: found the securom folder in my app.data folder too. And as I haven’t had time to install the bioshock demo, I’m glad I didn’t. It must have come from some other game, like FEAR.
Anyway, windows won’t delete it but dos will.
Just open a dos box/command prompt.
change dirs to the folder (cd c:\docume~1\steve\applic~1)
then hit the all powerful
rmdir securom /S
And that’s the end of that!
August 26th, 2007 at 1:45 pm
Not a rootkit, stop trying to get attention!
August 26th, 2007 at 3:06 pm
[...] SecuROM™ will install a Windows™ service module called “User Access Service” (UAService) on your system. This is a standard interface commonly used by several other applications as well. [...]
Has anyone found any other applications that ‘commonly’ use UAService? So far all I’ve found are previous versions of SecuROM that use it.
Also, to the spammer that’s being an immature brat by spamming ‘Not a rootkit’: grow up and learn to contribute to a discussion, you’re headed for a life of failure if you go ‘lalala’ whenever you hear something that you don’t believe in.
August 26th, 2007 at 4:58 pm
Let me say one more thing on this.
I have explained why I initially referred to SecuROM as a rootkit, due to the key found by RootkitRevealer. Less than 24hrs after writing this article, I removed any reference to SecuROM being a rootkit because I didn’t want to mislead anyone.
If you have noticed, several highly popular website continue to call SecuROM a rootkit and have failed to edit their article titles or information.
If anyone is trying to get attention from this, it is the more popular and established websites that didn’t take the time to read this article, and have left references to SecuROM being a rootkit.
August 26th, 2007 at 7:12 pm
Ok so does this rootkit affects your computer … because now i’ve just installed my legit Bioshock copy and my computer is f***ed up … so i’m not happy at all and i want to get rid of this rootkit but i still want to play Bioshock …
August 26th, 2007 at 10:19 pm
Drive-By-Spammer, I agree. We will continue to raise awareness so that unsuspecting customers do not install services that destabilize their systems as a side-effect of installing some software.
I have a never-played copy of Never Winter Nights 2 sitting on my shelf. Didn’t know this was protected by SecuROM. NWN2 now serves as a reminder to never buy any Secu crap again.
No matter what the game, it’s not worth risking my system’s stability for it. I do things other than gaming as well you know.
August 27th, 2007 at 12:27 am
“SecuROM™ will install a Windows™ service module called “User Access Service” (UAService) on your system. This is a standard interface commonly used by several other applications as well. It is no spyware or rootkit at all. This module has been developed to enable users without Windows™ administrator rights the ability to access all SecuROM™ features.”
No doubt there’s several groups out there right this minute working out how they can hi-jack that admin access…
August 27th, 2007 at 12:57 am
Should have left the rootkit part on there because it’s just as malicious as one.
August 27th, 2007 at 1:39 am
Anyone know if the XBox version does anything “funky” like this??
How would an XBoxer know if the things “phoning home” or not?
August 27th, 2007 at 10:41 am
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
August 27th, 2007 at 11:50 am
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
August 27th, 2007 at 11:53 am
[...] poor "GamingBob" is having to backtrack a little on his definition of rootkit: BioShock Demo Installs SecuROM Service - GamingBOB.com [...]
August 27th, 2007 at 12:29 pm
What I find funny is the people who won’t buy 2k games now. How about this, you get a 360 and play it on a real gaming platform. At the end of the day, the 360 is a less expensive, and better alternative to a bloated over-priced hard core gaming PC. Not to mention, you don’t need to worry about all the extra crap on the console, like spyware, anti-virus, spam-ware, etc… So at the end of the day, I think you PC games need to step up and play BioShock on the console, the way it was intended to be played!
August 27th, 2007 at 2:20 pm
[...] tutorial in inglese su come rimuovere il rootkit [...]
August 27th, 2007 at 2:27 pm
Thanks for the info! Was going to DL the demo, but now, I’m not.
Why does it matter what it’s called? It still installs crap on your hard drive you don’t particulary need or want.
BTW, in the past, I DLed pirated games for two reasons: First, I spent many years in a country where English games were hard to come by. Second: I have spent a small fortune of crappy games that either suck, are buggy to heck and back or just plain don’t work. So, I started to DL pirated versions of game that don’t have demos. If every game I wanted to play had a decent demo, I would probably never pirate a game again!
August 27th, 2007 at 3:19 pm
gaaawwwd…im so tired of freakin games which install crap on ur pc..im never gonna buy bioshock
August 27th, 2007 at 3:41 pm
[...]What I find funny is the people who won’t buy 2k games now. How about this, you get a 360 and play it on a real gaming platform. At the end of the day, the 360 is a less expensive, and better alternative to a bloated over-priced hard core gaming PC. Not to mention, you don’t need to worry about all the extra crap on the console, like spyware, anti-virus, spam-ware, etc… So at the end of the day, I think you PC games need to step up and play BioShock on the console, the way it was intended to be played![...]
Excuse me? First of all, first person shooters are always better on the PC. Second of all, have you ever been on XBOX Live? It’s a bunch of thirteen year old ****s talking **** in between yelling “MOM! I’LL BE DONE IN A MINUTE” Anybody who knows anything about first person shooters or gaming in general knows that the console gaming community is a complete joke. Have fun with your aim assist.
August 27th, 2007 at 8:51 pm
Actually this kind of responses from people *IS* good for us. Is it a rootkit or not? The crashes, the useless 2GB demo. Yeah, I’ve downloaded 2 different versions of the demo, none of them work.
The SecureROM and limited 2 or maybe 5 installs has pissed me off before I even bought the game, oh yeah - I changed my mind and will NOT BUY BIOSHOCK.
If we, the gamers take a stand against Crap-ware, rootkits, and other junk that can’t be uninstalled easily - and effect the sales of the game… especially one that SCORES SO high in graphics and originality - then the developers may think TWICE before messing with our already bloated computer systems. If it takes quite a bit of time to remove this junk - 2K maybe open for a lawsuit for damages to people’s computers.
Kill SecureROM now, before more games get this crap included as a “feature”. Check out the Video response about BioShock’s DRM - they rip 2K for screwing up a good game.
August 27th, 2007 at 10:00 pm
[...] stems from no other than the debacle that is Bioshock. It’s mostly a PR debacle, but some guy claimed the SecureRom (Sony owned) protection was really a rootkit. Now, we all know how much I [...]
August 27th, 2007 at 11:01 pm
My Opinion (from an old gamer) - It is my computer. I purchased your game. I do not want, did not ask for and was not informed (on the box itself) that you would install securerom on my system.
Your damn game was cracked the day it hit the shelf . . most likely the day it went gold.
You are punishing me, the user, and doing no-one any good. Especially not yourself with the bad press.
No, I didn’t read the damn eula. Most of us don’t during an install.
We all know if you were honest and mentioned it on the box you would sell far fewer games.
I bought your damn game, but I will use the hacked copy.
Fifty bucks isn’t as much to me now as it was when I was twenty and scrounging for quarters for the arcades. I want to, and will, support the guys who worked all those hours to create this game.
But . . don’t keep screwing with your user base; all your doing is proliferating usage of the pirated version.
your software was hacked the day it was released.
Wise Up.
My humble but wordy opinion.
loki
August 28th, 2007 at 12:43 am
[...] a moment to say that BioShock looked interesting enough I was thinking about buying it. Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about that now. No chance I’m buying a game from these ****suckers now. It’s obvious they [...]
August 28th, 2007 at 5:58 am
[...] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments [...]
August 28th, 2007 at 11:19 am
[...] Originally Posted by dj_Cipher looks good, im looking forward to getting it. It doesn’t bother you that they are installing a rootkit on your computer? BioShock Demo Installs SecuROM Service - GamingBOB.com [...]
August 28th, 2007 at 11:51 am
[...] hayan hecho una chapuza con la protección anti-copia de la versión [...]
August 28th, 2007 at 6:43 pm
I installed the game via Steam. I have confirmed the presence of SecuROM on my machine. What bothers me is not that SecuROM got installed, but that it was done so without me knowing it. Also, I would have appreciated a nice warning about SecuROM being on the product on Steam before I prepurchased, and I am sure most would have wanted to see it on direct2drive and the retail box.
The game is awesome. I wish as a paying customer I could get the content I paid for without this stupid security hole being installed without my knowledge. It’s not necessary for something to be malicious or destructive to be illegal, just that it is installed without your knowledge and approval.
How would you feel if I went to your machine and installed a gaping security hole that you are not even aware of, and then gave you the best game ever as well?
August 29th, 2007 at 3:25 pm
I was going to buy the game, but now I will wait for a good crack that removes anything to do with SecuROM.
August 29th, 2007 at 4:22 pm
[…]What I find funny is the people who won’t buy 2k games now. How about this, you get a 360 and play it on a real gaming platform. At the end of the day, the 360 is a less expensive, and better alternative to a bloated over-priced hard core gaming PC. Not to mention, you don’t need to worry about all the extra crap on the console, like spyware, anti-virus, spam-ware, etc… So at the end of the day, I think you PC games need to step up and play BioShock on the console, the way it was intended to be played![…]
[...]Excuse me? First of all, first person shooters are always better on the PC. Second of all, have you ever been on XBOX Live? It’s a bunch of thirteen year old ****s talking **** in between yelling “MOM! I’LL BE DONE IN A MINUTE” Anybody who knows anything about first person shooters or gaming in general knows that the console gaming community is a complete joke. Have fun with your aim assist.[...]
Thats funny, so your a PC Gamer…have you ever been on Xbox Live then? Or are you just reading what a few people have said, and adopted that as your personal opinion. Regardless of having to learn a new control scheme (oh my noes I have to use both thumbs to look around). Being one who plays on both a PC and a Console, I prefer the console. Not only is the Console gaming community not a joke, but it is better than the PC gaming community. Since you don’t have message boards dedicated specifically to repairing your PC, or ‘Tips&Tricks’ just to get the game running on your machine. Not only have I been on Xbox Live, but I also know that it is NOT a bunch of 13 yr olds **** talking. Consoles will always have the one up on PCs, because a consumer can buy a console, and know that it will be 5+ years at least, before the really need to consider upgrading to the next system. Not the 6 months before the next generation Video Cards come out, and your $400 dollar card can only run the new games on the lowest settings. I for one will always be happy knowing I can go buy and game and not have to worry if I have to upgrade my PC, or what other software the developer decides is needed for my system. So YOU can have fun with your Aim Bots.
August 29th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
I have my kids’ computers set up so that they don’t get admin rights on ANYTHING on them. I’ve spent far too many a night re-formatting HDDs before learning this lesson to want to back-track & start doing so again. Does the box / ads state that this SecuROM will be installed & what it is for? if not, I think the person who Fedexed their game back will have a heyday in court, should the seller attempt to re-instate the charges.
Thanks for the heads-up. Bioshock won’t be one of the games my kids receive as Christmas presents unless / until this POS SecuROM is removed.
August 29th, 2007 at 6:01 pm
P.S. I can do spreadsheets, presentations & graphics manipulation on my “bloated over-priced hard core gaming PC.”
It’s not just for “breakfast” anymore.
August 29th, 2007 at 7:47 pm
defraz -
have you ever seen the return rates on the xbox360? 33%. 1 of every 3 360’s is returned. please remind me how this is better than a computer which you can actually fix instead of having to ship the whole damned thing back to microsoft.
August 29th, 2007 at 8:02 pm
also, i installed bioshock on my vista machine.. havne’t had any crashed or anyhting since. IMO this is just a bunch of fearmongering and overacting. just pirate it if its -that- big a deal.
August 30th, 2007 at 1:38 pm
Not only is 1 out of every 3 XBOX 360 returned, but just last month, Microsoft publically admitted that *ALL* (as in every single one ever sold) XBOX 360’s are defective. They all have a design defect that can lead to their failure.
Though Robbie Bach, head of Microsoft’s XBOX 360 Division refused to elaborate on the issue, the general consensus is that it’s one of botched thermal design management and inadequate dissipation of heat leading to component failure.
So this means that if you do have an XBOX 360, it will likely die at some point sooner or later due to flawed design, so enjoy it while it works.
This isn’t a problem with PCs because the computer itself will tell you the temperature so you know if you’re in the danger zone prior to device failure. Even if you did do something like buy a Prescott Pentium chip that runs hot as an oven, you can always get a good aftermarket heatsink and cool it down or switch to a different processor, so there are active solutions.
You can also open your computer as it hasn’t been specifically engineered to keep you out of the case as the 360 has been.
The 360 is essentially a limited computer in itself. Consoles are becoming more and more similar to their PC counterparts with every new generation - which is why it’s much easier to hack and mod them now since they use standard hard drives, Windows operating systems, and USB interfaces.
So when people say that consoles are superior to PC, they don’t know what the hell they’re talking about. A computer can do everything a console can and then some.
August 30th, 2007 at 1:43 pm
And as far as the rootkit issue goes, any software that subverts user access rights to attains administrative priviledges (”root” access) and maintains persistence on the machine after the software has been uninstalled is a rootkit.
August 30th, 2007 at 3:38 pm
What leaves me just totally and completely stunned is that so many people are going ape over this invasion of their personal computer by 2K, and yet continue to run Windows, which is basically one great big huge rootkit itself. Hell, read the damned EULA, it says right in there that Microsoft reserves the right to deactivate your OS any time they wish for any reason without any warning or explanation.
August 30th, 2007 at 5:13 pm
I did everything there but I still have the Documents and Settings\Tzunami\Application Data\SecuROM
folder and it wont delete other wise there is no securom in my registry anymore
August 31st, 2007 at 12:20 pm
[...]Not only is 1 out of every 3 XBOX 360 returned, but just last month, Microsoft publically admitted that *ALL* (as in every single one ever sold) XBOX 360’s are defective. They all have a design defect that can lead to their failure.
Though Robbie Bach, head of Microsoft’s XBOX 360 Division refused to elaborate on the issue, the general consensus is that it’s one of botched thermal design management and inadequate dissipation of heat leading to component failure.
So this means that if you do have an XBOX 360, it will likely die at some point sooner or later due to flawed design, so enjoy it while it works.
This isn’t a problem with PCs because the computer itself will tell you the temperature so you know if you’re in the danger zone prior to device failure. Even if you did do something like buy a Prescott Pentium chip that runs hot as an oven, you can always get a good aftermarket heatsink and cool it down or switch to a different processor, so there are active solutions.
You can also open your computer as it hasn’t been specifically engineered to keep you out of the case as the 360 has been.
The 360 is essentially a limited computer in itself. Consoles are becoming more and more similar to their PC counterparts with every new generation - which is why it’s much easier to hack and mod them now since they use standard hard drives, Windows operating systems, and USB interfaces.
So when people say that consoles are superior to PC, they don’t know what the hell they’re talking about. A computer can do everything a console can and then some.[...]
And I suppose your computer has never shot out on you? You’ve never had to replace a part on your gaming computer? There are no active statistics for Custom Built Gaming Rigs because there is no one spot to send them back to for repairs. The 360 is superior because its meant for one thing, entertainment, and it does a damn fine job of it. You can mod anything thing these days. Saying that because you can mod a 360 it is just like a PC, is like saying you can mod a cell phone (not a PDA or a Palm), and saying it’s just like a PC because it can mimic what PC’s can do. Have you had a gaming rig for 5 years, and only had to replace one part on it? And it can still can play the newest games? I think not, yet I can go out and buy a new game for my old Xbox and not have to worry if my video card is compatible with it. So saying that aq console is not superior to a PC in what it does shows you don’t do enough research. If you want I can show you my collection of dead PC’s and Mac’s, all costing more than the Xbox and Xbox 360, and yet my Xbox and Xbox 360 both run fine.
August 31st, 2007 at 12:34 pm
And when did Microsoft announce that every console is bad? Last time I checked it’s 33% of consoles.
Note: Link edited due to breaking the design, causing a scrollbar.
DailyTech Link
September 2nd, 2007 at 3:27 pm
dont works on Vista
September 2nd, 2007 at 6:25 pm
I have replaced parts on my computer, but that’s the great thing about computers. When something on them goes out, you can just replace it. If you have a console and you’re past your warrantee, then you or someoe you know has to be skilled at fixing devices on the component level, assuming you can find replacement parts. Failing that, your only option is to buy a new system. Preferably one without a design flaw that results in it’s death.
You can still play your XBOX games 5 years down the line if it hasn’t killed itself due to it’s design defects, yeah. You can play your old PC games on a PC as well. However, within 5 years or so, your console, if still alive, will be phased out in favor of some new generation system. If you want to play any new games, you’ll have to buy a new console, new peripherals, controllers, all that. A computer, on the other hand, can still play the older games and play newer ones without all the eye candy turned on full blast. If one desires that, their system can be upgraded to accommodate the newer stuff as well without having to go out and buy an entirely new system. You also won’t get 7 bricked systems in a row with new PCs as has been seen in the console market.
As far as video card compatability/DirectX 10 goes, only a minority of gamers actually have the hardware and the developers know this, so they make the games able to be played in either.
And as far as every XBOX 360 being defective goes, here’s the link:
Microsoft Admits ALL XBOX 360s Are Defective
September 5th, 2007 at 12:30 pm
@dfssdf
u have to update directX!
September 6th, 2007 at 1:15 pm
defraz, I owned an original XBox for a while, ’til I sold it on ebay. That’s how I was able to learn how stupid and immature xbox live gamers are. Also, I spend about $200 a year on upgrades for my computer. If there’s a problem with it, I can open it up and tinker with it without voiding some stupid warantee. I play PC games because it’s a more mature, organized environment. It seems that every time a classic PC franchise converts to consoles, the game totally gets ruined because “you can’t do that with a controller” or “that’s too complicated for the customer base.” Have you ever tried playing an RTS on a console? It’s ridiculously stupid. FPS’s are the same way. I’ve got to go to class now.
September 19th, 2007 at 3:38 am
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September 23rd, 2007 at 4:06 pm
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October 3rd, 2007 at 5:42 am
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October 3rd, 2007 at 8:17 pm
I guess I will not be buying Bioshock for the PC if you are allowed to install only five times unless like MS you have to call in after the fith time. Anyway I have it on the 360. Securom sucks.
January 5th, 2008 at 11:50 am
Consent to you. Go on!
Extrefox
May 19th, 2008 at 9:47 pm
[...] tutorial in inglese su come rimuovere il rootkit [...]
June 27th, 2008 at 1:38 am
[...] yet, it’s no longer necessary to actually purchase a game to install SecuROM. It’s in the Bioshock demo, and according to the message boards, in the last Sims patch and the just-out Spore Creature [...]