New purchase unable to read CD

[Whitknght]

I've just purchased the game and attempted to install. When I put disk into CD, system apears to be reading based on CD and hard drive activity light and then stops. No autoinstall starts. I then select the to open the CD drive via "My Computer" window and same activity happens. Eventually, the drive opens. It provides the same results as if you put a blank cd in the drive. My drive is TDK DVD burner.

I did some research and understood copy protection uses Starforce and found information that others had similar problems with games using Starforce protection. I downloaded latest release of Starforce drives dated 2/8/2007 and reboot system; however, same results are encountered.

I did download the demo off the website and ran the game. I would have given up on the game and taken back to store; however, the demo was cool and now I really want to play the game.

I've searched the forums and the internet; however, there are no reports of similar problems with Starshatter's CD.

Any ideas or assistance would be appreciated.

Thanks.

[Erik Rutins]

We definitely do NOT use StarForce on ANY of our games and if that's causing the problem, you would have had to install it from another game.

In fact, there is only a serial number check and there is nothing at all in the way of copy protection that would interfere with a CD drive. My guess is there are one of two problems:

1. Your CD drive is having issues (possibly caused by a StarForce installation from another game)
2. The CD in the copy you bought is somehow damaged (it's possible, there are always a few manufacturing defects)

Have you tried one of the StarForce removal utilities? Do you have this issue with any other CDs? Have you tried using your Starshatter CD in another computer to see if it works fine there?

Did you purchase this from a retail store or from our online store?

Regards,

- Erik

[Whitknght]

I don't have this problem with other CDs or DVDs on the PC I play games on; however, just to do it, I did put the CD in my laptop and the autorun started on it immediately.  Which is strange to me because it is an older laptop which I believe the drive is going bad because it can not read some of my CBT CDs which I had to use my gaming PC to work through these other CBT lessons.
 
No I have not removed the StarForce copy protection on my gaming PC from other games.  While getting the updated StarForce drivers, I did goahead and download the removal tool.
 
Are you aware of any issues with the this game CD being read on TDK440N DVD+/-RW drives?
 
Can I cut-n-paste via explorer the contents of the CD on my laptop's DVD drive and copy to an XP share on my gaming PC where I can actually execute the installation if I am unable to read the CD on my gaming PC's DVD drive?
 
Thanks.

[Whitknght]

To answer your last question, I purchased from a regular retailer; however, it wasn't close by. 

[Erik Rutins]

ORIGINAL: Whitknght
I don't have this problem with other CDs or DVDs on the PC I play games on; however, just to do it, I did put the CD in my laptop and the autorun started on it immediately.  Which is strange to me because it is an older laptop which I believe the drive is going bad because it can not read some of my CBT CDs which I had to use my gaming PC to work through these other CBT lessons.

Ok, at least we know then that the CD itself is probably fine.

No I have not removed the StarForce copy protection on my gaming PC from other games.  While getting the updated StarForce drivers, I did goahead and download the removal tool.
Are you aware of any issues with the this game CD being read on TDK440N DVD+/-RW drives?

I'm not aware of any issues with this CD being read in any drive, but I do know that we've also ready reports (whether true or not) of StarForce completely messing up CD drive functionality. I would definitely consider removing StarForce if you're having problems reading a CD in one system that's working fine in another.

Can I cut-n-paste via explorer the contents of the CD on my laptop's DVD drive and copy to an XP share on my gaming PC where I can actually execute the installation if I am unable to read the CD on my gaming PC's DVD drive?

Yes, that should work fine. You don't need the CD (except to store it for future reinstallation) after you've installed the game.