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StarForce Universal

StarForce Universal

This unified solution is designed to protect software with both binding objects: to a disc and to a personal computer under one license. Ideal for those who want to use any type of binding according to the circumstances.

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Software protection with a binding at option


StarForce Universal is recommended to protect software distributed on optical media, flash cards and over the Internet against such threats as illegal copying, piracy, unauthorized use, hacking, analysis and reverse engineering.

StarForce Universal comprises all the features that are available in StarForce Disc and StarForce ProActive products.


How StarForce Universal works


After an application has been protected on StarForce Server, its code has some modification that prevents the software from running, unless two tests have been passed:


Check for Licensing Compliance
Authentication of the license. This includes the verification of the binding object: an object that is hard to imitate. The license is bound to this object at activation

The variant of authentication method depends on the chosen binding object.


StarForce Universal binding objects


Binding Object Hot It Works Use
Personal computer

привязка к персональному компьютеру
The application can run only on one specific computer. The protected application binds to the computer when you install or run the application for the first time. During the activation process, StarForce License Management Server collects the info on the computer parameters and associates it with the serial number to establish a binding. For subsequent runs the connection to StarForce License Management Server is not required. This binding object is perfect for products that are planned to distribute over the Internet or on flash cards.
Optical media

привязка к диску
The method of binding to a disс is based on the uniqueness of the geometric arrangement of sectors and the length of tracks within the same batch of discs. Depending on a chosen protection type, at first time you start the disc, it may become necessary to enter a disc key (protection CD-ROM / DVD-ROM) or the entering of a key is not required (CD-ROM / DVD-ROM Keyless protection and CD-R / DVD-R protection). The customer can choose needed type of disc check - constant or periodic. It means that the original disc should be inserted into the PC’s drive all the time or from time to time when an end user runs the application. This binding object is perfect for products that are planned to distribute on optical discs.

The customer protects software once and then distributes it with one of two types of installer inside that provides binding to a disc or to a personal computer. Therefore, when an end user runs a protected application, it does not check the disc and the computer settings at the same time.

StarForce Universal benefits and features include all the benefits and features of the StarForce Disc and StarForce ProActive Pro products. The main StarForce Universal feature is protection of a single distributive that includes two distribution methods at the same time (on optical media and over the Internet).

binding Two types of binding for the price of one license.
tamper resistance High level of tamper resistance is achieved thanks to unique StarForce obfuscation technology.
unified project for release A unified project for release, updates, and testing that significantly reduces the customer's costs. An ability to create a single patch for both disc and online distribution of the protected program saves the resources for the publisher.
flexible binding Reliable and flexible binding to PC's configuration or optical media.
distribution policy Support of changing the distribution policy for the released software.
license check Periodic license confirmation.
replication on a plant or burning at home Discs can be replicated on a plant or burned at home without using any additional equipment.
Ability to create a full backup Ability to create a full backup of the protected application.
Protection over the Internet Protection is performed over the Internet (StarForce Cloud) which provides mobility, a simple protection procedure and operative StarForce technical support, if necessary.
updates and new features StarForce Technologies constantly issues updates and adds new features for StarForce Universal.

StarForce Universal provides protection with two binding options: to optical discs and computer hardware. Even when a publisher plans to distribute software using a single media (e.g. on optical discs) there is a possibility that other distribution opportunities may come in handy (e.g. over the Internet). There are many examples of this kind. And every time it requires additional costs to prepare a distributive for new kind of distribution: search for original files and copyright changing, creation of a distributive with a new binding option and so on.

StarForce Universal simplifies this tedious process by enabling a publisher to create a new application installer that changes a type of binding in the operating system registry, or create and distribute a REG file for the same purpose.


Case Study: France



Micro Application


Micro Application is a French developer of multifunctional software. The company is engaged in production of applications for various purposes, including multimedia, educational, entertainment, and professional software.

Most of the company's products are distributed both on optical media (the customer replicates the discs on a certified plant in France) and via the Internet. Therefore, StarForce Universal has become an ideal solution for Micro Application because it provides protection for different distribution channels under one license. It helps to decrease OPEX for the French company.


Case Study: Russia



The Draughts Federation of Russia


The Draughts Federation of Russia each year updates the software, which contains a unique database with information about all the regional draughts federations, their members, as well as information about all the past tournaments with convenient search engine through the whole database. This application is distributed only among the members of the Draughts Federation of Russia.

Collection and structuring of such data is a labor-intensive activity, so in order to protect their work and to keep valuable info inside the community the Draughts Federation of Russia decided to use StarForce Universal. In this case, people who prefer physical media or do not have a continuous access to the Internet can use discs, and the rest can download the database from the site of the Federation. Serial number for them will be sent by e-mail.

Protection via StarForce Cloud


1 Download and install StarForce Protection Studio (supplied for free)
2 Using StarForce Protection Studio, select the functions and files that will be protected
3 Set the parameters of binding
4 Set the parameters of protection
5 Build the distributive
6 Test the protected product
7 If it is protection with disc binding – create a master disc and send it to a replication plant
8 If it is protection with PC binding – start distribution online

Protection by StarForce staff


StarForce offers the following chargeable services


Protection is performed by StarForce employees and may include:


Protection with functions selection
Protection without functions selection
Protection with functions to be selected by the customer

Analysis of the protection performed by the customer.

Supported technologies


StarForce Universal supports the protection of the following file formats


Applications compiled in a PE-file containing executable machine code (native code) for processors x8632 and x8664. These files usually have exe or dll extension
Applications compiled into an .NET executable file (managed code). These files also usually have exe or dll extension
Immutable data files of any format. During protection StarForce ProActive encrypts the content of data files and hides the files in containers

Please contact us if you need a consultation from our specialist.


General protection features of the product


Protection of the application code against analysis Ability to protect the internal variables and product functions against reverse engineering
Protection of unlimited number of files Data file protection
Beta version and promotional copy protection Patch and add-on protection
Functionality restriction based on licensing mode GUI customization
Support of extended protection features available through the API using StarForce SDK Ability to change binding type when building distribution package

Protection features with PC binding


Licensing options and settings


Serial number expiration date License start date
License activation date (activate no later than…) Periodic license confirmation
Serial number regional settings Maximum number of runs setting
Continuous run setting Serial number blacklisting

Serial number activation/generation statistics


By date By title
By distribution channel By serial number or batch
Overall statistics By countries
Diagrams, tables and graphics of activations

Protection features with disc binding


Specific protection settings


Disc emulation protection
Application run time control by configured parameters (expiration date, total run time, number of runs)
The use of different types of disc protection depending on such parameters as circulation, the manual disc key entering, replication methods:
CD/DVD Protection It is best suited for software distributed in large batches on CD-ROM/DVD-ROM discs. Protected application requires a disc key (usually printed on a disc) for the first running. When a user starts a protected product, StarForce protection system checks the compliance of the inserted disk key to the physical parameters of the license disc. A customer can choose any plant where batches of protected discs will be produced
CD/DVD Keyless Protection It is best suited for software distributed in large batches on CD-ROM/DVD-ROM discs. The main difference from StarForce Disc CD/DVD is that there is no need to enter a disk key. You just start a protected application by inserting a disc into the PC's drive. Authentication validation is performed automatically. It's very easy for an end-user. In this case only plants certified by StarForce can produce protected discs (certification procedure can be carried out specifically for a plant chosen by client)
CD-R/DVD-R Protection It is best suited for software distributed in small batches on CD-R/DVD-R discs. In this case you can use special CD-R/DVD-R discs designed by StarForce. Such discs do not require any key, and authentication validation occurs automatically at the first start of a protected application. It is an ideal choice for short runs that can be burned at home or at the office

Supported optical storage media


StarForce CD-Recordable (680 MB capability) StarForce DVD-Recordable (4490 MB capability)
CD-ROM (700 MB capability) DVD-ROM-5 (4.7 GB capability) и DVD-ROM-9 (8.5 GB capability)

Supported operating systems


Windows Vista 32/64-bit Windows 7 32/64-bit
Windows 8 32/64-bit Windows 10 32/64-bit
Windows Server 32/64-bit

Try StarForce Universal

News

16.02.2023
We have released a new version of StarForce Reader for Android
19.01.2023
We have released a new version of StarForce Reader for iOS
13.01.2023
We have released a new version of StarForce Reader for macOS
26.12.2022
We have released a new version of StarForce Reader for Windows
Copy protection of audios and videos for Apple macOS
Data protection on USB