Biowshock Demo (removal)

It hasn't installed SecuROM on my Demo. I think False Positives are starting to come from more than just Rootkit Revealer.

Since this is only the second person I've read to make the claim I think what's happening is they are getting it installed by other previously installed programs and detecting it now.

There are a number of articles that claim that just installing the demo installs securom onto your machine. Here is another. How many do you want?

http://www.privacydigest.com/2007/08/25/bioshock+demo+installs+securom+service+gamingbob+com

A quote from the article: "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."

I am not saying that it does this definitively all I am doing is reporting on it. I also have read that people that dl from Steam have not reported this problem.

Here is a quote from Securom and a response regarding this question:
" SecuROM DOES NOT USE any root kit technology in its implementation. SecuROM Product Activation does place a folder and registry keys on your system. These folders are used only for storage of license information and information to assist with disc authentication. Please do not modify or delete these files. Tampering these files may result in authentication issues."

And a typical response:

"Oh, I tampered all right. I tampered, and I’d do it again. And AGAIN. I don’t know about you guys, but AIDSware or not, I’m very selective about what kind of software and registry keys are installed on my machine, especially when said software is notorious for wreaking instability - no thanks."

Finally what is mentioned in a number of places is that once you uninstall the game or the demo if the securom reg keys were installed they are not removed with the uninstall.

And a bit of light at the end of the tunnel 2k is paddling hard here:

http://www.2kgames.com/cultofrapture/home.html

Though this does not relate to the registry keys it is likely that a tool to remove them will soon be forthcoming.

It was reported by several sites about the demo but I've only one seen one person actually make the claim and post his found SecuROM key on 2k's forums. I've been following this with some details for days now and I'm

Two people followed up and tried to duplicate this but could not even when using MS's Registry Revealer.

If this was a simple Registry entry then anyone should be able to find the same thing with REGEDIT and do a find for SecuROM. I did this myself and could find nothing.

I'll install Registry Revealer tonight and check again.

On Steam's post on the SecuROM, does Steam also allow download of the Demo? Because that's what we're talking about here not the full game. The full game definitely comes with SecuROM.

Do a scan of your registry with that MS application and see if SecuROM comes up without having the demo instaleld. Then if you're a gambling man downlaod and install the Demo, and run it again. Even if it comes up uninstall the Demo and run Rootkit Revealer again to see if finds the the key again.

This is the internet age, misinformation spreads like wildfire. I've had people tell me stories of their Aunt's new dog she found in Mexico, people with kidney's missing, and umpteen times about not flashing your headlights to someone who has their's off in the dark (it's a gang sign), but it does mean it's true.

The best thing to do is if possible to test things for yourself and not take someone else's word for it.

Here is a rather loud warning from The Inquirer:

http://www.theinquirer.net/default.aspx?article=41921

And the 2k forums page:

http://forums.2kgames.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=42

Notice all the locked and deleted topics in the tech support area?
Nuff said. I'm out on this one.

you should stay on topic. there are umpteen threads about this now.

The topic is Bioshock Demo and the possibility of SecuROM loaded with it. A zillion internet news sites parotting that there's a rootkit in the full game itself is not proof of a problem on the demo.

I'll post again when I've done the above. Then I will have proof for myself.

There is a significant issue here with 'parroting' - there are 'facts' that come from one place, are 'reported' in 25 and then second-and-third sourced from there and all of a sudden you have 100 articles based on one unsubstantiated claim.

I'm not abdicating 2K's responsibility for all of this stuff, but the hysteria level is really absurd ...

My last post on this subject:
http://www.twitchguru.com/2007/08/27/bioshock_drm/

I don't get your whole 'I've said it, now I'm out' thing. Isn't the purpose of a forum to have *discussions*? And as others have pointed out - you created a thread about the *DEMO* and have basically been posting stuff about the FULL GAME. So exactly how does this prove anything?