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I have a question.
Is there a means to find out if there is any DRM installed on one's computer?
I mean if you do not even know if it is there or not, and do not know the name of the DRM if it is there.
If there is, would you please give step-by-step instructions on how to go about it?
Thanks
There's a SecuROM removal tool available from their site. Starforce offer something similar. I'm not sure about Tages though. But odds are they do too.
Post edited January 27, 2010 by Navagon
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Faithful: I have a question.
Is there a means to find out if there is any DRM installed on one's computer?

Thankfully, yes!
PROTECTiON iD
I use this to scan demos and new games I get (and after applying some patches if I think it's changing the exe out).
The official Tages install/removal tool works well (I've tested it and it does just what it says it does), though I've never tried the SecuROM removal tool. RYG has directions to semi-manually remove it here.
If the official tool works, it may be easier to use it instead of following those instructions. However if you're comfortable with setting up a batch script, you would only really have to manually do the RYG steps once.
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Faithful: I have a question.
Is there a means to find out if there is any DRM installed on one's computer?

You can check your games against this list to determine what MIGHT be on your system. Also, Googling a DRM usually turns up file names to look for as well.
I don't know of a tool to do what you mention . . . it would be nice to have . . .=)
@deoren Thanks for this link . . .didn't know about that utility . . .=)
Hummnn . . . Utility crashed on my laptop with Vista.
Edit: Tages install/uninstall info
Post edited January 27, 2010 by Stuff
Thanks for the replies. It seems there is no simple way to check for an unknown DRM.
It is not a DRM installed by a game, but a money budgeting program. It never mentioned it had DRM attached to it, but after install it then created a "Deactivate" menu item.
I do not want to deactivate the program, but eradicate the DRM itself.
Any other ideas?
If you want to play the game without the DRM, what you are looking for is called a "crack", and is pretty illegal. So don't ask here.
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Faithful: Thanks for the replies. It seems there is no simple way to check for an unknown DRM.
It is not a DRM installed by a game, but a money budgeting program. It never mentioned it had DRM attached to it, but after install it then created a "Deactivate" menu item.
I do not want to deactivate the program, but eradicate the DRM itself.
Any other ideas?

Usually, if you squash the DRM, the program doesn't work. Not knowing what program it is makes it hard to speculate on a solution. Depending on the country of origin the "Deactivate" menu item could simply mean uninstall.
Intuit used some CDilla on older apps but I think that was abandoned and another DRM implemented.
Post edited January 27, 2010 by Stuff
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Faithful: Thanks for the replies. It seems there is no simple way to check for an unknown DRM.
It is not a DRM installed by a game, but a money budgeting program. It never mentioned it had DRM attached to it, but after install it then created a "Deactivate" menu item.
I do not want to deactivate the program, but eradicate the DRM itself.
Any other ideas?

What game is it? The DRM may have been patched out by the publisher. If not then yes, what you're effectively asking for is a crack.
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Gundato: If you want to play the game without the DRM, what you are looking for is called a "crack", and is pretty illegal. So don't ask here.

What are you talking about? Please read the posts before you accuse people of illegal actions. Try reading just for a moment and you would have seen I am not talking about Game.
I want to find the DRM that this program installed so I can REMOVE it not crack it. I know this means the program will not work; I just want the DRM gone.
avatar
Faithful: Thanks for the replies. It seems there is no simple way to check for an unknown DRM.
It is not a DRM installed by a game, but a money budgeting program. It never mentioned it had DRM attached to it, but after install it then created a "Deactivate" menu item.
I do not want to deactivate the program, but eradicate the DRM itself.
Any other ideas?
avatar
Stuff: Usually, if you squash the DRM, the program doesn't work. Not knowing what program it is makes it hard to speculate on a solution. Depending on the country of origin the "Deactivate" menu item could simply mean uninstall.
Intuit used some CDilla on older apps but I think that was abandoned and another DRM implemented.

The program is called CommonCents. Here is the link
However, it only installs the DRM (I am guessing) after you buy the full version; which I did.
Post edited January 27, 2010 by Faithful
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Gundato: If you want to play the game without the DRM, what you are looking for is called a "crack", and is pretty illegal. So don't ask here.
avatar
Faithful: What are you talking about? Please read the posts before you accuse people of illegal actions. Try reading just for a moment and you would have seen I am not talking about Game.
I want to find the DRM that this program installed so I can REMOVE it not crack it. I know this means the program will not work; I just want the DRM gone.

Apologies, I'll make sure I read your posts before responding in the future.
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Faithful: I do not want to deactivate the program, but eradicate the DRM itself.
Any other ideas?

Wait, I DID read your post, and I responded to it :p. I guess "do not want to deactivate" means "Want to make it stop working, but not uninstall it". C'est la vie.
Hopefully magic edit works again.
Seriously though, what you are asking for is beyond the grey area and into the illegal area. I suggest asking somewhere else.
Post edited January 27, 2010 by Gundato
Deactivate means uninstalling but likely the DRM is still in place. So, I am not interested in that. I want to eradicate the DRM which means removing the DRM and also the program with it.
It is not a gray area.
Let me say it as plainly as possible.
1. I want to locate the DRM this program installed.
2. I want to remove the DRM the program installed.
3. I want to remove the program itself so I will no longer have the DRM.
Post edited January 27, 2010 by Faithful
I tried a quick search about thier DRM but I wasn't able to find anything. The only solution I have in mind is the brutal but radical : FORMAT C:\
Post edited January 27, 2010 by Narakir
I could not find anything relating to DRM for CommonCents. Seems to be a small indie dev so they may not use DRM due to the costs involved. Saw it offered as shareware as well and also . . .the contact was a snail-mail address.
I did find one short reference to "deactivating" on-line accounts. I don't know the app but . . . maybe it created an on-line account that can be deactivated?? Maybe a backup feature? Sorry, not much help . . .=)
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Faithful: Deactivate means uninstalling but likely the DRM is still in place. So, I am not interested in that. I want to eradicate the DRM which means removing the DRM and also the program with it.
It is not a gray area.
Let me say it as plainly as possible.
1. I want to locate the DRM this program installed.
2. I want to remove the DRM the program installed.
3. I want to remove the program itself so I will no longer have the DRM.

Some of those DRM programs give it access to the Kernal... Which means, FORMAT C:\ is Really the only way without messing with your registry.... which if you mess up you might as well format it
Type REGEDIT in the run menu... scroll down... if you see SecuROM you will not be able to delete it but it is the easy way to check to see if it is there.
Post edited January 27, 2010 by akwater
Hummnn, re-formatting is a last resort for me (although sometimes necessary) I would try Process Explorer first and see if there are any unusual processes running. Do a regedit search for CommonCents entries that point you to dll's or exe's that it runs.
Also, I like CCleaner for registry cleanups after an uninstall. Works well for me for several years
Edit: CommonCents probably didn't install SecuROM (UA7SERVICE.EXE.) rather a game or other app. If you disable SecuROM any games or apps depending on it stop working. Took me two days to get the null registry entries deleted . . =)
Post edited January 27, 2010 by Stuff