SafeCast

This article is about the discontinued computer software. For the radiation measurements network Safecast.org, see Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

SafeCast was a registered trademark for Macrovision's legacy software protection system. Safecast features product activation (via telephone, or through internet), and executable wrapping technology. SafeCast can be easily defeated with a keygen.^{[citation needed]}

Controversy

SafeCast overrides operating-system security and safeguards and writes directly to the boot track of the local disk as part of its operation.^{[citation needed]} TurboTax, Intuit's tax-preparation software product, uses SafeCast in some versions, and the protection scheme has been blamed for a wide variety of problems with product activation and use, leading Intuit to partially remove the technology.^{[citation needed]} Adobe also uses a version of SafeCast for its CS products, and has had similar but less frequent problems, particularly with certain types of disk configurations (RAID, multiple-boot), but continues to use the technology for copy protection.^{[citation needed]}

Dangers

SafeCast with old versions of TrueCrypt can leave a machine in an unbootable state. This is a problem of SafeCast Protection and not TrueCrypt. The makers of TrueCrypt, however, have further insulated the drives from external writes in the later versions, and it can now handle this protection scheme with no damage to data.

Removing SafeCast

SafeCast nests itself into the user's computer deeply and therefore it can be quite challenging to remove all of its components. The procedure of removing SafeCast includes the deletion of several files, the removal of information from the Windows registry as well as manipulating data directly of the hard drive.

SafeCasted Applications

• AutoCAD
• Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English
• Puyo Puyo Fever (Japanese)
• Typing of the Dead (Japanese)
• All Adobe products included in the CS series

See also

• SafeDisc
• WebCops
• Product activation

External links

• Intuit to use kinder, gentler version of SafeCast - May, 2003 (link removed due to page no longer existing)
• Intuit Soothes DRM Fears with TurboTax Uninstaller - January, 2003
• Intuit press release on independent testing - press release, February 24, 2003
• Intuit licenses SafeCast - press release, September 5, 2002
• Intuit continues use of SafeCast - press release, May 15, 2003
• Intuit scrambles to ease TurboTax woes - January, 2003
• Intuit pours oil on TurboTax troubles - January, 2003
• Adobe tries out DRM in Photoshop - July, 2003