AP25 games what does this mean????
Posted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 4:39 pm
AP25 and YOU:
First off, FIFA 09 is not an AP25 title. Currently the only AP25 titles is Fable 3, assassin's creed brotherhood WITH MORE TO COME.
What is AP25? Anti-Piracy 2.5 Simply put, its an updated security layer on both the disc and in the game files.
There is a lot of confusion on how AP25 actually works, many people just make something up or attempt to make it sound far more technical (scarier)
than it really is.
Like the security system outlined above AP25 should work in the same way but with an added check. When you attempt to boot the game
(yes, boot the game, AP25 does not activate when the disc is inserted or installed to HDD) AP25 kicks in and asks the DVD drive to check some things
on another security layer. If you have a backup of an AP25 title in the drive this check will fail because those security layers do not
exist on the backup. Because AP25 is new, the current LT firmware does not have the ability to fake a response or look somewhere
else for this security info if you are trying to play a backup copy. If you have the original retail disc in the drive the AP25 check will pass
because the drive is able to location the security layer and return the proper response. When LT is released it should support this new
security feature and be able to answer future AP25 checks without the retail disc. This is being referred to as SSv3 (our new fake security layer
for backups).
What about the Nov. 1 Dash update? (Kinect Dash):
Dash update is safe. The only reason an old dashboard will not fail an AP25 check and the new dashboard will is old dashboards do not support
the new security feature. Basically before the dashboard update on Nov.1 the 360 didn't look for AP25 because it didn't know it was supposed to.
The new dashboard now has that support built in. Other than that, its just a dashboard update.
Why do people say Samsung and Hitachi drives are safe? Is my LiteOn/BenQ not safe?:
Some drives may be physically unable to read this new security layer (AP25 layer) and thus are considered "safe" from the new AP25 checks.
LiteOn and BenQ drives are able to read this layer and when asked by an AP25 title they will.
So, can I replace my 360's drive with a Samsung to be safe?
No. A drive is locked to the 360 it shipped with and cannot be swapped out. There is a method known as "spoofing"(copying some of the drive
info to make the xbox think its the original) that will allow another drive to work. This is NOT a safe way to avoid AP25 checks. Even though
the drive works, when an AP25 title asks for the check to be performed, your xbox will still "think" it has the original drive, so if it was a
LiteOn or BenQ before then it will attempt to check even if it can't. If the check doesn't pass then your xbox will fail.
What happens if I fail an AP25 check?:
If you happen to fail and AP25 check for any reason your xbox will record this failure and your console will report back to MS that this check
has failed. Currently it is believed Microsoft is collecting data for another ban wave using this information. Being flagged doesn't guarantee a ban,
but MS is aware that your xbox did not pass.
I've also heard AP25 could be added to older games with a title update?! Is this true?:
Yes and No.
Because AP25 is triggered by the game boot file it is thought that MS could add this new security check to older games.
AP25 checks could only be added if the original disc had an AP25 security layer to begin with.
**If I fail an AP25 check will it prevent me from playing other backups?
No. When an AP25 title fails the test it does in fact return an unreadable/dirty disc error. Essentially, it is looking for something that cannot
be found on the disc so the error comes back as unreadable/dirty disc. This is ONLY for the failed AP25 title and will ONLY happen on the backup.
If you failed an AP25 check with say a Fable III backup, you can play with the retail disc just fine because when it looks for the AP25 information
it will find it. Failing the AP25 check will not prevent other non-AP25 titles from playing nor will it prevent you from playing legit retail copies
of the AP25 title even after failure. There is no corruption or dirty MS tricks involved with this, the backup disc you are attempting to
play (AP25 title) really is unreadable since the AP25 data isn't there.
First off, FIFA 09 is not an AP25 title. Currently the only AP25 titles is Fable 3, assassin's creed brotherhood WITH MORE TO COME.
What is AP25? Anti-Piracy 2.5 Simply put, its an updated security layer on both the disc and in the game files.
There is a lot of confusion on how AP25 actually works, many people just make something up or attempt to make it sound far more technical (scarier)
than it really is.
Like the security system outlined above AP25 should work in the same way but with an added check. When you attempt to boot the game
(yes, boot the game, AP25 does not activate when the disc is inserted or installed to HDD) AP25 kicks in and asks the DVD drive to check some things
on another security layer. If you have a backup of an AP25 title in the drive this check will fail because those security layers do not
exist on the backup. Because AP25 is new, the current LT firmware does not have the ability to fake a response or look somewhere
else for this security info if you are trying to play a backup copy. If you have the original retail disc in the drive the AP25 check will pass
because the drive is able to location the security layer and return the proper response. When LT is released it should support this new
security feature and be able to answer future AP25 checks without the retail disc. This is being referred to as SSv3 (our new fake security layer
for backups).
What about the Nov. 1 Dash update? (Kinect Dash):
Dash update is safe. The only reason an old dashboard will not fail an AP25 check and the new dashboard will is old dashboards do not support
the new security feature. Basically before the dashboard update on Nov.1 the 360 didn't look for AP25 because it didn't know it was supposed to.
The new dashboard now has that support built in. Other than that, its just a dashboard update.
Why do people say Samsung and Hitachi drives are safe? Is my LiteOn/BenQ not safe?:
Some drives may be physically unable to read this new security layer (AP25 layer) and thus are considered "safe" from the new AP25 checks.
LiteOn and BenQ drives are able to read this layer and when asked by an AP25 title they will.
So, can I replace my 360's drive with a Samsung to be safe?
No. A drive is locked to the 360 it shipped with and cannot be swapped out. There is a method known as "spoofing"(copying some of the drive
info to make the xbox think its the original) that will allow another drive to work. This is NOT a safe way to avoid AP25 checks. Even though
the drive works, when an AP25 title asks for the check to be performed, your xbox will still "think" it has the original drive, so if it was a
LiteOn or BenQ before then it will attempt to check even if it can't. If the check doesn't pass then your xbox will fail.
What happens if I fail an AP25 check?:
If you happen to fail and AP25 check for any reason your xbox will record this failure and your console will report back to MS that this check
has failed. Currently it is believed Microsoft is collecting data for another ban wave using this information. Being flagged doesn't guarantee a ban,
but MS is aware that your xbox did not pass.
I've also heard AP25 could be added to older games with a title update?! Is this true?:
Yes and No.
Because AP25 is triggered by the game boot file it is thought that MS could add this new security check to older games.
AP25 checks could only be added if the original disc had an AP25 security layer to begin with.
**If I fail an AP25 check will it prevent me from playing other backups?
No. When an AP25 title fails the test it does in fact return an unreadable/dirty disc error. Essentially, it is looking for something that cannot
be found on the disc so the error comes back as unreadable/dirty disc. This is ONLY for the failed AP25 title and will ONLY happen on the backup.
If you failed an AP25 check with say a Fable III backup, you can play with the retail disc just fine because when it looks for the AP25 information
it will find it. Failing the AP25 check will not prevent other non-AP25 titles from playing nor will it prevent you from playing legit retail copies
of the AP25 title even after failure. There is no corruption or dirty MS tricks involved with this, the backup disc you are attempting to
play (AP25 title) really is unreadable since the AP25 data isn't there.
