Out of no where Invalid CD Key!

[BudJar(UK)]

Please don't flame me for posting this problem as I know it something alot of people have suffered with and that there are multiple threads on how to resolve the issue.

I have the notorious invalid cd key error. Have latest fully patched bf2 and sf game playing quite normally for several weeks. I'd been playing quite normally the night before last and then the following evening I launch the game and hey presto invalid cd key. Flummoxed! (not spelt right i know). I've been through this before, so I check my erg folders in the registry, the cd keys are there quite happy.

I have the ea downloaded version of SF and have now backed up in preparation for a complete reinstall of the whole (should it come to that). However do i really need to do this. Why oh why all of sudden i get invalid cd key?

Alot of the threads i've checked out maybe be outdated dated now. Can anyone please advise me of the latest thread, resolve fix where ever it is?

The only thing I suspicious about it is that the cd keys are in plain text in the erg folders, are they not meant to be encrypted? I've exported these keys too, as they may be needed to reinstall.

Please I hope that I dont have to reinstall complete again. Another thing I tried was to restore my xp to the day before where i knew it was working fine. This did not resolve.

Any sound advice would be most welcome!

BudJar

[Major-BG]

Re: Out of no where Invalid CD Key!

well has your account on xp's pass changed beause that is what happened to me my dad changed the passes and I had to redownload bf2 because when I tryed to go into a server it said cdkey invalid.

[Gunny Highway]

Re: Out of no where Invalid CD Key!

Alot of the threads i've checked out maybe be outdated dated now. Can anyone please advise me of the latest thread, resolve fix where ever it is?

Did you take a look at the thread at top of Support Forum? The one called Invalid CD Key

If you aren't using the same Windows account that you previously did, then it would explain it. The thread I quote in thread above says it doesn't work for that kind of situations, but it did for me. Take a look and try it out.

[BudJar(UK)]

Re: Out of no where Invalid CD Key!

Hi, thanks...

Nope, haven't changed my XP account pw... As I said nothing had changed from playing completely normal the night before to the next day when it suddenly came up with error.

Gunny, the invalid cd key fix sticky I haven't followed yet because it was described that in the the ergc folder that the cd key would appear like x9392only. However my cd key is there! I suppose I shall edit and re-enter the same key again. Even the BF SF key is there too. I will manually re-enter them both and let you know how I got on.

Cheers for replying chaps

BudJar

[<}US{>BlackHawkPilot73]

Re: Out of no where Invalid CD Key!

you had to "I had to redownload bf2" i guess we have a piratier there then.

[t_c]

Re: Out of no where Invalid CD Key!

you had to "I had to redownload bf2" i guess we have a piratier there then.

makes no difference if you have a legit key.

[.:NITl2O:.]

Re: Out of no where Invalid CD Key!

SAME THING HAPPENED TO ME. Don't panic. I have BF2 DL'ed onto MY account on XP. My mom has her own account, but the icon still is on her desktop. I onced tried to open it from there, and it read 'invalid cd-key' letting me only play singleplayer. You must be on the account from which you DL'ed the program in order to play, or else punkbuster won't even let you login.

[Gunny Highway]

Re: Out of no where Invalid CD Key!

you had to "I had to redownload bf2" i guess we have a piratier there then.

He probably meant BF2:SF : http://www.downloader.ea.com/en_US/bf2sf

[deceiver]

Re: Out of no where Invalid CD Key!

I had that problem too once when I was messing with the cdkeycheck,exe in the SF foler, clicked it for fun, right after I got the invalid cd key in SF. Though a reinstall of both BF2 and SF fixed it.

*Note to self: don't mess with BF2 folder.

[BudJar(UK)]

Re: Out of no where Invalid CD Key!

I now have a major suspect, and that is that the root of this problem of mine and many other people is that it has been caused by a punkbuster update! This has been causing skipping, bsod's decreased performance and invalid cd keys! I've seen loads of references to it in many forums.

Just great, I hope a fix comes along soon

BudJar

[Palerider]

Re: Out of no where Invalid CD Key!

I now have a major suspect, and that is that the root of this problem of mine and many other people is that it has been caused by a punkbuster update! This has been causing skipping, bsod's decreased performance and invalid cd keys! I've seen loads of references to it in many forums.

Just great, I hope a fix comes along soon

BudJar

I've had the same problem... Been playing the game quite happily for a month now and suddenly today, my cd key is invalid.:wall:

It tells me to buy an origional copy, which I have sitting here right in front of me...

I hope that it is the punkbuster update. I've spent most of today uninstalling then re-installing the game, checking the regedit files and generally faffing about in a futile attempt to get it to work.:cussing:

[BudJar(UK)]

Re: Out of no where Invalid CD Key!

Palerider,

Not good is it... I elected not to go through the pain of reinstalling in the hope that new pb update would cure. I updated pb and still invalid cd key. Now i'm uninstalling and reinstalling. I will be really annoyed that if even after a reinstall i get the same problem.

Let me know if you have success m8

BudJar

[Palerider]

Re: Out of no where Invalid CD Key!

Pffff... No joy yet...

[Scrylos]

Re: Out of no where Invalid CD Key!

So it's punkbuster? I got the same problem, and I can tell you from experience that reinstalling won't help. Neither will the fixes.

[Palerider]

Re: Out of no where Invalid CD Key!

So it's punkbuster? I got the same problem, and I can tell you from experience that reinstalling won't help. Neither will the fixes.

Considering that the problem with the suddenly "invalid cd key" started the same time as the punkbuster update last Friday I assumed that was the cause...

However, I got a reply from punkbuster saying that the invalid cd key is an EA issue and nothing to do with them... Looks like I'm gonna have to get on the phone to EA...