GamersGate serial

[Mogg 1]

Second Edit

I just wanted to come back and edit this one to say that the GamersGate serial does not seem to have been the problem. It's been a while with the new serial they gave me which was originally showing the same issues, and the problem seems to have cleared itself up over time. Maybe the auth servers were having problems or something with all the new players. I can now play on most OA and DayZ servers, though I still get bad cd key for maybe 30% of attempts.

I haven't changed anything with my installs nor my machine, so I can only assume the problem wasn't my end.

End Second Edit

-Edit Ah, my PM's are working now I have made a post. I forgot to mention that I had attempted to PM Placebo but received an error.

Should I do this? I assume he's rather buried in requests at the moment.

I have seen the Steam key threads also, but didn't post in them for obvious reasons :)

Hello,

I saw the thread below this one talking about the Amazon serial problems. I thought it best not to add a 'that's my problem too' in there. Apologies if that was the wrong choice.

I purchased Arma2 and Operation Arrowhead from GamersGate yesterday and cannot play these online as I get an error stating 'bad cd key'.

Is there someone I can provide my player ID or serials and proofs of purchase to so that it can be confirmed they are indeed valid. I'd like to be sure whether or not the keys at fault before I commence troubleshooting or contacting them. If this is possible, should I PM it, or is it safe to post my PID publicly?

I am running Windows 7 64 bit.

I run both Arma and Operation Arrowhead as administrator.

They are patched to 1.11 and 1.60 respectively.

I have restarted my machine since installing both of them.

I ran each as they were installed to create the relevant registry entries.

I have reinstalled several (4) times to ensure that I patched correctly.

Thank you for any assistance,

Mogg

Edited June 10, 2012 by Mogg

[Placebo 28]

There seems to be an issue with gamespy not receiving some of the new Amazon CD Keys (which then means they failed to authenticate) we're working on the problem right now so it's possible that Gamersgate and other digital retailers are having the same issue, fingers crossed it'll be fixed soon.

[Mogg 1]

Thanks for the assistance Placebo. That's a great help.

All the best,

Mogg

[Dwarden 1124]

if You will have issues after this weekend then i suggest You contact me with your serial number and we will look over it

[Mogg 1]

Hello,

First of all, thanks for Placebo for checking my key is indeed in the system, Dwarden for his suggestions and Nicholas for his welcome.

Issue: Bad Cd Key on joining multiplayer games in OA.

Original thread I shouldn't have closed to quickly: http://forums.bistudio.com/showthread.php?134502-GamersGate-serial

I'm going to continue to troubleshoot this and to make this easier, I'd like to ask a few questions in this thread to see if I can isolate the problem.

My first question is when installing from GamersGate, should I see the securom pop up on running OA for the first time?

I have two install process options:

Choice 1.

1) I install ArmA2 (1.10 by default), Install OA (1.57 by default) both to the same directory

2) Run Arma 2, Run OA

3) On running OA it asks me for the securom key, where I enter my normal key I used to install. It accepts and successfully activates.

4) Close games, restart and Patch to 1.6

All executables are run as administrator where possible (other than the ArmA2 base installer as GamersGate does not have a direct exe, only bin files)

Choice 2.

1) I install Arma2 and OA as above

2) Patch to 1.6 and 1.11 using combined ops patch

3) Run Arma 2, Run OA

3) On running OA I get no securom pop up

4) Close games, restart and play.

I recall reading that they should be launched individually before patching to 1.6 and launching as CO (choice 1), but I've been through a lot of information and can't find it again :P I'd like to confirm my current install is ok before proceeding.

Thanks,

Mogg

P.S. I think I'm going to attempt to find some network monitoring software to see what incomings and outgoings are actually reaching my machine and what files or reg keys they're trying to access on a server join attempt. I'm pretty sure my old software firewall did this. If I anyone more tech savvy could let me know if this is even viable, I'll begin down this route.

[W0lle 1042]

I merged your new thread with the old one. Please contact us if you want to add something to an existing but closed thread instead making a new one. :)

[Mogg 1]

Will do W0lle, thanks for the merge.

Just to update, I talked to GamersGate who informed me that they're talking to you guys about the OA keys, though Placebo has already checked my keys and they're in there. They said the issue should be resolved either yesterday or today.

I did find network monitoring software in the end, which shows OA successfully using 2302-2305 and reaching my local machine.

So at this point, I'm out of ideas. If it isn't resolved by the weekend, I'm going for the last resort and buying a new Router.

If anyone has any additional suggestions in the mean time, I'd appreciate it.

For reference, here's what I've tried:

Ensured the games are up to date and patched in the correct order

Ensured the servers I join run the same version

Re-installed the game multiple times, including to my OS hard drive instead of my games drive

Ran installers, games and patches as administrator

Ran each game in turn prior to patching, and entered the correct key on the Securom prompt (appears only when running OA for the first time)

Reformatted my machine

Checked with my ISP they were not blocking ports

Factory reset my router

Forwarded the relevant ports in my router

Allowed all IGMP traffic through the router

Assigned my computer a static IP and added it to the DMZ in my router

Attempted to connect through another router and ISP (Still D-Link though, just a newer one)

Used network monitoring software to ensure the game network requests were reaching my local machine (they are)

Talked to Placebo to check my keys are in the GameSpy database (they are)

Tried the beta patch

Downloaded the securom diagnostics tool to confirm securom keys were present (detected only OA, not ArmA2)

[W0lle 1042]

On running OA I get no securom pop up

This is odd, you always should see the checkboxes popup, no matter if you run the arma2.exe or the arma2oa.exe.

I recall reading that they should be launched individually before patching to 1.6 and launching as CO (choice 1), but I've been through a lot of information and can't find it again :P I'd like to confirm my current install is ok before proceeding.

To combine Arma2 and OA you need to do the following:

1) Install ArmA2 and run it once.

2) Install OA into the same folder where ArmA2 is installed at, and run it once. (This combines the two games)

3) Install the BAF and PMC DLCs if available

4) Install Patch 1.6 which updates all titles to their latest versions

I wouldn't purchase a new router, I had two D-Links before and never any problems with them and ArmA2 at all. Not even had to deal with DMZ and static IPs nor had to forward ports.

Do you have any other 'security software' installed which could cause a problem? Software Firewall, Microsoft Security Essentials or some Antivirus with 'Internet Security' packages?

[Joepino 10]

I have the same problem, I bought the game from steam and it worked fine for like 3 months but since last week that I'm having problems with my Arma, last sunday I've reinstalled my OS and that seemed to solve this problem but last night I've tried to join to a server and I get this "Bad CD Key", I dont want to reinstall my OS again because I'm sure that this will happen again, I've followed every FAQ and everything that support says but nothing works.

[Mogg 1]

Snip install order

Excellent, thanks for the confirmation. I have since re-installed again in the order you gave me here. I do indeed get a securom pop up for OA when doing things in this order. The problem persists, yet at least I know that's supposed to happen now.

Security-wise, my install of Win7 is a clean one. MS firewall is disbaled and no other security software.

This is odd, you always should see the checkboxes popup, no matter if you run the arma2.exe or the arma2oa.exe.

Ah now that is interesting. I get it on first run for OA, but never on first run with ArmA2, only on initial install when prompted for the keys. In fact, the securom diagnostics tool shows OA as the only securom product on my machine.

Just to confirm, you're saying that using your patch order above, on Arma2 first run I should get a securom pop up, and then after installing OA, I should also get a securom pop up for that on first run?

I wonder if this is something related to not having an exe for Arma2. I only have the GamersGate downloader in contrast to OA where I can run the install exe as administrator directly. The Arma2 files are 4 bin files, an Arma2.md5 and an unknown file called launch.

Paradoxically, I may install Demon tools pro as I saw it on my motherboard disk, and see if there's a setup.exe in Arma2.md5 that I can run as administrator. I have a feeling this may make the securom gods even angrier though :)

Off to unistall again :butbut:

-Edit Mounting the Md5 GamersGate gave me was a no go. I did manage to access the launcher though by running the GG downloader, taking the launcher from the temp files, placing it elsewhere, closing the initial launcher, replacing the copied one in to temp files location with the bins and running that as administrator.

Alas, the ArmA2 install is complete, and still no securom prompt on first run of it. Does the Sprocket version come unpatched? I might refund both of these and buy them from there instead.

I wonder if it has anything to do with the auto-patching to 1.10 built in to the installer knocking out the securom prompt. The Securom diagnostics tool still tells me I don't have ArmA2 activated on this machine.

Edited May 24, 2012 by Mogg

[W0lle 1042]

Then the Gamersgate installation might be different, can only speak for the Sprocket version I have here. This one has an arma2 and an arma2oa executable, where the arma2.exe becomes obsolete once the two games are combined.

The Sprocket version I have comes in v1.05 (ArmA2) and v1.52 (OA), not completely unpatched and up2date at the point I obtained it.

I can only guess here, but I would say the problem is the Gamersgate installer, not the game itself.

[Mogg 1]

- Edit progress!

I actually managed to get in to three servers! (out of about 20) and there is a pattern for the fails and successes. I took some screenshots to show what I'm talking about.

Every success goes as follows

1. Pick server and join http://tinypic.com/r/u8psj/6

2. Immediately presented with the team screen, I am automatically assigned without clicking anything http://tinypic.com/r/8vrcqd/6

3. Clicking OK enters the game successfully

Every failure goes as follows

1. Pick a server and join http://tinypic.com/r/atn0qh/6

2. Presented with a blank team screen http://tinypic.com/r/14mq93p/6

3. Hit OK

4. Receiving mission file stays at zero http://tinypic.com/r/2nkq36f/6

5. Kicked with Bad CD key error http://tinypic.com/r/n651k8/6

- End Edit

GamersGate being as good as they are got me a new OA Cd Key. Still a no go unfortunately, Bad Cd Key with OA.

On the up side, I can play ArmA2 multiplayer with no problems at all. No OA online or mods though.

I considered that it may have been the GG installer, however I would have thought they'd be inundated with similar requests if that was the case.

I wonder if that Cd Key check is local or looks at the key stored elsewhere (or both?). Maybe it's having difficulty finding the OA key in my registry. A path problem maybe? My Pings are in the 30's -50's, so I can't imagine it'd be timing out trying to locate it at my end.

Anyway I will continue to try to think of anything else I've missed and report back if I try anything else/fix it, though I think I've covered everything that I know how to.

In the mean time, if anyone reading should have any suggestions or could let me know you're playing successfully with the GamersGate Arma2 and Operation Arrowhead (bought independently, not Combined Ops) I'd appreciate that.

Thanks,

Mogg.

Edited May 29, 2012 by Mogg