"Activation Limit Exceeded" on startup

[Cybermat47]

For some reason, when I try to start SH4, it asks me for the CD key. I enter the one I received when I purchased the game on GamersGate, only to receive the following message: Request refused by server : Activation limit exceeded with this serial number.

Please contact technical support for more information.

I haven't uninstalled the game at all, and I only installed it once with this CD key. I did move the game folder to a new hard drive at one point, could that be what's caused the problem? And do I really only get one activation per key?

Apart from buying a game I've already payed for, are there any other solutions to this?

And just in case, is the Steam version of SH4 fully compatible with mods? If so, I might just get that to avoid this nonsense in the future.

[propbeanie]

The Steam version is OK for mods, but does cause some extra work for you. Do you have an older version from GamersGate, and then added v1.5 Uboat Missions download from Ubisoft on top of the disk install? I did that with one of my SH4 copies, and got that same message when trying to apply the Uboat Missions. But even if you've got the Gold Edition, contact Ubisoft Tech Support (support.ubisoft.com in US). You'll have to open a support case, which there is a button toward the bottom of the page to "Sign in...", from which you can create a log-in ID. I think you have to log-in again for follow-ups. A couple of years ago, it took them like two days to get back with me, and then asked me the same questions I had already supplied the answers to in the first support mail... but they did finally send me a new Uboat Missions download (which has since expired again... :hmmm: ), but at least they did respond, and they did get me going.