it is a GamersGate download so Ubisoft are not directly involved. I think it has something to do with the BIOS being UEFI from what I have read, but what the connection might be evades me. I did find the Tages uninstall tool, but it does not seem to work on here - the activation box comes up even after they are supposedly uninstalled. I moved the two Tages driver files out of System32, and that did not help either, so am going to see if there is anything running in the background in Services and through Process Explorer. If push comes to shove I can always try running the Gold DVD I have squirreled away somewhere, but I would prefer to use the online version if I can crack it!
well, that was a frustrating exercise as the 'uninstall' info from Tages site did not match the reality of what files, hidden or not, are on my system, or in the registry, and despite me eliminating every trace of Tages files and drivers that I could locate, that bloomin' activation message was still coming up - so I scrubbed the download version and found the old DVD ( with a key) and installed that - and whaddya know, it did not ask me for the key, and, best of all, I don't need to keep the disk in, so I am on the wet stuff again and happy. One thing I don't like is the blue-ness of the water, but I can probably find a mod to modify that. TMO and the patch is on, and 'stop the shouting', so I am good to go. Cap'n Pawz She-Wolf is sailing again!