CD Key on an old copy

[propbeanie]

Originally Posted by Aktungbby

b34856! on the surface after a 7-year 'silent run" (since 11/9/16)! The infamous seven year itch strikes again! If no one comes to the CD key rescue, a PM to Propbeanie is your best CoA on SHIV problems.

Seven years - wow! - lol - I don't know about putting much faith in that propbeanie fellow though... after all, b34856 could remember his old log-in from 2010, I could not remember mine back when...
anyway...

Originally Posted by b34856

Hi all, good to be back on subsim. Hard to believe I registered over 10 years ago or even still remembered my login info.

I've recently had a hankering to play some old SH4. I have my old modded copy which has made the jump just fine now from at least two computers. However, when I start it on my new computer, it asks for a CD Key. I don't recall ever having a CD key, and if I did, its been long lost since 2007. Is there any way around the CD key problem? It's a legit copy I think I got a school book fair way back when. I've never had trouble just copying the entire file over to a new PC before. Not sure whats up now. Is it worth emailing ubisoft support? I guess I could just buy a new copy, I'm sure they are cheap, but I'd really rather not at this point. I paid my hard earned bucks in 2007 darn it!

I'm running WIN 10, and if it matters I've got TMO and RSRDC_TMO_V502 and RSRDC_V5xx_Patch1 installed.

... there is indeed a CD "key" with the disk versions of the game. It usually found on the back of the folded Key Commands card put in the lid of the disk case, and it would be "SH4-" plus four sets of 4 characters following. If you happen to have your old case, you'll find it in that. However, if you purchased in 2007, you probably have an older v1.0.x or v1.3 at best of the game, and do not have the "U-Boat Missions Add-On", which brings the game up to v1.5, which is the best / most-stable / most-easily-moddable version of the game (opinions will differ on "best"). Probably 90% or more of the mods still available online are for the v1.5 "Gold Edition" (SH4 plus "U-Boat Missions Add-On). However, there are plenty of good mods available for v1.4 of the game, though it can be somewhat difficult to find them.

Now, things to check are your computer's "clock" in the systray. You might have to "update time". The US just did the "fall back", and if you have an older computer like mine, it might now be holding an incorrect time setting. That will throw Windows "validation" thingies into a tizzy if your clock is set incorrectly. Next up, you could try running TDW's SH Validator, choosing "SH4" when it opens, and then navigating to the folder where you have the game. When SH Validator then pops up with a window that tells you that the path is not in the Windows registry, and "do you want to change the registry?", tell it yes, and see if that helps. I have my doubts about that though, since you probably do not have any entries for SH4 in the registry to begin with. If you have the old install available, you could search in the registry there, but besides it being rather complex (there is a myriad of locations in the registry with SH4, SHIV, Silent Hunter 4, Ubisoft, etc), having the old computer is necessary. It would be easier to find the old case and insert...

As to purchasing a "new" copy, it is priced "regularly" at $10 US on the Ubisoft US store:

Silent Hunter 4 = DLC - PC (DIGITAL)

It is also available on Steam, but Steam has it divided into "Silent Hunter: Wolves of the Pacific", which is basically v1.3 of the game, and "U-Boat Missions Add-On", which makes it v1.5. You do have to purchase both versions to make the Steam install an equivalent "Gold Edition" (v1.5) of the game. Which will basically double the cost of the game to the end user...

However, it is getting close to the US Thanksgiving holiday, and both Ubi and Steam should be putting their games "On Sale" shortly, and they will generally go for 3 or 4 US dollars (each) then. Steam will sometimes do a "package" with SH3, SH4, the Add-On, and Silent Hunter 5 for one "Sale" price.

Short of finding your DVD case, or purchasing a new copy of the game, there is not much hope. You could email Ubisoft tech support and see what they say, which would take probably a week anyway to get a reply, but I wouldn't hold much hope in that. However, they might offer you a new copy for a discount of their regular price?... maybe. Sorry I'm not much help...

[1Patriotofmany]

I'll just add mine is on the back of the manual. I bought the one with "bonus material included" on the big case. Not that it matters, you mentioned you lost or threw that stuff away. This is the precise reason I'm a packrat at the expense of a cluttered house. I used to save old nuts and bolts and screws, brackets, cables, computer stuff ect.. Eventually I throw it away and what happens then? A week later I need something I just threw away....


Good luck with ubisoft. Personally I wouldn't waste my time, I hate the fact that I've bought numerous games on Steam that I already have on old cd's, but it's just not worth the hassle and I pony up the cash rather than deal with the aggravation.