game install question

from GalCiv2 Forums

Hi, recently I decided I wanted to play an old game, Titan Quest, but I lost the CD Key. However, my computer crashed after I bought it, and I got a new hard drive in addition to my old one. I don't remember why, but we reinstalled windows on the new hard drive and partitioned it. My old hard drive has the same windows and all of the files and games my new hard drive does up to the point were they were partitioned and I switched to using my new one. Until now, it has just sat there, I haven't ever used it but it is in my computer. I tried putting in the game CD, and it asked me if I wanted to install and there was no play option. So I tried loading the game from the old hard drive, and it worked, but it wouldn't let me play, it said I had invalid CD key. Since I couldn't find the CD key, I just tried copying the entire game with all my saves over to my new hard drive, but same thing happened.

So my question is, is there any way to play my game without buying a new one? It worked before I had the new hard drive, I don't know exactly what the difference is but my guess is it's something like the reason why my new hard drive windows is running instead of the old hard drive's, even though they're the same copy.

17,479 views 6 replies
Reply #1 from Elemental Forums Top

Just find a cracked key online. You own it, and it is not your fault their DRM won't let you play the game you bought. After all, what better way to get around the annoying copy protection than by using someone else's key?

Reply #2 from Demigod Forums Top

the reason why my new hard drive windows is running instead of the old hard drive's, even though they're the same copy.
End of quote

More or less. The CD key was most likely stored in the registry or app data folder, but since you reinstalled windows, that old registry is lost. If you can still boot from the old drive and export the game's registry keys/appdata, you may be able to recover it.

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Reply #3 from Stardock Forums Top

So, alway, we should just send him your serial numbers, then?

Your advocating piracy and dats not good.

 

Reply #4 from Sins Forums Top

Have you contacted THQ for help? Perhaps they can supply you with a new key? Or help you get your old one?

Reply #5 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

I did contact THQ, they said they couldn't replace my CD key. I don't know how to find a cracked CD key, or how to boot from my old hard drive. I think I should be able to, my old hard drive is intact, is doing that complicated? And how do I find the keys and appdata to copy it?

Reply #6 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

my old hard drive is intact, is doing that complicated?
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Not really, though if you're not familiar with doing hardware work on your machine, you may want to get some techie help close at hand. Mostly though you'd just need to swap the cables on the drives; as long as no other hardware has changed in any major way it should come right up.