Prompting for CD key...

[gusmeister]

How can I prevent Quake III from continuously prompting for the CD key. I
have the original CDs but do not want to leave them in the CD drive. Is
there a file or something that I can modify?

[fritistat]

Is it prompting for the key or the actual CD?

[gusmeister]

The CD key but I think if you leave the CD in the drive, Quake III will not
prompt you.

"fritistat" <fritista...@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:qLmcneLqEN6...@comcast.com...

[Inglo]

Well if you want to play without the CD just get the latest patch.
If you're having problems with the CD Key that's a different story.

--
"I'm hearing music from another time"

Steve [Inglo]

[Chicken]

On Thu, 16 Jan 2003 22:48:10 -0500, "gusmeister"
<gusmeiste...@sympatico.ca> :

No, cd in or out it will prompt you to enter the CD key if you do not
have a q3key file in your q3 baseq3 folder.

Now, is it asking you to enter the key or is it giving you the
"Invalid or miss typed CD-KEY" on the screen when you try to connect?

[Inglo]

I have no idea why, but something about this thread just made me, ahem, LOL.

[Jörg Gerlach]

Inglo schrieb:

>> Now, is it asking you to enter the key or is it giving you the
>> "Invalid or miss typed CD-KEY" on the screen when you try to connect?

If I may jump in: I always get a misstyped key warning when I want to
play... say ctf. I usually play cpma, sometimes OSP and the key works
with these two mods, but a few days ago I tried baseq3 and standard-ctf
and I couldn´t connect because of that error. You´ve got any idea, Inglo?

J.

[BDS]

Ah yeah - this invalid cd_key and mis-typed cd key is driving me nuts too.
It just started a couple of weeks ago. Out of the blue. I have read posts
in the Activision support forum ( http://www.activision.com/support ) that
recommend several things - And I quote:

---< snip >---

Invalid CD Key errors may occur for a wide number of reasons. The most
common causes of this error are configuration issues on the client (player)
machine or problems with your connection to the Id Authentication Server.

Ensure the server you are connecting to is not running a mod or custom game.
The frequency of CD Key errors has been known to increase when connecting to
some mod servers, especially those not fully compatible with the current
point release.

Manually enter your CD Key into the Q3KEY file on your hard drive.
1) Open Microsoft Wordpad.
2) Open the Q3KEY file on your drive. Please note the file does not have an
extension. By default the path is:

C:\Program Files\Quake III Arena\baseq3\q3key

3) Enter your complete CD Key in lower-case letters at the beginning of this
file. Do not use any formatting or spacing.
4) Save the file and try the game again.

You may also receive this error if you are moving rapidly between different
servers. The Master Server keeps a record of your CD Key, IP address, and
which server you're in. If you leave a server then jump into a new one the
Master Server may see this as multiple uses of the same key. Generally
speaking, it's a good idea to wait 5-10 minutes before joining a new server,
especially if you've been dropped from the previous server due to a
connection problem.

Be sure that your computer is not behind a software or hardware firewall of
any kind. This includes firewalls built into routers or other equipment, as
well as programs like Zone Alarm, Black Ice, and the integrated firewall in
Windows XP. Activision does not support the use of our games from behind a
firewall. If it is not possible to disable the firewall you will need to
open the ports for Quake III Arena. Quake III Arena transmits and receives
network traffic on ports 27950, 27960, 27965 and 27952 using both TCP and
UDP. The exact details on opening these ports is specific to your firewall.
For more information check with the firewall documentation or manufacturer.

Another common cause of problems is a poorly configured router or connection
sharing solution. If you are using a router, ICS, NAT or a software gateway
you may have problems playing on the internet. This is because the router
may not be forwarding the correct information back to your machine. It may
be possible to get around this problem using port forwarding or DMZ. You can
find more information on configuring shared connections for multiplayer
gaming at www.practicallynetworkd.com. Please be aware that like a firewall
we cannot actively support using shared connections to play online.

Use the in-game browser to search for and join servers. Third party
applications such as All Seeing Eye and those released by Gamespy may cause
Invalid Key problems.

If you are on a dynamic IP connection try renewing your IP address.
Windows 9x/ME
1) Click the Start button > Run.
2) At the prompt type WINIPCFG.
3) Once in the IP configuration screen, click Release All.
4) Click Renew All.

Windows NT/2000/XP
1) First launch the Command Prompt.
2) At the command line type "IPCONFIG /RENEW".

If you have PunkBuster installed edit your Q3CONFIG.CFG file.
1) Open Microsoft Wordpad.
2) Open your Q3CONFIG.CFG file. By default this is:

C:\Program Files\Quake III Arena\baseq3\q3config.cfg

3) Add the following to the end of the file:

seta pb_system "1"

4) Save the file and try the game again.

If this problem occurred after updating to the 1.32 Point Release you may be
able to resolve it by rolling back to version 1.31.
1) Backup any content in your Quake III Arena folder you do not wish to
lose - i.e., maps, skins, config files.
2) Click Start, Settings, Control Panel.
3) Select Add/Remove Programs.
4) Uninstall Quake III Arena.
5) Delete the Quake III Arena folder from your drive. By default this is:

C:\Program Files\Quake III Arena

6) Reinstall the game to the default folder.
7) Apply the 1.31 Point Release.

---< snip >---

I have tried it all, and several other things. Note 1 - When editing the
q3key file as described above, I noticed a small black block at the end of
the key number. I removed that, and saved the file. Tried to join a
server, and got in! But, next time I looked at the file, the black block
was there again. And I think that was always there, actually. A piece of
txt file gibberish from the game writing to the file.

I have noticed that when I join using Gamespy - the problem occurs nearly
every time. I can attempt to join a server, and get the invalid cd message,
but, when I drop down the console, and type in "/reconnect" I might
eventually be able to join after several tries. What a pain! Now, when I
try joining the game via the in-game browser, or a qplug web page, I can
join in with no error. So, what's up with that? Also, noted that when
disabling punkbuster (and I hate the lag created by punkbuster when it
checks the system while you are trying to avoid a rocket in the head!), the
game seems to smooth out, and I see less invalid cd errors. But, most
servers are running PB. I like the concept, but the implementation stinks.
Last thing I tried was a fresh install of the damn game. Yes, and all the
patches, and mods. Fooey. Still get the invalid / mistyped cd error.

Bottom line - something is hosed up somewhere...

The game is starting to become more trouble than its worth.

midwestern fragger

--
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"gusmeister" <gusmeiste...@sympatico.ca> wrote in message
news:pSEV9.7904$0E.9...@news20.bellglobal.com...

[Steven]

"BDS" <b...@isoc.net(remove)> wrote in message
news:v2ujqpp...@corp.supernews.com...

Same problem here. Missing CD Key, Invalid CD Key.
It -IS- more trouble than it's worth.
Untill this problem is fixed, well, I guess that's it for Quake III Arena.
It was a fun game.
-S