Invalid CD key

[top soldier]

When i enter my CD key it says its valid, but whenever i got to join a game all i get is a message that says "Invalid CD key" and it just keeps flashing over and over. It also says searching for challenge the whole time and just counts. What is going on? Someone please help me.

[Survivor]

keygen is my guess

[top soldier]

so is my cd key not valid then? because its the one that came with the game. this is gay.

[Survivor]

Usually any key from a keygen will get accepted at install. But online it is checked against id's server which if it fails will produce that message i think.

[top soldier]

ok, i dnt have a keygen tho, would u be kind enuff to get a key for me? i would greatly appreciate it.

[Survivor]

Keys are bought. If you cannot get online with your key return the game to the store and get a new one.

[top soldier]

ok thnx, ill go do that. thnx a lot man. i appreciate it.

[Cooldown]

When i enter my CD key it says its valid, but whenever i got to join a game all i get is a message that says "Invalid CD key" and it just keeps flashing over and over. It also says searching for challenge the whole time and just counts. What is going on? Someone please help me.

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's Authentication Server.

Try the following:

• - Make sure you have one q3key file located in your "Quake III Arena\baseq3" folder and that it contains the correct cd-key. If you find any q3key files in your mod folders, delete them.

• - 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 http://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 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.

Good Luck and Happy Fragging!

[PieceMaker]

One thought.

Question to you. You bought the game.

Did you happen to buy the game new or maybe at a store that sells used games?

If you bought it at as a used game?

You are out of luck and have to go find a new game to play online.

When anyone buys a USED game with a CD-KEY?

You will 99.9999999% of the time not be able to play online.

Just a thought to add to this topic.

Although you asking someone for a cd-key isn't the way to start off. *shakes finger at top soldier*

[^misantropia^]

Upon connecting (and after receiving the "Invalid..." message), pull down the console and type /timescale 100 - this will usually solve the issue if your key is legal.

[Tormentius]

The question has been more than adequately answered. We don't discuss warez or hand out keys here so keep it in mind when making posts in the future top soldier.
:icon8: