Quake3World

I bought Quake 3 back in 2000 and haven't played it online much since. I recently got broadband, but now when I connect try to connect to a server it says either "invalid cd key" or "mis-typed cd key?". I think this sucks since I acctually bought the game. :icon33:

When I type in the cd key it works and says "The cd key appears to be valid, thank you.", so I haven't mistyped it.

Anyone got an idea why this is happening?

go into your baseq3 directory,right click the q3key file,go into Properties, locate
Attributes at the bottom,check "Read Only" box, then apply.
should fix it

Still the same.

are you using any mods?
if yes, delete all the keys in any mods,just keep the key in the baseq3 folder.
saying that,
some servers still give me that message and ive been playing q3 for 4 years

It's possible someone has generated your CD key from a keygen and is currently using it

I would make sure your updated to the latest point release:

ftp://ftp.idsoftware.com/idstuff/quake3 ... se_132.exe

then do what busetibi said: enter your key in the game, exit and mark the cdkey file as "read only".

that *should* work.

I tried what you all said, but still the same. It only works on a few servers. Just typical.

I would try the opposite, put the q3key file in EVERY mod dir that you have. I used to have bizzare cd key errors just like that a year or so back... a number of combinations usually did the trick.

Thankfully nowadays I get zero problems with this. I also suspect punkbuster might be the culprit somehow.

Delete all the q3key files, re-enter your CD key, then make the one in your baseq3 read-only. That should do it, if not, then make sure your computer can access the id Software cdkey authentication server. If you're behind a firewall or proxy, then it might block that port.

ALMighty II wrote:I bought Quake 3 back in 2000 and haven't played it online much since. I recently got broadband, but now when I connect try to connect to a server it says either "invalid cd key" or "mis-typed cd key?". I think this sucks since I acctually bought the game. :icon33:

When I type in the cd key it works and says "The cd key appears to be valid, thank you.", so I haven't mistyped it.

Anyone got an idea why this is happening?

this happens to me but only on certain servers. like the AP the lounge OSP one.

pyrogenik wrote:It's possible someone has generated your CD key from a keygen and is currently using it

That chance is lower than the whole Q3W winning the New York lottery jackpot at the same time.

EDIT: or the same situation with respect to getting laid.

lol. nicely put...

dzjepp wrote:I would try the opposite, put the q3key file in EVERY mod dir that you have...

I was getting this error recently so I did this and it seems to have worked.. odd that it works for some and not for others.

dzjepp wrote:I would try the opposite, put the q3key file in EVERY mod dir that you have...

how do i do this? I want to get rid of the cd key problem desperately cos it says it when i try to enter a server i have put up myself..

help appreciated

CrinklyArse wrote:how do i do this? I want to get rid of the cd key problem desperately cos it says it when i try to enter a server i have put up myself..

look in your /quake3/baseq3/ directory for a file called q3key. copy that file into your other mod directorys. ie:

/osp
/threewave
/arena

or whatever mod directories you have.

thnx so much i'll go do that now

fingers crossed...

ok done, now i have to see if the problems fixed...

ok i ran my server, entered as normal but it still says 'mis-typed cd key?'

and i know its a correct one!

maybe its something to do with the server i am attempting to run....

what are you trying to do? q3 servers dont require a cd key, except for listen servers (dedicated 0).

pyrogenik wrote:It's possible someone has generated your CD key from a keygen and is currently using it

As toxic said, not possible.

There are no keygens which will produce valid online keys, only offline keys.

signa wrote:what are you trying to do? q3 servers dont require a cd key, except for listen servers (dedicated 0).

i am trying to run my own internet server. but after ive ran the server, then gone into quake normally and put my ip in to connect to it, the waiting connection number just keeps goin up. Then i went into a different quake 3 game and put in the console
'/connect [my ip] and It said:

'mis-typed cd_key?'

and i dont know why or how to get rid of it or what im doin wrong

Foo wrote:

pyrogenik wrote:It's possible someone has generated your CD key from a keygen and is currently using it

As toxic said, not possible.

There are no keygens which will produce valid online keys, only offline keys.

Have you checked the readme that comes with one of the keygens? The guy says that there is a 1 in a million+ chance or something like that you could very well generate a valid key for online play (haven't looked at it for a long time so I don't remember the full details ) of course he might of been off his high horse when he made those comments.