your serial number is invalid pleasy try another Deluce Edition

[HereisJohnny]

Hi all,

I got a major problem on playing teh deluce edition online.
It keeps telling me invalid key please try another.
It was a sealed game so noone did had my key, and i never send my key to anyone!!!

Please help, bc i really need to play this game online, and relive my generals online.


Thanks allot for helping me

[BalBooS]

I have the same exact problem. "Your serial # is invalid, plz try another". Why is that, i also pmed one of the EA administrators on some site to help me fix the problem. Plz someone help us!!!!

[Sparkzsparkz]

Having the exact same problem!

Spoke to an EA helper...told me to install and reinstall...not worked. I cant help but think it could be due to having played this game years ago with the same email addres. Maybe i'm wrong

[IE09NICx]

Hey guys great news I found a way to fix the "invalid serial number" error! its kind of funny actually after spending days figuring this out.

If you bought the original game then your serial number is actually valid. weird huh? The real problem is that the serial key gets registered without the - (dahs's) and we will need to include them using a windows utility called regedit.


its simple follow these steps

1.On your windows machine click on start and in the (Search for programs and files) box type in regedit and open regedit.exe

2. Next click on the little arrow next to the folder named HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and make your way to ergc directory the full path is

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> SOFTWARE -> Wow6432Node -> Electronic Arts -> EA Games -> Command and Conquer Generals Zero Hour -> ergc

3. Click on the ergc directory and right click on Default (located on the right side under Name) and Modify it.

4. Now simply add the - between the serial numbers.Write it exactly how its written on the game you bought. if you notice It only displays your serial number without the - between the code so you will just need to add them in

for example change it from 123A5678B8CDD3D3P0P0 to 123A-5678-B8CD-D3D3-P0P0 now try playing the same you should be able to play it online

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If you try playing and your buildings blow up 30 seconds into the game there is another fix for this.
This is a built in feature EA added to help prevent anti-piracy

[Make sure you read the steps above then continue reading this]

Have the regedit open on ergc directory copy the serial that you have modified (the serial number that you included with the -) and uninstall zero hour keeping the regedit still open on the ergc directory.

Now heres the trick, we will need to reinstall zero hour BUT as it is installing zero hour we quickly replace the registry with the modified serial number that included the dash's. So put the CD in and start up the installation process when it will prompts you for the serial number type the serial number as you normally would and as soon as you put the serial number click next and stop there, dont install zero just yet!

Now go to the opened regedit.exe and click on ergc directory using and modify the default registry key by adding the dashs in the serial key. And then proceed installing zero hour. this will help bypass the built in anti-piracy glitch and it will work!

Let me know if this works and thank me when you get the time enjoy guys looking forward to playing with you

regards,
J0k3rr

[Mehdipiero]

@IE09NICx aka J0k3rr:
man, you ARE a GOD!! after giving up on any hope, I stumbled into your post, did the same exact steps & it worked, can't believe it!
I had bought the game less than a week before and this whole 'invalid serial' dilemma was a real ****-off.
In fact, I was already down to adding dashes and all...which gets you in online but only to blow up your buildings after a few secs...the second part was new to me. out of curiosity, I would very much love to know how you discovered the uninstall-reinstall-registry-continue reinstall thing!
This is my first post here, and I registered only to thank you.
I hear there are many others with original keys and same problem...your post should go global(!) so that everyone sees it.