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pc game cd-keys...

F

Firebomb

[H]ard|Gawd
Joined
Jul 21, 2002
Messages
1,692
I have kinda a problem I have bunch of games that require cd-keys. and like today I tried to install Battlefield 2 (I Bought) I cant seem to find my key I know its on the manual just trying to find it. I hate when you dont play a game for awhile to come back and try to play it and cant find your key...

My question is I was wondering if I can put like a sticker or pieace of tape on the cd with the number on it, would this be ok or would I run into the problem of it falling off or heating up and coming off while in the dvd-rom tray. any ideas?
or has anyone done this do they stay on forever?


thanks in advance
 
I wouldn't because you don't want your disc to be lopsided. You can store your keys in a word file, in your cell phone, in a palm or even on paper.
 
Firebomb said:
I have kinda a problem I have bunch of games that require cd-keys. and like today I tried to install Battlefield 2 (I Bought) I cant seem to find my key I know its on the manual just trying to find it. I hate when you dont play a game for awhile to come back and try to play it and cant find your key...

My question is I was wondering if I can put like a sticker or pieace of tape on the cd with the number on it, would this be ok or would I run into the problem of it falling off or heating up and coming off while in the dvd-rom tray. any ideas?
or has anyone done this do they stay on forever?


thanks in advance
Click to expand...

Nothing will happen to it, I have done this a few times as well. Just make sure the tape is completely flat, if it isn't peel it off and try again.
 
got a closet full of game boxes with manuals in them. When needed pull out the box do the reinstall place back into the closet.. no problem.
 
i always email myself the cdkeys, so if a reinstall is needed, just gotta hit yahoo mail and i got it.
 
+3 for sharpie on the topside of the disc. Don't do the data side!
/no that's not from personal experience
 
You could always go with the "Put all the keys in a text file for easy copy/paste retrieval" approach. If you do this though, make it a full effort to never let that text file see the internet for obvious reasons. Either password protect it, store it on a CD exclusively (a GOOD CD, not some cheapo, Memorex-type brand), or both.
 
Store in excel File with names of programs, then the keys. I have mine in my email, that way i can always install a game, even if im at a friends house and he randomly decides to install an old game that i didnt bring the disc for. just use his and your key from your email.
 
I always silver sharpie them inside the game box :)
 
There's a textfile in my documents folder holding all my serials. When i re-install a game, i just copy-paste :)
 
Massacre215 said:
Store in excel File with names of programs, then the keys. I have mine in my email, that way i can always install a game, even if im at a friends house and he randomly decides to install an old game that i didnt bring the disc for. just use his and your key from your email.
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I do something similar. I keep all of my PC keys on an encrypted xlsx file.
 
Actually, DONT use a regular sharpie. Depending on the surface of the disc, it may or may not cause damage to the CD/DVD

Normal sharpies have a solvent based ink inside them, making them less then ideal. Simple solution: get some of these
 
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What I used to do was to make a CD copy of the game, and then save the CD key as a text file. That was back when I was a backup-fool and I would store the original CD in a hard plastic case in my fireproof safe. I'd play the CD copy, and I'd always have the CD key right there in a txt file on the CD. It worked great for several years. Now, however, with the anti-piracy laws (and my not being such a backup-stickler) I can't do this anymore. So, I'm just filing all my games with boxes in my fireproof safe.
 
mellojoe said:
What I used to do was to make a CD copy of the game, and then save the CD key as a text file. That was back when I was a backup-fool and I would store the original CD in a hard plastic case in my fireproof safe. I'd play the CD copy, and I'd always have the CD key right there in a txt file on the CD. It worked great for several years. Now, however, with the anti-piracy laws (and my not being such a backup-stickler) I can't do this anymore. So, I'm just filing all my games with boxes in my fireproof safe.
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I used to do this too a long time ago....but ya, can't really do it anymore :(
 
Just keep a big ol list of my games e-mailed to myself and forward it again every time I need to add one. Works great.
 
Another +1 for Sharpie, and I keep a Word document with all my CD-keys listed.

Also, isn't the BF2 CD key on the back of the game manual at the top?
 
FrozenLiquidity said:
Just keep a big ol list of my games e-mailed to myself and forward it again every time I need to add one. Works great.
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And this is quite possibly the worst idea I've seen. You might as well buy a newspaper ad and have them print all of your CD keys in it.
 
I have all my CD-Keys in a TXT file on 1GB flash drive that I keep in a secret location. :D When I need to reinstall I grab it, and just copy/paste :D. I also have them backed up on CD somewhere....
 
Ludic said:
And this is quite possibly the worst idea I've seen. You might as well buy a newspaper ad and have them print all of your CD keys in it.
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Why? Because there are just gobs of people sorting through my otherwise mind-numbingly boring e-mails? I have no idea where you're getting that idea. I can obtain a newspaper and look at ads far easier than breaking into your e-mail account. And it's not like I leave myself logged in on any public computer. I don't see how it's a bad idea and you're only kidding yourself if you think it's as easy as looking at ads in a newspaper to get a hold of them. :rolleyes:

For starters, how about having to sort through the 2000+ messages in there (dull, mundane, boring messages) for a list of CD keys. Unless you know they're there, and are looking for them, good luck. Can you seriously tell me that keeping only a local copy of it is far more secure? I dunno about you, but I'm not the only one that uses my system, and I'm not going to babysit them so they don't go into my CDkeys.xls file. I've stored them in my email for years with ZERO problems.
 
I don't think its a bad idea when my own email box has 12K+ messages...
 
I use Password Safe for storing all of my keys. Keeps them together in a nice encrypted file that you could throw into your email account without any issues.
 
i hate them printing them on the manuals, always have to look for them, cd case not much better. its a pain. i should make a file with them, where to start. Ive bought 2 games and the key was never printed. I contacted the publishers and they basically tell you go f yourself. Why is this a problem? most stores will not accept opened software to return, and try explaining is has no cd-key to people that dont play games. They act like you stole something, first game was not to hard to get it swapped, second time it took 30 minutes explaining it to 3 managers at best buy who thought i was trying to scam them. Dawn of war , and Ut2004 one is printed on the case the later on the manual. Sometimes i open the game at the register to make sure its there now, so i dont get the same hassle.
 
Do not use tape. My school puts barcodes on their CD's like this, makes my drive shake to no end. Drives me nuts.
 
FrozenLiquidity said:
Why? Because there are just gobs of people sorting through my otherwise mind-numbingly boring e-mails? I have no idea where you're getting that idea. I can obtain a newspaper and look at ads far easier than breaking into your e-mail account. And it's not like I leave myself logged in on any public computer. I don't see how it's a bad idea and you're only kidding yourself if you think it's as easy as looking at ads in a newspaper to get a hold of them. :rolleyes:

For starters, how about having to sort through the 2000+ messages in there (dull, mundane, boring messages) for a list of CD keys. Unless you know they're there, and are looking for them, good luck. Can you seriously tell me that keeping only a local copy of it is far more secure? I dunno about you, but I'm not the only one that uses my system, and I'm not going to babysit them so they don't go into my CDkeys.xls file. I've stored them in my email for years with ZERO problems.
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The point is that they don't need to break into your email account. All they have to do is have something logging when you transmit it again. It's actually much easier than getting a newspaper if you have any knowledge about how things are communicated over the internet. Yes, keeping only a local copy is much more secure. It's like sending cash through the mail to yourself, or just putting it in your dresser drawer. Yeah, the cash might come through with no problem, but the potential for theft is there.
 
I use these tiny labeling stickers for mine. They are about 3/4" x 1/2" and I put them close to the middle of the disc. ultra fine point craft pen and a steady hand is required for readable 25 digit keys :D. If the disc has a light enough graphic and a big enough space, i just use a fine point sharpie directly on disc. ive also used these "paint pens" made by sharpie for dark discs (Dawn of War Dark Crusade disc is totally black) but they seem to rub off after a while.

I also have used my Roland SX-15 to cut a 1/2" wide ring of vinyl that perfectly fits around the clear center spot of the disc, and used a cheap CD label applicator to center it perfectly, and written on those with a sharpie. This is by far the BEST solution I've used, but takes time and access to a vinyl cutting plotter like the Roland, which are expensive.
 
MrMitch said:
i always email myself the cdkeys, so if a reinstall is needed, just gotta hit yahoo mail and i got it.
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+1 for that. I email it and save it to a document with all my keys for good measure. I tried a sharpie before but was once almost unable to decipher my own handwriting from 2 years ago :p
 
Ludic said:
The point is that they don't need to break into your email account. All they have to do is have something logging when you transmit it again. It's actually much easier than getting a newspaper if you have any knowledge about how things are communicated over the internet. Yes, keeping only a local copy is much more secure. It's like sending cash through the mail to yourself, or just putting it in your dresser drawer. Yeah, the cash might come through with no problem, but the potential for theft is there.
Click to expand...

that would be one utterly bored and pathetic hacker. First, the person would have to be targeting the sender specifically or wading through thousands of mails a minute in search of "cd keys". Second, if it was this easy there would be more data theft than anyone could imagine...if this was a common enough issue for it to be noteworthy then you would never recieve emails with change password links, fedex/ups tracking numbers, contractual agreements, ect, ect...

its really not that big of a deal.
 
maademperor said:
if it was this easy there would be more data theft than anyone could imagine...

...

its really not that big of a deal.
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Yep. Packet sniffing is entirely possible, but you pretty much have to know what it is you are looking at. The only reason why you can even crack passwords for routers is because the basic packet format is always the same... whatever data is IN that packet is pretty much gibberish unless you already know whats in it.

That being said, wireless email is NOT secure - and it IS possible to hack into it. Never trust that a hacker isn't going to do something just because it seems like a boring/tedious thing to do. Encrypt encrypt encrypt, and use a wire for any sensitive data.
 
Wouldn't stickers damage or cause alignment problems from all that shaking?
 
Download Truecrypt. Create an encryped partition and save your serials there. Add a password to the file if you want to. Or just create a password for your word / excel document.
 
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