Editing the Registry keys for the game

[pokletu 0]

Hi, guys,

I downloaded the game on May 1, the moment it was released, pretty much, from Atari's Digital River thing.

I have installed a new Windows XP on my new "F" drive, whereas my old Windows was(is, actually) on "C".

I copied my "Launch Arma" shortcut from my old desktop folder onto my new one, and doubleclicked it.

Instead of the game, it brought up the activation console window. I entered those values correctly, I'm pretty sure, and the window seemed to take them, and launched the game.

Upon the game's launch, right after the Atari splash, it shuts down, with a message box appearing, saying "Bad serial number given during setup".

I don't have the drive space to make another install, but I do have all the files in my C:\temp folder; where it downloaded to.

I don't how to edit the registry, though I do know how to look through it with the regedit.exe. To my understanding, that's the magic behind install wizards, though, right? What they put in there?

Can someone tell me how to copy the keys from my "C" Windows, to my "F" windows, so that it also points to the game correctly?

Thanks alot!!

[Nikolaus 0]

Yeah, I'm getting much the same problem. I originally had the Digital River download, everything ran just swimmingly (all things considered) but recently I got back into the game and I couldn't play any new missions online. So I uninstalled my game completely, installed it fresh, and am now getting the "Bad serial number given during setup." I don't recall doing anything differently from before. I'm a noob with registries so I don't care to get in there and tinker, but I've uninstalled and will try a fresh installation and patch. It would like to know how to manually enter the key (I've got it right here in my e-mail from Atari) using the system registry. I probably have a problem just like Pokletu's, since I have both a C partition and a D partition on the same physical hard drive, C containing Windows and D containing games. The temp goes to C and the game goes to D... anyway I'll try a reinstall, but do answer for us soon. Thanks.

[Copious_Light 0]

Hi, I am no techie expert, but as far as understand you can't simply create a new start shortcut on a new drive and expect it to start.

I currently have two partitions on my hard drive both with windows XP on them one for gaming the other for movies and music etc., I have to re-boot between the two partitions in order to use applications on them.

Back to your problem I would think that you will need to download the game again and install it on your new drive, inserting a new serial (I believe you can request 4 or 5 serials with a digital download) during set up. Then you will be able to delete the game on your old drive (make sure you copy over your game settings folder)

Hope this helps

[law-giver 190]

The way i did it as i have a dual os (operating system) on two separate drives and didn't want to reinstall the game while running the other os. You have to go into the registry of the os in which the game is installed and backup the registry keys and copy them to the other drive/partition where the other os is installed and double click the reg files. You may have to edit the reg files if drive or install locations are different on that partition but not the arma keys.

The serial is located here...

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Bohemia Interactive Studio]

Right click and export.

Player name if you want it is here...

[HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Bohemia Interactive Studio]

Right click and export.

Create a new shortcut and if i remember when firing it up it reinstalled the protection software and away ya go. Works for me. I do it for most of my games. Backing up reg keys and the occasional files. I hate reinstalls, but some games require it.

Hope it helps

Don't ask me to supply the reg keys because i won't. My serial reg key is legit bought and paid for. Last resort reinstall it.