Can't activate or register the game? See here first!

kryo

Join Date 05/2003

+458

Can't activate or register the game? See here first!

If you are unable to activate or register the game (via SDC, or after installing the latest patch), you're likely encountering one of a few common problems.

1) Your game came with NO serials at all.
There have been some reports of legitimate retail copies of the game not coming with a serial key at all. If you are sure your copy is legitimate and it did not come with ANY serials, contact support@stardock.com.

2) You're using the wrong serial.
This is a simple but common mistake. The Collector's/Limited Editions of the game normally include two serial keys (one for the game, one to unlock the special extra content). Be sure you're not trying to register with the CE serial (the one that begins with GC2). Use the other one which consist of 28 letters/numbers (A-F and 0-9 ONLY) with no dashes.

3) You bought a used copy of the game.
If you (intentionally or not) bought a used copy of the game, you may receive a message when attempting to register/activate to the effect of the serial already being in use, or your email address not matching the one the game was originally registered with. Stardock will not remove an activated serial from the original owner's account and give it to you.

You have a few options in this case. You can:

Keep the game and stick with the 1.0 version on the disc.
Return the game to the place of purchase. Some retailers still accept returns, especially if they resold to you a returned copy that the original owner has effectively pirated (resale is prohibited by the EULA).
Contact stardock support (support@stardock.com) and ask about pruchasing a new serial code at reduced cost.

4) You bought the European Limited Edition.
Some copies of the Limited Edition of the game distributed in Europe were shipped with only the code to unlock the special Ltd. content, (beginning with GC2) and not an actual game serial. You can request a game serial by providing your Limited/Collector's Edition serial and email address on this form: http://galciv2.com/paradox/index.aspx

5) You bought the US Collector's or Standard Edition in June or later.
There have been several production runs that shipped to retail in the US without the correct keys. Some Collector's Editions shipped to WalMart and Fred Meyers included two CE keys (beginning with GC2-), but no game serial. Some Standard Editions have shipped to Best Buy and other retailers with a single CE key and nothing else.

In either case, please first try inputting your serial and email address on the European serial exchange page, which has been updated to include most of the serials from these production runs: http://galciv2.com/paradox/index.aspx. If that does not work, please contact support@stardock.com with your problem and they will provide you a game serial to use.

Please keep in mind they can only answer during business hours, so if you contact them on a weekend you will not receive a [human] reply until Monday at the soonest. You should receive an automated reply immediately upon receipt of your email, though (check that it is not filtered by any spam protection you have in place). If you do not receive an automated reply, your own message was likely stopped by Stardock's spam filters, so you will obviously never get a reply to that particular message! If all else fails, try getting on Stardock Central's Chat and speaking with an employee directly during business hours (IRC users: irc.stardock.com, channel #Stardock or #GalCiv).

6) You bought a pirate/bootleg copy of the game.
Despite our best efforts, sellers on eBay and elsewhere continue to sell bootleg copies of GC2. There are usually many tell-tale signs that these copies are not legitimate which become obvious once you receive them: poorly printed disc art, cheap-looking packaging, missing documentation, etc. Most of these copies claim to be used "Import Version" games, and the sellers claim that documentation is excluded because it is not in English. If these copies contain a serial key at all, they are generally already registered or just random gibberish.

In any case, there is no support for users of pirate/bootleg copies. If you purchased them through eBay, you may be able to file a claim and get your money back, but there are no guarantees. If you wish to own the game with updates and support, you must purchase a legitimate copy, which will entitle you to your own serial key and all the associated benefits.

faq support

Pinned, Locked Post +1 Karma

Advanced Search

Watch this post

Do not email me updates for this post Email me updates for this post

Successfully updated karma reason!

kate112

If you have not yet contacted support@stardock.com and cannot get the key from the disc to register, please do so.

Successfully updated karma reason!

hello.

i just bought, install, registed ( with a 30 digit seriel printed on my manual) and updated a CG2 endless universe

but when i try to launch it, a activation code seems to be needed, different for my serial it seems ?

any clue ?

Successfully updated karma reason!

Impulse should handle the activation automatically. If it doesn't, try right clicking on the game in there and reactivating using that option. If it still prompts you and the key you registered with does not work, please contact support@stardock.com.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Is the latest patch for GC2 Dread Lords 1.5? When I hit "update game" on the launch menu, it takes me to a page with a demo of the Gold version and a link to the download manager, but no patches or updates. That section is called "Downloads", but I sure don't see any updates or patches there. Where are they hiding??

I tried the 1.2 update, but it would NOT accept my serial number from the jewel case no matter how many times I carefully entered it, so I am a bit reluctant to even try an update. I ended up uninstalling, reinstalling, and just playing the 1.0 version for now.....

Any help is appreciated.

Successfully updated karma reason!

I am using box DL version localized and released in Poland. I wish to buy DA and ToA but don't know:

* what version should I buy. I guess Gold (Download) have it all but I just want the expansions.

* will digital downloaded expansions work with my current localised version. If I need to change the language to EN it's not the problem but how to do it?

Successfully updated karma reason!

If you already have DL and want everything, get the expansion bundle (DA+TA). Just make sure that you have DL registered and accessible in Impulse first. At worst you'll have to uninstall the Polish localized version and just reinstall everything from Impulse.

Successfully updated karma reason!

I can't find expansion bundle in the 'More info' section of the game. Also in 'Expansion Packs' section of the Impulse. Can you point me to a place where I can download it?

My copy is Impulse registered. And was in Stardock Central.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Here.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Big Thanks.

Installing now:)

Successfully updated karma reason!

OK this is pissing me off!!

I bought this game a lonnng time ago. I find it funny that in the above mention of serial numbers they fail to say "IF YOU DOWN RIGHT LOST the serial key and NEVER registered the game..." look i bought the game fair and square, but never registered it. my serial number is long gone. I just want to get a stupid serial number to update the blasted thing. THATS IT!! im sooo fraustrated with this thing. I can modify every other game except this one.

Successfully updated karma reason!

I don't see a code that starts with GC2

Successfully updated karma reason!

I bought the game via paypal, downloaded impulse, registered on all the links it asked me to, and my game still doesn't show under 'My software'. *sigh* And where is this serial number? My emails refer to a serial number which they don't actually provide me with. I thought it might be the 'order number' but when I try to register using it, it doesn't work. And I have two different 'order numbers' in two different emails! And I'm not even sure what I should be registering! I ordered 'Galactic Civilizations II: Dread Lords' and 'Galactic Civilizations II: Expansion Bundle' but neither appear in the 'Product' box! There's five - FIVE! - entries for GalCiv 2 and none of them are what I ordered.

My God, the process is convoluted. I should never have bothered with a digital download of GalCiv 2. Even if I get my game running, I don't think I'll ever be using this 'Impulse' software again. Or ordering any Stardock products.

Successfully updated karma reason!

I have read the information above and am attempting to register my copy of GalCiv2: Ultimate Edition. I can say that it looks to be distributed by Take 2 Interactive. I purchased the game through amazon.com and according to my account information I never registered it online, which could very well be. I attempted it this evening to find that the serial I have is invalid. The information above suggests that the keys are 28 characters in length, mine is 30 (not GC2). Any help would be appreciated.

Successfully updated karma reason!

Please contact support@stardock.com, they should be able to help.

Successfully updated karma reason!

i just purchased the ultimate edition at gamestop retail store near me and the seriel key appears to be invalid when i try to update the game.

not including the dashes, it is a 30 digit serial key. so as of right now i cannot update the game and not sure if i am doing something wrong. i have sins of solar empire registered about a year ago so it's not like i new to impulse.

Successfully updated karma reason!

If your key is not being accepted, please email support as above, they should be able to get it sorted.

Successfully updated karma reason!

I bought the Galciv II ultimate collection, it came shrink wrapped marked "kalypso" and installed fine, now I went to update the copy to the latest and it said impulse connecting but did not, then impulse updating and that also did not work then i Manually downloaded impulse and installed it and I was able to see what I owned and was registered - I tried to download the update to galciv II ultimate and it kept saying invalid serial number?

Then I got a message that I was a registered user of Galciv II endless universe and an option to download it, and I did I entered the serial number from gal civ II ultimate and it was accepted!, BUT won't run becuase I neither Really own it nor does impulse allow me to run it.

So here I am with crippleware, half baked software all over my hard drive and have come to relaize that the reaosn I sold all my galcivs and stopped playing teh game for so long was the utter confusion and discord involved with the company, not to mention I haven't gotten 1 MOD to work properly yet for hours and hours of trying.

I sent a request for help to Stardock support and will be sending this message to them as well but I think that compnay I rated #1 in the past has dropped to well below the teens for reliablity and support at this point.

I am greatly disappointed at this entire affair. if there is any reasonable solution to mods, serial numbers and updates for a legit buyer please tell me!

Successfully updated karma reason!

Hey Everyone! Long story short I bought the collectors edition galactic civ dread lords cd in 2006, now it's been a couple of years since I have played the game. I installed the game just now to play it again but I don't know how to update it! Can someone please tell me what to do? How do i update dread lords?

Successfully updated karma reason!

If you only have the base game, you'll need to download and install Impulse (now GameStop PC Downloads App) to update the game with. If you registered the game back when you got it, you should already have an Impulse account with the game registered on it (matching whatever your Stardock login was in late spring of last year).

Successfully updated karma reason!

Hi there, I just downloaded Stardock Central and installed 'GalCiv II - Ultimate Edition' v2.04, everything went fine, then when I tried to launch it from the Stardock Central application or from the shortcut on the Start Menu it gives me a message:

"The item 'iTouch-Server-Win.exe' that this shortcut refers to has been changed or moved, so this shortcut will no longer work properly. Do you want to delete this shortcut?"

If I select no the game launcher appears, if I click 'play the game' button an activation screen appears to input email, password and serial. It says Stardock Account Registration and then GC2 Ultimate Edition.

I click the big green 'Register' button but nothing happens, I waited a long time to check if it was trying to register then I clicked the 'Quit' button and then it says 'An error has occurred while activating the product' then it seems to launch the game and quit it right afterwards.

EDIT: I contacted support and they provided me a solution, thank you very much, it was very fast too.

So for anyone with this issue, no worries, just send an email to support@stardock.com.

Successfully updated karma reason!

I bought mine off amazon a new copy ulti edition

Successfully updated karma reason!

ok my download version works but the download version don't give you access to the other chapter

or my old save files

its not a gal civ2 ulti download

its a twilight or arnor download

o well I have the old version

also my old version won't connect upload to metaverse hopefully that works too now

Successfully updated karma reason!

Quoting Stardock support,

This is a workaround activation fix for the Steam version on Windows 8.
You should only have to do this once, unless you re-install on this PC or another:
Download: http://sd.stardock.com/sdactivate_legacy.zip

Please extract its contents here:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Steam\steamapps\common\galactic civilizations ii - ultimate edition
If it asks you to overwrite the existing files say yes to all.

Run the REGISTER_GC2ULTIMATE.CMD file.
Enter your account information and serial key when prompted.
That should activate your game and get you going.

Successfully updated karma reason!

I bought GC2 Ultimate edition from steam and it wont let me register. Im on Windows 7. Tried the workaround that Coldfever posted, nothing works. Help?

Successfully updated karma reason!

If you're having registration issues please contact support@stardock.com.

Successfully updated karma reason!