So this happened...

[CHEqTRO]

Hello all!

So yesterday I decided to play some CM FB after some time of absence, just to find that all the scenarios and campaigns were gone. Tried FI, same problem, tried RT, and again, all gone.

After some investigation I found out that all the CM files saved in my user file were gone for some reason that scapes me. I dont know where they went, but I guess the easiest solution to my problem is to make a reinstall.

The thing is that I remember reading somewhere in the forums that there is a hard limit in how many times you can install a CM game in a computer. Is that true? And in that case, it applies also to reinstalls or only to new installs in a second computer?

Thanks in advance

[DerKommissar]

I've had this problem before with newer CM games. I reinstalled windows on an SSD, and kept most of my games on an HDD.

I launch CM:BS (also applies for RT, BN and FI -- I didn't own FB then) and the game launches -- except no campaigns or scenarios. As the registry was deleted and now replaced with a fresh one -- it didn't have the keys in registry.

Bummer, I had to re-DL, re-install and re-validate the games -- but then they worked like a charm. I suggest this.

I believe the hard limit is on how many computers concurrently have the software. I've reinstalled them a bunch of times (I like to mess with my OS(s)), and never had problems with validation.

[Schrullenhaft]

To expand on what DerKommissar said, there is a limit of 4 activations per license key. After that you will get a message that there are 'no remaining activations'. At that point you would need to open up a Helpdesk ticket to request another activation (providing the license keys that need additional activations). When you uninstall and reinstall a game the activation remains. In fact you could potentially uninstall and reinstall countless times and the activation would remain. If, however, you reinstall Windows (especially a 'clean' install), significantly upgrade the hardware or OS of your computer, then the activation could disappear. In fact you may get a message that would likely require an utility from the Helpdesk in order to delete the current activation in order to reactivate with your new configuration.

In your current situation you should be fine reinstalling the games and I assume that they should remain activated. 

As for the disappearance of your files, have you created a new user account on your computer ? The files are typically associated with the user that installed the games. Logging in with another account would make the files (scenarios, campaigns, game saves, etc.) unavailable to the current user. Typically the newer game files are stored in a 'Battlefront' directory within your 'My Documents' directory (and then separated in directories for each game).

[CHEqTRO]

Thank you both for the responses

1 hour ago, DerKommissar said:

I've had this problem before with newer CM games. I reinstalled windows on an SSD, and kept most of my games on an HDD.

I launch CM:BS (also applies for RT, BN and FI -- I didn't own FB then) and the game launches -- except no campaigns or scenarios. As the registry was deleted and now replaced with a fresh one -- it didn't have the keys in registry.

Curios seeing that it happened to other people. Were you able to find the reason behind it?

19 minutes ago, Schrullenhaft said:

To expand on what DerKommissar said, there is a limit of 4 activations per license key. After that you will get a message that there are 'no remaining activations'. At that point you would need to open up a Helpdesk ticket to request another activation (providing the license keys that need additional activations). When you uninstall and reinstall a game the activation remains. In fact you could potentially uninstall and reinstall countless times and the activation would remain. If, however, you reinstall Windows (especially a 'clean' install), significantly upgrade the hardware or OS of your computer, then the activation could disappear. In fact you may get a message that would likely require an utility from the Helpdesk in order to delete the current activation in order to reactivate with your new configuration.

Good to know!

 

21 minutes ago, Schrullenhaft said:

As for the disappearance of your files, have you created a new user account on your computer ? The files are typically associated with the user that installed the games. Logging in with another account would make the files (scenarios, campaigns, game saves, etc.) unavailable to the current user. Typically the newer game files are stored in a 'Battlefront' directory within your 'My Documents' directory (and then separated in directories for each game).

Nope, and I didnt install any new programs that could have (well, from what I know) messed up with my user files either. Guess unless DerKomissar found what it was it Will remain a mystery.

[DerKommissar]

1 hour ago, CHEqTRO said:

Curios seeing that it happened to other people. Were you able to find the reason behind it?

Well, in my experience, some games work fine without proper installation on an OS -- just need the game files located in the directory. Others not so much, because they require data that was on the old OS. Windows has this silly Registry concept, where the OS keeps information (like activation keys, directory addresses). Some games' DRMs use the Registry to store required information. So, I was half expecting the game to not boot because of this problem.

Now, this thread is changing my mind. I did not think of this:

19 hours ago, Schrullenhaft said:

As for the disappearance of your files, have you created a new user account on your computer ? The files are typically associated with the user that installed the games. Logging in with another account would make the files (scenarios, campaigns, game saves, etc.) unavailable to the current user. Typically the newer game files are stored in a 'Battlefront' directory within your 'My Documents' directory (and then separated in directories for each game).

When doing a clean install of Windows 7 (10? Screw that noise!), My Documents directory was nullified. Indeed, it's more probable that my games were well activated -- but all the campaigns, scenarios were not there anymore. That makes much more sense because an un-activated game won't launch and will ask you to enter your keys.

21 hours ago, CHEqTRO said:

After some investigation I found out that all the CM files saved in my user file were gone for some reason that scapes me. I dont know where they went, but I guess the easiest solution to my problem is to make a reinstall.

Yep, unless you can restore the files to that folder -- or DL and put them in the correct directory. Apologies for the confusion.