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CMBS: cannot activate licenses


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Moved to a new PC, installed CMBS, run Activate Product yet when I start the game exe it opens a window that looks like Activate Product yet with now buttons. Yet cursor changes to Press Button where those buttons should be they're just not displayed.

What I did:

  1. Downloaded Base Game v.2.18
  2. Tried to run Activate Product. It hasn't accepted Engine 3 key yet accepted Engine 4 key.
  3. Got the above described problem.
  4. I downloaded separate Engine 4 and run update installer.
  5. Run Activate Product with Engine 4 key. It finished successfully.
  6. Got the above described problem again.

So the questions:

  1. Long time ago I bought Engine 3 base game and Engine 4 upgrade. How can I get to Engine 4 v.2.18?
    1. Should I download and run Engine 3 first and then Engine 4 or the base game is now Engine 4?
    2. If the base game is Engine 4 might it be that since I bought the games long time ago my links need to be first used for Engine 3 installation then Engine 4?
    3. In what sequence I should run Activate Product? Engine 3 first with Engine 3 license then install Engine 4 and run it's own license.
    4. Potential problem with licenses might be over the course of time I had CMBS installed on three platforms and I was trying to install on the fourth. I needed the fourth since one of those three died so technically I had three at any given time. Yet I cannot run license deactivation on the one that died if I need to. Should I have deactivated that? Can tech support deactivate it on their side now?
    5. I actually have two copies of CMBS in my inventory so I should be able to have CMBS on three sumultanious platforms yet I'd like to sort out which licenses are tied to which platform. Can tech support help me with that?
    6. If tech support can help with sorting out the licenses please DO NOT deactivate them without contacting me first. I have two installations working and I don't want to loose them.

Thanks for your help if I might be helped 😀

PS @BFCElvis should I tag you? 😀

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On 2/18/2024 at 1:24 AM, Vacillator said:

This is the way. 

Well one way at least 😉.  The other is to open a Helpdesk ticket, but John will sort you out either way.

Thank you so much. Would you mind telling me which John to tag? :)

On 2/18/2024 at 1:19 AM, Redwolf said:

Don't bother with the BFC build if you are on Windows anyway. Use the non-Steam Matrix build which has a simple serial number activation scheme with no counting.

  1. Tanks fir the advice.
  2. Unfortunately I do have BFC builds. Some are dated back to Y2K 🫢 Guess the next technical question would be how to move to Steam -- it'll be more straignforward after that. Though not sure they've moved CMBO there 🙄
Edited by IMHO
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51 minutes ago, IMHO said:

Oh, sorry, my bad!

No worries, he'll be along shortly I'm sure. 

As for Steam, pre-CM2 titles aren't on there but for the more recent games you can use your BFC keys to get Steam keys (via a Slitherine/Matrix account).  Sound tricky?  It's not really and there are instructions posted elsewhere here on the forum.

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On 2/17/2024 at 8:09 AM, IMHO said:

Moved to a new PC, installed CMBS, run Activate Product yet when I start the game exe it opens a window that looks like Activate Product yet with now buttons. Yet cursor changes to Press Button where those buttons should be they're just not displayed.

What I did:

  1. Downloaded Base Game v.2.18
  2. Tried to run Activate Product. It hasn't accepted Engine 3 key yet accepted Engine 4 key.
  3. Got the above described problem.
  4. I downloaded separate Engine 4 and run update installer.
  5. Run Activate Product with Engine 4 key. It finished successfully.
  6. Got the above described problem again.

So the questions:

  1. Long time ago I bought Engine 3 base game and Engine 4 upgrade. How can I get to Engine 4 v.2.18?
    1. Should I download and run Engine 3 first and then Engine 4 or the base game is now Engine 4?
    2. If the base game is Engine 4 might it be that since I bought the games long time ago my links need to be first used for Engine 3 installation then Engine 4?
    3. In what sequence I should run Activate Product? Engine 3 first with Engine 3 license then install Engine 4 and run it's own license.
    4. Potential problem with licenses might be over the course of time I had CMBS installed on three platforms and I was trying to install on the fourth. I needed the fourth since one of those three died so technically I had three at any given time. Yet I cannot run license deactivation on the one that died if I need to. Should I have deactivated that? Can tech support deactivate it on their side now?
    5. I actually have two copies of CMBS in my inventory so I should be able to have CMBS on three sumultanious platforms yet I'd like to sort out which licenses are tied to which platform. Can tech support help me with that?
    6. If tech support can help with sorting out the licenses please DO NOT deactivate them without contacting me first. I have two installations working and I don't want to loose them.

Thanks for your help if I might be helped 😀

PS @BFCElvis should I tag you? 😀

Installing the games is much more simple now than it used to be. I your case, use the download link in your order number 315493. That is your 4.0 Upgrade purchase. The download link there is an all-in-one full game installer. There is nothing else that you need to download and install. Once installed, use the Activate New Products utility and enter your 4.0 key and the original base game key (order number 307155). It doesn't matter what order you enter them. I checked both license keys and they have multiple activations available.

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This may be of no use, but my last install I ran into an oddity. The install wasn't happening so I had to right-click the exe and 'run as administrator', then everything worked as advertised. As a Beta tester I install CM stuff all the time with no problem, but that day Windows just decided to mess with me.

Edited by MikeyD
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