People with invalid Crysis Warhead CD Key issues: Please read!

[~SJ~{CDT} Ro0t]

I just bought Crysis Warhead through Steam and when trying to play a multiplayer game for the first time (of Crysis Wars), I got the infamous "CD Key is invalid, would you like to edit it?" error.

After some research on our dear friend Google, I found that other users had the same issue and had a new key provided to them by EA by calling their number (+1-866-543-5435, option 9). Don't use Live Chat support... See this thread for the source: http://forums.steampowered.com/forums/showthread.php?p=19907617#post19907617.

So I called them and explained my situation to the support agent (Aaron S.). He asked me for my EA Account information (you must have one, if not create an account here), and then the invalid CD Key. He confirmed the key was indeed invalid and gave me a new one to try. I had Crysis Wars opened in the background so I immediately changed the key and was able to connect to a game afterwards.

Then I told him I wanted a permanent solution because Steam will keep an invalid key if I have to reinstall the game again, and I didn't want to edit registry values or stuff like that to make the new key permanent in the Steam install. That's when he told me he could add the game (with the new working key pre-entered) to the EA Downloader account associated with my EA Account.

I then had to refresh my games in the EA Downloader and saw the new Crysis Warhead game showing "Ready to play" below it. I had to uninstall the game I installed with Steam (using the "Delete Local Content" right-click option) and then refresh again to see "Ready to Download". To refresh the EA Downloader, use the gear icon in the upper right and select Refresh My Games.

The game is re-downloading now, but I'm confident it's gonna work. I just find it damn sad that Steam has a bunch of invalid keys and think they should address that issue on their side!

So if anyone has that problem, here's the WORKING solution!

[Aidan]

Excellent Post Yanster !!! 

[Tenk]

I had the same problem of an invalid CD Key through Steam. I used the EA Live Chat Support and was given a new key within 5 minutes, I was asked to check it there and then, it worked, job done.

[~SJ~{CDT} Ro0t]

I had the same problem of an invalid CD through Steam. I used the EA Live Chat Support and was given a new key within 5 minutes, I was asked to check it there and then, it worked, job done.

You got lucky then! I tried Live Chat Support first and the guy tried to have me create a pogo.com account so he could link my Crysis Warhead game to it... and told me I would have to login with that ID in order for the game to work. Thing is, the game logs in to GamespyID, not EA Account... so he was a bit lost I think! I ended the chat then and called phone support.

Most of the time, Live Chat Support ends up in India, and they have several chats opened at the same time. I hate this...

[=KoS=toasterpastries]

I do know that (TLL)cmrd_lenin, whose Steam-purchased copy was having the same issues as all here, had his start working today out of nowhere.

So try it, the keys might be in now.

[Seraph]

I am still surprised that Steam is not able to update the CD key for your account. It is pretty frustrating to re-download the game somewhere else if you are running almost all games from Steam (like me and friends). I wonder if they could deal with it too when telling their CD key is bogus ...

[~SJ~ Griffin]

Im trying this now. Been getting the invalid CD key since last night. For kicks, I downloaded wars and warhead to see if that made any difference, but it didnt. Thanks for the post.

[RickHunter]

I too had the same problem. There are two ways to fix this permanently - what the OP did (re-downloading the game via EA support - I called them and got approved to download it as well).


The other method is to either call or use the online support and ask for a new key and avoid the download.

Overwrite the existing key here:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Electronic Arts\Electronic Arts\Crysis Wars\ergc
Name - default
Type - String (REG_SZ)
Data - your new key

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Valve\TestApp17330
Name - SteamKey
Type - String (REG_SZ)
Data - your new key

The trick to making it permanent is to edit the permissions on the keys (ergc and TestApp17330) so that all security access is Read - not Full Control. This will effectively lock the new key in.

To do this, right click on the key (ergc), select permissions, click advanced, un-check "Include inheritable permissions from this object's parent", click Add when the pop-up shows up, check "replace all child permissions with inheritable permissions from this object, click OK, click Yes on the pop-up.
Finally, remove all "Full control" allow permissions for all the Groups or Usernames listed and click OK.
Repeat this on the TestApp17330 key.

I did this and was able to connect without problems.

[(TLL)Xermalk]

Add me to the list of those who had to talk to support to get the wars key working, 1.5 days of mailing forward and back untill they sent it to someone higer up that solved it in 15 min.

[tigerija]

I talked with EA customer support agent for about 90 minutes. At the end he solved my problem by giving me fresh game over EADM.
Someone caused us really big problems...
Thanks to EA support my problem is now solved. I like their service. That was my first and last time using Steam.
Now I'll get Crysis 2 directly from EA probbly.

[~SJ~{CDT} Ro0t]

Now I'll get Crysis 2 directly from EA probbly.

Yeah, I'll probably do the same. Plus I think Crysis Warhead was actually cheaper on the EA Store than it was in Steam (by 5$). I should have bought it there instead!

[SquareSphere }12thVR{]

Just FYI if you're using the EA downloader to get WARS you need to press that "i" button and then you can see WARS as a addon. Download that instead of just Warhead.

[IamSparticles]

I had a similar experience, and am now up and running.  Here's a post with all the steps I went through: http://forum.mechlivinglegends.net/index.php/topic,11525.msg177722.html#msg177722

[abe]

ea just gave me a 20 dollar coupon so i was able to buy and re-download the game off of the ea website for basically for free and it is working fine. I will never buy anything off steam agian

[Mode]

I went to support.ea.com/chat and got a CD key in around fifteen minutes!
you have to emphasize that it is on Steam