Overview
This guide covers an easy solution for a problem I encountered after trying to get my Company of Heroes game to run and instal after it moved to Steam. It appears that this process works for any game that you add to your Steam account so long as the game can also be purchased or is supported by Steam.
The Problem
When the game Company of Heroes moved its on-line and game support over to Steam my first thought was, cool I love this game and I like Steam and the game community on Steam as well.
The problem occured when I tried to move my game files over. When the server for verifying the unlock code was shut down I as well as many others got a screen telling me to contact the game publisher for help unlocking the game. With that not being possible I searched and searched for a solution.
Now in my case, I originally purchased Company of Heroes: Tales of Valor which included the original Company of Heroes and Opposing Fronts as a so called bonus. So in other words, I purchased the original Company of Heroes and both DLC’s. These were purchased from Gamefly as a digital down load.
When I followed the “Special Instructions” for moving this game over to Steam, my original version of the game would not work at all. I would be asked to provide the unlock key which of course would not work. I had 2 keys for this full game. 1 code for Tales of Valor and, a second key for the combo of Company of Heroes and Opposing fronts. It was refered to as the Gold edition key.
The Steam version of Company of Heroes would only let me play the Tales of Valor campaigns and when I would mouse over the others I would be told I had to purchase them to play.
Obviously I did not want to purchase them again since I had already paid my hard earned money for them.
What I was told
I was very frustrated by all this because I like this game very much. Now because I tried to move the game to Steam I was locked out of half of it and the original copy was unplayable because the unlock server was shut down. All the online support articles were no help. They said things like un-install the game and re-install it and that would clear it up. No good. Same problem.
I contacted both Steam support and Gamefly support. Steam support told me that the problem was with the original down load provider. They also suggested I check the forums. The forums had all kinds of advice from very technical stuff like going into the files and changeing the game code. Or to simply write it off and buy a whole new copy.
Since only someone that knows what they are doing should change the program code, this is not a good solution. And only an idiot pays again for something they already own.
Gamefly told me that it was an on going problem that they were aware of and trying to solve so to please be patient and I would be contacted as soon as a solution was found, and Thank you for your on going support and please buy more games from us and have you checked out the latest hot game from this publisher or that game company. BLAH BLAH BLAH…all good and fine but no help in getting this great game I already bought to work.
The Solution
After months of all this run around and solutions that cause more problems and still don’t work, here is what I found out on my own and now pass on to all of you.
All games have an unlock code. We all know this but, what we don’t know is that the unlock code is the same no matter where you purchased it. Here is what this means for you and I.
1. I went to my Gamefly purchase history and wrote down the unlock codes. Any games you have will have one. It does NOT matter if you have the game on disc or if it was a down load.
2. In the lower left hand corner of your Steam screen is an ADD A GAME button. When you click on that button you will see three choices. Add a non-Steam Game… Activate A Product on Steam… and Browse the Steam Store for Games…
It is the second choice, (Activate A Product on Steam) that you want to choose.
3. When you click that choice, an activation screen comes up telling you that you are activating a game on Steam and to click next. Once you do that a small box appears.
4. In that box, type in the key code and an install screen will pop up. Click the install button and wait while it sets up and installs.
It is that simple. As long as you can purchase a game on Steam, the unlock code will work to down load AND unlock your game. So if the forums or anyone is telling you to mess with your game files or some complicated crap. Don’t believe it, follow the process above and you should have no problem. Just remember that this works as long as the game is purchaseable on Steam or is supported by Steam. And does not mean that you had to have purchased the game from Steam. As I mentioned, I originaly bought my Company of Heroes complete from Gamefly.
I will update this guide to at least include screen shots of this process but, thought this info was important to get out there. If you have any other suggestions or comments, please let me know.
Enjoy, and I hope this guide helps you from ripping your hair out in frustration like I felt like doing.