No CD Key

[Mr. Jittery]

This game does not come with a CD key and I could not figure out how to get one. EA told me to contact steam, but steam has no support option, which is annoying. I want to register my game so I can use the sims 3 exchange online and download sims and houses, but I can't do that without a CD Key. Does anyone know if this is solveable?

[Pyxzel]

do you have any of the expansions of stuff packs? you can try registering that. sometimes they come bundled with the game, so the base game will get registered as well.

if not, try reaching out to EA on their twitter page. thats what i did. i had a problem with the Pets expansion, i didnt get a cd key for that. it was a bit of a hassle but after providing proof of purchase, they applied it to my origin account so it got squared away.

[HiFive]

What Pyxzel said is correct. For proof of ownership you can just take a screenshot of the receipt for the game. EA will then give you a CD key. EA started hiding the CD keys for the base game and for Pets some time ago because people were reselling the keys. They got Steam to hide the keys, as well.

[cruinne]

Postat inițial de Jethroat:

steam has no support option

Steam does - it's under the big "SUPPORT" at the top right of the browser window. In the Steam client it's the first option under "Help" in the menu.

Postat inițial de Jethroat:

Does anyone know if this is solveable?

They have hidden the key for a few months now, stupidly. But I can see mine if I do this:

1. Press Windows key, and type: regedit
   
2. Run and allow the registry editor.
   
3. In the registry editor, press control + f to open the find dialog.
   
4. Search for: TestApp47894
   
5. Once it's found in the left panel, in the right panel it should show a name of "SteamKey" and the Data value which is the key for the game.

[Mr. Jittery]

I tried the testapp trick and it does not show any name of "steamkey" . I also just mean that steam will not allow a message to be sent in if the game is not made by them, and directs you to EA. I sent in a message using another topic that pertains to steam directly. I have tried many other registry editor tricks other people suggest and none of them work for me. I am on a Windows 10 PC.

[MaestroII]

I got my serial key for The Sims 3 & Peds after I bought The Sims 3 Collection https://store.steampowered.com/bundle/1247/The_Sims_3_Collection, This pack doesn't have the base game included so you must buy it first and I don't think you need to buy the whole package if you only want the key for The Sims 3 be visible.
When I first bought The Sims 3 I didn't get the serial key yet but after I bought The Sims 3 Collection the missing keys for The Sims 3 base game & Pets appeared in this directory:

Press win+r & type regedit and check this line
Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Electronic Arts\Sims(Steam)\The Sims 3 Pets\ergc

Everything works just fine when I bought the base game and later The Sims 3 Collection, I didn't have to enter any keys in the game but I later registered all keys on Origin.

For clarity; you can see the keys on your Sims 3 tile with right click & manage in your Steam library, except for The Sims 3 base game and Pets. You have to find them manually with win+r & type regedit.

[76561199231173637]

I have the same exact issue and I'm so frustrated my gosh I went through a whole process with EA even linking my accounts and what not, and it was no use. They said to contact steam which is like a literal nightmare and here is where I have ended up all for trying to find a code that is my rightful property to maximize my game play I'm honestly so flicking upset.

[76561199231173637]

Postat inițial de cruinne:

Postat inițial de Jethroat:

steam has no support option

Steam does - it's under the big "SUPPORT" at the top right of the browser window. In the Steam client it's the first option under "Help" in the menu.

Postat inițial de Jethroat:

Does anyone know if this is solveable?

They have hidden the key for a few months now, stupidly. But I can see mine if I do this:

1. Press Windows key, and type: regedit
   
2. Run and allow the registry editor.
   
3. In the registry editor, press control + f to open the find dialog.
   
4. Search for: TestApp47894
   
5. Once it's found in the left panel, in the right panel it should show a name of "SteamKey" and the Data value which is the key for the game.

It really does not work

[76561199231173637]

Postat inițial de cruinne:

Postat inițial de Jethroat:

steam has no support option

Steam does - it's under the big "SUPPORT" at the top right of the browser window. In the Steam client it's the first option under "Help" in the menu.

Postat inițial de Jethroat:

Does anyone know if this is solveable?

They have hidden the key for a few months now, stupidly. But I can see mine if I do this:

1. Press Windows key, and type: regedit
   
2. Run and allow the registry editor.
   
3. In the registry editor, press control + f to open the find dialog.
   
4. Search for: TestApp47894
   
5. Once it's found in the left panel, in the right panel it should show a name of "SteamKey" and the Data value which is the key for the game.

and steam really has no support at all for games that they didn't directly make.

[HiFive]

Showing a screenshot of your receipt to EA support has worked for most of the people contacting them.

The other method is to make an Origin account and then link one of your expansion packs (not Pets) to Origin. It then will download its version of the base game and you can use the CD key from that.

[Metacour]

Windows Key, type regedit, run it and type the following in the bar:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Electronic Arts\Sims(Steam)\The Sims 3\ergc

It should pop up the location for the CD Key.

[folieassdeux]

Had a really fun one here today resulting in me learning that Steam does not and never will have full functionality with Sims 3.

I bought Sims 3 and Pets in November and today I decided to register it to access the Exchange and upload content. After failing to find a CD key anywhere after perusing loads of forums, I tried the registry with no luck (it just said %CDKEY%). Ultimately I had to contact EA support via live chat where I was instructed to connect my Steam and EA accounts together (log out from EA website, login again using steam icon, then connect), then I had to provide screenshots of my Steam purchase history and also my confirmation email from when I bought the game.

I did this, and then got cut off live chat.

I called the helpline as rejoining the chat was no longer available. My case got rejected because they wanted the whole confirmation email to be visible in one image instead of over several screenshots. I reattached it with the screen zoomed out to adhere to these instructions, and then the Steam support guy argued with me that it wasn't the correct email, and condescendingly told me to google 'how to provide proof of purchase EA'. My attachment was exactly the same as the example provided on the forum he referred to, which I pointed out to him, although he didn't believe me.

He reluctantly submitted it again to accounts and this time it was approved, lol.

He then put me on hold for half an hour while he added the games to my EA account. Once that was done I asked to check. I could see the games on my Origin account, but the initial problem of not being able to access the exchange was still there as my game wasn't a 'registered product'. According to the support guy this is because I was still launching it through Steam. I asked him to clarify and he said that I had to launch the game through Origin because EA do not provide codes for Steam.

So this has resulted in me having to download Origin and install another copy of the game to my computer, which I am currently doing. The next steps for me are to launch the game and see if this time I am able to access the Exchange.

If so, then this proves one thing: Steam are selling a game which doesn't even have full functionality, and you might as well just purchase it through Origin in the first place.

EDIT:
After the game had installed via Origin I tried to access the exchange with no luck as it still said I was using an unregistered product. Looks like EA don't much care about improving your gameplay, they just want you to use Origin for no reason.

I decided to look at the registry info for my Pets game which I originally installed in November with the base game as a bundle deal. To my delight, this expansion pack had an available CD key. I opened the game again via Steam and this time opened the exchange and submitted the Pets key - this seemed to register my entire game and now I have full functionality.

Baffles me that EA didn't help me do this as they knew I had purchased a bundle deal originally. Needless to say I have now uninstalled the second copy of the game and Origin from my computer...

Unfortunately, I don't know what the solution is for those people who have only purchased the base game through Steam with no key, short of purchasing an additional expansion pack and doing what I did...

[Daikatan]

ouch, this all is pretty depressing

[76561199231173637]

Today guys randomly out of no where when starting up sims ton play after a while I a little window message popped up with the CD KEY I have no idea what triggered it but it appeared.

[HiFive]

Postat inițial de Jehnai:

Today guys randomly out of no where when starting up sims ton play after a while I a little window message popped up with the CD KEY I have no idea what triggered it but it appeared.

I checked, and it looks like they finally made the keys visible again. I can see the keys for my base game and for Pets. I guess they feel it's safe to give us those, now, and that it's too much trouble to keep hiding them from us, since people are constantly asking for them.