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bowen Jan 3, 2016 @ 4:48pm

Activate a game with a retail CD Key

I bought Star Wars: Battlefront II on a CD a few years back, but I recently built a new PC and have no CD drive. So I was wondering, can I activate the game in steam with the product key that came with the CD or do I have to buy the game again?

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Showing 1-12 of 12 comments

Glimmer Jan 3, 2016 @ 4:49pm

Give it a shot, worst case scenario is you're given an error message about it not being a valid code.

wuddih Jan 3, 2016 @ 4:49pm

https://support.steampowered.com/kb_article.php?ref=7480-wusf-3601
not listed there, so probably not.

Last edited by wuddih; Jan 3, 2016 @ 4:50pm

Cathulhu Jan 3, 2016 @ 4:50pm

The game can not be activated on Steam.
You have three options:
1. Buy it on Steam.
2. Put a disc drive into your PC.
3. Connect an external disc drive to your PC.

bowen Jan 3, 2016 @ 4:56pm

Glimmer - I tried it but it didn't work, don't know if I entered it in the wrong format or not.
Wuddih - So the only ones available are the ones on that list?
Cathulu - 1. I'm not paying for a game I already have xD
2. I have a NZXT H440, there is no disc drive space.
3. I guess I'll go buy one xD

Bad 💀 Motha Jan 3, 2016 @ 4:57pm

Yea I already tried my Retail CD versions of Battlefront 1 & 2; doesn't take those keys.
Old retail copies of such keys usually have a different format that differs from the later releases digital download version; and thus why Steam will usually not accept old and/or retail copy product keys.

Just install from disc, then go download the v1.1 and 1.3 patch updates