CD Key already in use

[Cypher, Revealer]

My friend and I recently purchased Age of Empires 3: The Complete Collection. We both bought a copy on our separate steam accounts but I initially downloaded mine on his second laptop. He since got rid of his main laptop for a mac which he cannot play AOE on, so he has to use the laptop that I initially downloaded mine on. This of course didn't work since it was my cd key. We tried uninstalling and reinstalling from his steam account but to no avail. What should I do to fix this?

[TirithRR]

Once a key is used on an account, it is stuck on that account forever.

[spoof]

he needs to login to his own account on any PC.

[Cypher, Revealer]

So I there is no way to play unless we add his account to a different pc?

[spoof]

you gave him an old laptop.
change user login and play.
what is so hard about this nothing dramatic going to happen.

[TirithRR]

Originally posted by kaycolin911:

So I there is no way to play unless we add his account to a different pc?

Your friend can log into Steam from which ever computer he wants, and as long as he uses the same Steam account he used initially to play AoE 3, he will have AoE 3 on his account ready to download, install, and play.

[Cypher, Revealer]

ok so that makes sense and is helpful, but how can we get the game to use his cd key so we can play, because currently it is using the same cd key. We have two copies.

[spoof]

login to his account.
lol
left top corner of steam
steam>change user.

accounts a new thing?

[TirithRR]

Originally posted by kaycolin911:

ok so that makes sense and is helpful, but how can we get the game to use his cd key so we can play, because currently it is using the same cd key. We have two copies.

You mean once you are in the game and are trying to use the multiplayer options?

Look around in the multiplayer settings of the game to see if it lists anywhere to input the CD Key for the game.

You may need to ask the developers (check out the Community Hub) if you cannot find it.

Edit:
A few games do require the CD Key to access the Multiplayer services. It could be that this game is remembering the last CD Key used by the first user, probably through some Registry entries for the game.

Have you completely uninstalled just Age of Empires 3, and reinstall it?

[Cypher, Revealer]

Originally posted by TirithRR:

Originally posted by kaycolin911:

ok so that makes sense and is helpful, but how can we get the game to use his cd key so we can play, because currently it is using the same cd key. We have two copies.

You mean once you are in the game and are trying to use the multiplayer options?

Look around in the multiplayer settings of the game to see if it lists anywhere to input the CD Key for the game.

You may need to ask the developers (check out the Community Hub) if you cannot find it.

Ok, I'll give that a try. Thanks.

[Cypher, Revealer]

Originally posted by spoof:

login to his account.
lol
left top corner of steam
steam>change user.

accounts a new thing?

That isn't even close to helpful. I'm fully aware of accounts lmfao.

[spoof]

but if you have it on both accounts thats a weird way of doing it.

you just do not understand than no not helpfull I get that.

Originally posted by kaycolin911:

We both bought a copy on our separate steam accounts but I initially downloaded mine on his second laptop.

[TirithRR]

Originally posted by spoof:

but if you have it on both accounts thats a weird way of doing it.

Originally posted by kaycolin911:

We both bought a copy on our separate steam accounts but I initially downloaded mine on his second laptop.

Sounds like he installed the game on this laptop, but then gave it to his friend to log into his own Steam account, but since the game was already installed and used, it's probably remembering the CD Key entered for Multiplayer.

Now he just has to figure out how to remove the old CD Key from the actual game options and input his own.

[spoof]

I must have misunderstood "on our own seperate steam account"

[spoof]

just a MAC issue that the old laptop can solve.

[TirithRR]

Originally posted by pike:

@spoof your wasting your time op is making something out of nothing . if his friend bought the game then it's in his account ready and waiting to be installed/played . there is no issue

You need to read the thread though. The issue is in the game itself, the CD Key required to use Multiplayer. His old laptop, the one he gave his friend (apparently) already had the game installed and his CD key registered for multiplayer play. Now his friend needs to get his own CD Key in there to play multiplayer with him, because you can't use the same CD Key to play online with these games.

It's not a Steam issue, but an AoE 3 multiplayer setup issue.

Originally posted by spoof:

just a MAC issue that the old laptop can solve.

I don't see MAC addresses having anything to do with this.

I'm not going to install AoE 3 to test it out myself, but I imagine that the game comes with a CD Key, and when you click on Multiplayer it asks you for that CD Key (initially) so you can play online. If it's anything like the Heroes of Might and Magic games, it remembers that key once you put it in.