Activation Key Not Found on License Server

Activation Key Not Found on License Server

If you are experiencing a situation where your game was updated or you installed your game onto a new device and upon opening the game it requested you to activate the game (potentially again). If you entered your key and the message on the screen said that they activation key was not found on the server then please read the following article and hopefully this fix will resolve your issue.

Due to the changeover in June 2019 for OOTPD from our longtime digital partner eSellerate to FastSpring as our distributor we have a situation sometimes where users upon updating their game find that the game requests them to reactivate. Upon using their key that worked before they notice that the game gives them an error stating that the activation key could not be found on the servers. This is usually due to that distributor change. FastSpring and eSellerate do not share key databases so if you accidentally install the wrong version of OOTP 20 or FHM 5 the game will not only momentarily lose your activation but it also won't be able to reactivate your game because of that version incompatibility.

Thankfully the solution is very simple. Depending on the key you have you simply need to download the right version of the game you are playing. We here at OOTP will ensure that any updates for OOTP20 or FHM 5 will be accompanied by versions that update both the eSellerate and FastSpring versions.

So you may have a few questions with this information.

1-Since we have switched from eSellerate will my key from them still work in the future.

A-Yes, we will ensure that anyone who uses an eSellerate Key will be able to continue playing the game they purchased. Per a forum thread by Markus "eSellerate will continue to operate the license/unlicense servers for the foreseeable future, so you will be able to play the game(s) and move them from one computer to a different one using the unlicense & license procedure from the game settings dialog as usual."

2-How do I know which Key goes to which version?

A-Below is a listing of what each version's key will look like. Simply look at the key you were given when you purchased the game and match it up with the corresponding download version.

For Example:
Esellerate Licenses always start with OOTP for OOTP 20 keys and FHM for FHM 5 keys. FastSpring will usually start with AMTP0 from what we have seen. The better way to discern is whether or not your key has OOTP or FHM at the start of the key. If your key doesn't have OOTP or FHM at the start you're a FastSpring user. See the links and corresponding text below to see that in action and to download the correct version of the game that you need.

PC Links
OOTP license keys starts with "OOTP": (For example OOTP20-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX)
http://cdnfiles.ootpdevelopments.com/ootp/ootp20/ootp20setup_esellerate.exeOOTP license key that does NOT start with "OOTP": (For example AMTP0-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXX-XXXXXXXX)
http://cdnfiles.ootpdevelopments.com/ootp/ootp20/ootp20setup_fastspring.exeFHM license key starts with "FHM": (For Example FHM--XXXX-XXXX-XXXX-XXXX)
http://cdnfiles.ootpdevelopments.com/fhm/fhm5/fhm5setup_esellerate.exeFHM license key does NOT start with "FHM":
http://cdnfiles.ootpdevelopments.com/fhm/fhm5/fhm5setup_fastspring.exe


Mac Links
OOTP License Key Starts w/OOTP:
OOTP License Key DOES NOT start with OOTP:

FHM 5 license starts with FHM:
FHM 5 license DOES NOT start with FHM:

If you are still having issues with your game not licensing please feel free to submit a ticket to our system here

Thanks
Alex
    • Related Articles

    • Activation Issues for OOTP

      Generally speaking, activating the game works on the first attempt, but if you try several times and still can't get it to activate, you should read the following article. A common error message when attempting to activate the game is "The game could ...
    • I Lost my License Number and Confirmation Email

      If you lost your license number for OOTP or FHM for PC or Mac we have options for you to get it sent to you: For OOTP21 orders and OOTP20 orders from after June 2019, your license is issued through FastSpring: For order lookups with FastSpring orders ...
    • Activation Issues for FHM

      Generally speaking, activating the game works on the first attempt, but if you try several times and still can't get it to activate, you should read the following article. A common error message when attempting to activate the game is "The game could ...
    • Transferring a License to a Different Operating System

      Due to the relationships we have had with our licensing vendors over the years, our games are considered separate products on separate operating systems. In some cases, you can use licenses across operating systems. Here's how it works: For OOTP ...
    • Activating Your Game Without an Internet Connection

      While Internet connections are not required to play our games, all of our products do use an Internet connection to validate your license when you first install the game. However, we understand that not everyone has a regular Internet connection. Our ...