Security code in use ?

Hi - I just bought the guild wars game secondhand, all boxed, with proper disks and the security card inside. When I install the game, it tells me the security code is already in use (presumably by the previous owner) - how do I get around this ?

Thanks in advance

Buy a new security code off the website. No worries about having to download the game, since you already have it, but you will need to buy the game with an unused security code.

Or if you bought it from a retail store, you can bring it back in and tell them that someone already used the code. Just take your receipt back with you. Then buy it brand new, instead of used. But most retail stores don't do refunds on PC games after they are opened. Actually, for this very same reason in all honesty lol

Always a downside of buying any game second-hand. Especially ones that require an activation code. You can already guarantee that the person before you, already used it. Meaning, forcing you to buy the game a second time just to get your own code.

I know you could not have known this before you purchased it but for future reference...

3. LICENSE TO USE

Subject to the terms of this Agreement, NC Interactive grants to you, for your personal use only, a non-exclusive, revocable, nontransferable (except as permitted in Section 4(a)) license to use the Service, and a non-exclusive, revocable, nontransferable (except as permitted in Section 4(a)) license to use the Software in connection with the Service, without charge except for new Campaigns and Additional Features which will be charged on a prepaid basis according to Section 5.

You may not (a) sublicense, rent, lease, loan or otherwise transfer the Software or the Service (or any part thereof), including without limitation access keys; (b) modify, adapt, reverse engineer or decompile the Software, or otherwise attempt to derive source code from the Software; (c) create any derivative works in respect of the Software or the Service; or (d) otherwise use the Software or the Service except as expressly provided in this Agreement. You should keep your access key in a safe place and not share it with anyone else. The access key can be used only once. Title to the Software, and all rights with respect to the Software and Service not specifically granted under this Agreement, including without limitation all rights of reproduction, modification, distribution, display, disassembly and decompilation and all copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret and other proprietary rights and interests are reserved to NC Interactive.

What you need to buy in Guild wars are not the disks, but an account on the game servers. The security codes you bought were already used to create an account - you can't reuse them. You'd need the account login name and password to use that account.

You can download the program itself for free or install it, but it will onl function as it connects to the servers (which actuall run the real game - the AI, the character files etc.) - your program only displays what the servers tell it to and sends your commands what your characters do on the servers.

If you bought a used copy of GW, you have two problems.

First, Guild wars EULA does not allow the resale of the accounts. If you buy one, and Anet finds out, you could get shut down.

Second, if you were given the box with a used account and were not given the login name and password, you were likely swindled by the seller...

You got played. The discs are worthless, you can download the game itself right of the official site. What you buy when you purchase a GW game is the activation code, which in your case is worthless. You basically bought a plastic box, a thin book and some worthless discs.

I would suggest talking to the seller and see what happens. If you bought it from ebay you might be able to report him and get your money back, I'm not sure though I'm not a big ebay user.

Good luck and I recommend you not buy a second handed online game again.

they aren't worthless... they speed up the install A LOT... but when it comes to playing the game, they won't let you play, of course.

seconded hand games are fine, granted they don't require a code to create an account for.

That.

If you are lucky, the person who sold you the game was someone who was simply tired of playing, and they didn't mean to cheat you. If that's the case, they can still give you the ability to log on and change the password.

If you are unlucky, they knew exactly what they were doing.

Never buy a previously owned online game. The account key inside isn't some reusable key like old school games back in the day, once used to create an account it is gone. If you bought the game off this person and they didn't include the account name and pass you got ripped off.

GW CD's cost nothing (because guildwars.com/download covers it all in one swipe)
GW Box costs nothing

When you buy GW at a store, you are buying a piece of paper with a code on it to make an account.

Um.. Yeah.. GW disc's from 2005 with painfully outdated content sure speed up the after install patching process............

Bad wireless takes forever to download the .exe/content. :P Installing from discs takes less time than to download the .exe

This is the only way. You need to find out what the user account name was and/or password. If the seller is helpful get all the info you can about the account like character names and guild names.

Anet support will help you recover the user name or password but not both. gl

You should send a ticket in at http://help.ncsoft.com/cgi-bin/ncsof...nduser/ask.php At least the person who sold it to you will not be able to play anymore after NCSoft finds out they're selling accounts.

You got ripped off. The game is free to download, so the CD's are worthless (plus outdated). The only thing you have to pay money for is the CD-Key -- the one thing you didn't get. Demand your money back and report it to NCSoft support.

This is what you do. Go to www.guildwars.com/support. Click Web support. Now you can get the account of the seller. Now click Account Support in department. Tell them you want to recover your account. Type your Access Key in the Question Box. Wait 1-2 days, they should give you the account details. Change the email and password, and the account is yours.

Works all the time for people getting ripped off at eBay.

yeah because they changed every single thing right?

oh that is so devilish.

But the .exe is the most up to date version they have. They update it frequently. Plus it's just an installer starter, not the entire program, it works similar to CD's. But what about patching those CD's on a slow wireless connection?

thank you everyone for the answers and advice - its much appreciated, guess I know better next time

cheers