Hi, (I know this should probably be in Rayman subforum but it isn't the GOG.com version)

I went to install Rayman 3 retail version the other day and it installed fine, didn't have any errors, but when I go to activate I enter my CD key and it takes about 5 minutes waiting and then it says "Check your internet connection."

What is causing it to do this? If I read right it uses the Tages DRM crap, but surely it is still actively able to be activated?

Anyway, if anyone knows how to fix this it would be appreciated..

Thanks,

sv

Shot in the dark: the TAGES drivers that come with the game are for e.g. WinXP, so you need to install updated TAGES drivers if you are trying to activate it in e.g. Win7?

I recall reading something similar with TAGES with the retail version of the Riddick game, where the suggested fix apparently was updating of TAGES drivers, whatever they are. EDIT: But apparently in that case Windows 7 actually rejected installing the incompatible TAGES driver, so if you didn't see the same, it is not necessarily about this.

So, head to the TAGES support pages, and/or the game's publisher's support page. Googling for Rayman 3 TAGES might also work, in case it indeed uses TAGES. Or Rayman 3 Windows 7, or whatever is your OS.
.
Or then the authentication server is just down at the moment, hopefully temporarily. Or you are behind a proxy server (corporate network?) and the authentication server doesn't like it, or many other reasons.

Yeah, you will need to get the latest Tages driver from here :

http://www.tagesprotection.com/main.htm?page=minimum.htm

Best bet would be uninstall the game first, then update the driver. That should sort the issue out. Tages is a horrid DRM, far worse than Securom. Securom lets you deactivate an installation when you uninstall your game so you dont lose activations from the limit (I know not the best, but at least its available), Tages on the other hand doesnt deactivate the install from the limit so after so many installs with that key you will have to jump through hoops to get your game going again (This all depends on key activations and the amount of times you install the game)

Almost. The majority of Tagès installations are actually recovered automatically over time. They aren't revoked when you uninstall the game, but if for example you activate a game on your PC, you lose an activation. Every 30 days, if you less than three activations, the Tagès server credits you with one more.

I wouldn't say it's any worse than SecuROM, and it has the advantage over SecuROM that if you have some dickhead sell you a used game with all the activations used up, you don't need to go begging to Sony DADC and pray that they'll reset the counter. You just have to wait for it to be recovered.

Ah right. See I always believed that once the activations were used up that was it with Tages. Learn something new everyday!

Mind you, there is nothing stopping you using a NOCD with you owning the original if you are having some serious issues with activation.

I was going to recommend that with a link, but I was worried about getting slapped silly around the face by the blue text of justice.

Yeah dont link it as the people that pirate games use them frequently but a legitimate user that is having issues, especially with Tages and Windows 7 should be fine using them. I dont condone piracy at all as the talk of DRM being so restrictive at times and messing things up. How are genuine users supposed to be able to play their owned games from a few years back let alone new releases.

Personally feel Ubisoft are the worst offenders at the minute, have a friend on another forum who bought the Ubisoft pack on Steam, not realising that some of the games required a persistent connection to their Uplay service and he couldnt play anything over the weekend because the servers were overloaded, he was gutted to say the least.

I was thankful of The Witcher backup here when it went live as I couldnt get my disc version going on 7 64 bit easily. Managed to get it installed but to get the DC version update had to get a 3rd party fix for it that bypassed the check. Thanks go out to CD Project and GOG for giving us the digital backup from our keys.

Either way, dont post up links as the user needs to just Google it and will find the dark blue & grey color site with the various no disc fixes if he cant get it running. Its a shame more and more legitimate users are feeling they have to do this.

I didn't realise you had to install some drivers... btw, I am using XP, with no proxy or anything like that.

I had already googled a bit but I couldn't find anything conclusive. Ugh, so I have to go downloading a bunch of stuff to even get it to activate? I had already tried a nocd, and a 'fixed' exe, I don't know what the difference is but both of them just ran the activation.exe program in the Rayman 3 directory..

So basically, I HAVE to install those stupid drivers to simply be able to play the game?

Yeah, if the fixed exe is not working you will have to do it unfortunately.

As a side note, sometimes the fixes actually have to be run and they patch the original exe file to do the required bypass. You also have to make sure you have matching version number. For example if the game is say version 1.2 and you get a 1.0 fix it wont work, also you have to copy and replace when putting the file into the directory.

Found it! Here you go:

http://www.gog.com/en/gamecard/rayman_3_hoodlum_havoc

Not everyone is inclined to rebuy the games they've already bought.

Then it might not be the drivers. Rayman 3 was released in 2003 so it definitely was made to be compatible with XP, including its DRM. And, I personally don't even know does the retail version use TAGES. I saw that some digital versions of it do.

And, in the Riddick TAGES case to which I referred, the issue apparently was that Win7 refused to install the drivers. That's why the guy had a hunch that he'd need updated TAGES drivers.

http://forums.atari.com/showthread.php?t=10832

I suspect the activation server is simply down (hopefully (well, probably...) temporarily), or you have some issue with the internet connection. For example, I can't connect to Steam authentication servers from my work internet connection, apparently due to the proxy. Or, could your firewall be blocking the authentication?

If I were you, I'd just contact the game publisher's support (Ubisoft). I don't know if they are still busy with the UPlay downtime. Come to think of it, figures, Ubisoft at it again...

Sorry, I should have put in that smiley. Yes, he is entitled to get the game running without a re-purchase. Ubisoft support is happy to help, as long as they aren't anymore busy with the recent UPlay fiasco.

I tried installing the latest drivers, still no luck. I also sent a support ticket to Ubi yesterday, but no reply yet. :-\