Question about steam and a possible solution to "Prey don't start" problem

Neuromante · 10-03-2007, 10:24 AM

Hi all!
I got Yesterday a fresh copy of Prey for only 10€, a lucky shot in a Game Store of my city.

As long as I played before the game (and completed it) I asked myself "why not? the game it's worth more than this price".

So I came to my house and installed it, and then the finally solved problem appeared:
I installed the game, and then the 1.3 patch. When I started the "Prey" loading image and.. nothing more. The whole system freezes and I only can reset it.
So I registered in the forums after a huge search in it and found that I have to wait till a moderator validate my account. Well, let's keep searching.
I finally found some threads where users with a similar problem were told to use a "no-cd patch". I downloaded the patch and read the .nfo file attached. It looks like that the game connect to validate your CD-Key, so if you have a Firewall installed and Prey don't have permissions the "You wanna allow Prey to acces the Internet?" appears.
But Prey it's not too alt+tab friendly, so you can't see the dialog, and the game just wait until you got internet acces, but as you can't see the dialog you can't accept it and, obviously, the game don't start.
In short: Try to give Prey full acces for the Internet, it worked for me!

Well, now my (other and unresolved) question:
I have a Steam account with some games attached, and I have found in the forums that with a Steam retail version of Prey can be used to activate Prey via Steam. I'm not a huge Steam fan, but having the game in my Steam account could be usefull, so the question it's: If I link the CD-Key to my Steam account, will "convert" the retail CD-Key in a "only-steam" key? I don't want to attach the game and found that I'm not able to install again the retail version with my CD-Key :?

And that's all, folks! Forwarded thanks for the answers!

Altered Reality · 10-03-2007, 01:34 PM

You don't need to activate the boxed version of Prey. Uninstall it, then install it again, but this time try NOT to patch it. Let's see if the out-of-the-box version works for you.
Oh, and post your system specs, so we can try and pinpoint the problem.

Neuromante · 10-03-2007, 02:31 PM

Euh, looks like I didn't explain good (sorry for my bad english): I solved the "Prey don't start" problem, the Online CD Check was messing up with my firewall and the alt+tab uncompatibility.
I just posted it if somebody in the future find it usefull

The "real" problem (more it's a question) it's about the Steam activation, I do know that I don't have to activate via steam the game (I've been playing this morning the retail version once I solved the problem I've mentioned above ^^u), I ask if activating the Retail CD Key through steam will unvalidate the key for a new retail installation (as there are a online check for the key, you know)

Altered Reality · 10-04-2007, 04:23 AM

In this case, I can't answer your question.
I have 2 questions for someone at 3DRealms, however. Does Prey really have an online CD check? I was never aware of it. Does it also have a limit to the possible installations, like Bioshock?

Neuromante · 10-04-2007, 04:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Altered Reality

Does Prey really have an online CD check? I was never aware of it.

Yep, but as far as I know, not in the same way bioshock has it. If you have internet, the game will connect and verify the CD-Key. If you don't have internet or don't give access, the game don't. It's just a standard CD-Key verification procedure (You'll never being in a Cyber playing Half-Life, for example, and receive an "CD-Key already in use" error? Well, the online CD-key check it's for showing that message).

As long as I know, Prey don't have any more, unless it's anticopy it's the same that the Bioshock one.

10-03-2007, 10:24 AM	#1
Neuromante	Question about steam and a possible solution to "Prey don't start" problem Hi all! I got Yesterday a fresh copy of Prey for only 10€, a lucky shot in a Game Store of my city. As long as I played before the game (and completed it) I asked myself "why not? the game it's worth more than this price". So I came to my house and installed it, and then the finally solved problem appeared: I installed the game, and then the 1.3 patch. When I started the "Prey" loading image and.. nothing more. The whole system freezes and I only can reset it. So I registered in the forums after a huge search in it and found that I have to wait till a moderator validate my account. Well, let's keep searching. I finally found some threads where users with a similar problem were told to use a "no-cd patch". I downloaded the patch and read the .nfo file attached. It looks like that the game connect to validate your CD-Key, so if you have a Firewall installed and Prey don't have permissions the "You wanna allow Prey to acces the Internet?" appears. But Prey it's not too alt+tab friendly, so you can't see the dialog, and the game just wait until you got internet acces, but as you can't see the dialog you can't accept it and, obviously, the game don't start. In short: Try to give Prey full acces for the Internet, it worked for me! Well, now my (other and unresolved) question: I have a Steam account with some games attached, and I have found in the forums that with a Steam retail version of Prey can be used to activate Prey via Steam. I'm not a huge Steam fan, but having the game in my Steam account could be usefull, so the question it's: If I link the CD-Key to my Steam account, will "convert" the retail CD-Key in a "only-steam" key? I don't want to attach the game and found that I'm not able to install again the retail version with my CD-Key :? And that's all, folks! Forwarded thanks for the answers!

10-03-2007, 01:34 PM	#2
Altered Reality	Re: Cuestion about steam and a possible solution to "Prey don't start" problem You don't need to activate the boxed version of Prey. Uninstall it, then install it again, but this time try NOT to patch it. Let's see if the out-of-the-box version works for you. Oh, and post your system specs, so we can try and pinpoint the problem. __________________ [...] We view customers as complete morons that will never catch on and [...] we're lying to them all the time. (Gabe Newell, Valve) I'm the worst enemy in film-making and a completely talentless idiot. (Uwe Boll) Faith is why you are wrong. (Crosma)

10-03-2007, 02:31 PM	#3
Neuromante	Re: Question about steam and a possible solution to "Prey don't start" problem Euh, looks like I didn't explain good (sorry for my bad english): I solved the "Prey don't start" problem, the Online CD Check was messing up with my firewall and the alt+tab uncompatibility. I just posted it if somebody in the future find it usefull The "real" problem (more it's a question) it's about the Steam activation, I do know that I don't have to activate via steam the game (I've been playing this morning the retail version once I solved the problem I've mentioned above ^^u), I ask if activating the Retail CD Key through steam will unvalidate the key for a new retail installation (as there are a online check for the key, you know)

10-04-2007, 04:23 AM	#4
Altered Reality	Re: Question about steam and a possible solution to "Prey don't start" problem In this case, I can't answer your question. I have 2 questions for someone at 3DRealms, however. Does Prey really have an online CD check? I was never aware of it. Does it also have a limit to the possible installations, like Bioshock? __________________ [...] We view customers as complete morons that will never catch on and [...] we're lying to them all the time. (Gabe Newell, Valve) I'm the worst enemy in film-making and a completely talentless idiot. (Uwe Boll) Faith is why you are wrong. (Crosma)