It wasn't the proxy servers, but you showed me the way to handle this, Bubby!!
For two months now, I have been participating in an internet-survey that keeps tracks of all the websites I visit. It's called "netobserver". So each time I log in by IE there is a link made by that program. It is somewhat like a proxyserver, only that it doesn't serve but just passes all the data. For that, it needs to figure out each DNS... it's there that the "activate" thing goes wrong!

Good, problem solved here! Thanks Bubby for sticking with me!

At VampireRat: yes I did!

You are trying to activate as a user who has Admin rights, yes?

First question - do you have any proxy servers defined in your internet connection options for internet explorer (or firefox - but most likely IE)? If you do - proxy settings pointing to a proxy can often confuzzle the activation process - which will give you the "key is invalid" mantra.

Try removing any proxy settings in your internet settings (make a note of them first) and try again..

If it still doesn't work... you've never seen me before in your life. OK?

(nah, come back and we might come up with another reason why you are cursed and the giveaways arent working for you). Don't feel bad, you're not the first.

There seems to be something wrong in the used method...
I can't activate any game, so far
Every time: " Fatal Error : key is invalid "
There should be a good solution to this... I've tried using Firefox, resetting and emptying all temp files and cookies, disabled the firewall (brrrrr, scary!) and shut down the virus-checker (shock!)
Nothing helped so far
The latest attempt was yesterday with the golf game. I can play the demo, but the activation went wrong
Anybody new ideas?

Hey I finally got my problem solved. I emptied all temporary files in my browser, and then I decided to bring up AOL browser and download from there. For first time in wellover a month I got the game to activate just fine...no more of the key invalid error. Looks like 2008 will be a great year for me now...been feeling down in the dumps lately because of this error I was receiving daily. :)

Yesterday and today, when I try to activate, I get the error message:

Activate.exe has encountered a problem and needs to close. We are sorry for the inconvenience.

Any ideas? I have never had a problem with activation before this.

Thanks.

I'm still having this problem myself...I've changed computer settings and different things and STILL getting the fatal error, key is invalid. I want these games so bad but I still get the error. Anybody figure out a solution to this yet? Its been about a month for me now too.

I tried the Activate.exe file without using a zip program (UNZipMe), and after trying to activate the activation key, I still get the same notice: Fatal Error:Key is Invalid. I can't figure out why I was having no problems last month, but I am this month.

RedStorm: Be sure you are using the Activate.exe file that is in the day's zipped files. If you use WinZip to unzip to the same folder (as I sometimes do), be sure to check the box "overwrite files". If not, it won't give you the current activate.exe file.

Just an idea of what you MAY be having problems with.

If not that, I can't help you since I have had no problems through 11/17. Today's is another story... haven't even unzipped yet since everyone is complaining about it being the trial version. Hopefully Monster House will be re-run later this week?

first of all welcome to the ggotd forum RedStorm

and i am running Vista and know that todays giveaway monster house has an activation problem other than that i have never had a problem

I'm using XP Home Edition. For about a month, whenever I download any software from this site, I get the same error message, Fatal Error: Activation Key is invalid. All I can get is the trial versions. If the set up file and activation key are combined in one file, I can't even get it to set up. I tried disabling my firewall, Spyware Doctor, Avast. It doesn't help. I even tried downloading with Firefox (since I thought that it might be IE7), and I still get the Activation Key is invalid message. I know I didn't have this problem with IE6. I e-mailed the site but got no answer. The last successful activation setup was with the Halloween screensaver. Since then, it's been one failure after another. I know this has been discussed before, but I tried those suggestions and they didn't work. Any help would be appreciated.