Jacky Bauer's Blog

Are you seeing the message "Your CD key is disabled from realm play"?

• If you are receiving the error message, “Your CD key is disabled from realm play.” when trying to join or create a realm game, this indicates the CD-Key installed has been temporarily or permanently banned from playing realm games on Battle.net. Even though the CD-Key is restricted from playing realm games, you are still able to play Open Battle.net games.
• Diablo 2 CD Keys are regularly banned and accounts are closed due to hacking on Battle.net. In the case of the CD-Keys that were banned, at least one account tied to each CD-Key was identified as having used such a program while playing on Battle.net. First time offenders are banned from realm play for one month and repeat offenders are banned from realm play permanently. Users who are unsure if their CD-Key was temporarily or permanently banned will have to wait one month from the time the CD-Key was banned to determine the status.

Are you seeing "CD-Key in use by (Your Name)"?

• If you get the message that your "CD-Key in use by [Your Name]", then you should only have to wait 15-30 minutes before reconnecting to Battle.net. This is usually caused by a recent disconnection from Battle.net. The [name] listed in this error message is not a Battle.net account name - it is the name entered when the game was installed. If this [name] is the one you entered, then Battle.net has not yet recognized that you have logged off of Battle.net. Also remember that each Diablo 2 CD Key can only be logged into Battle.net once, so be sure you have only installed your CD-Key on one machine.
• If the problem persists, please try restarting your computer or powering your modem/router off and then back on. If you are unsure how to do this; please check the hardware documentation or contact the manufacturer directly for assistance.
• If you have waited 30 minutes and the error still occurs, you may need to replace the CD-Key. Follow the steps below to request a replacement CD-Key.

Are you seeing "CD-Key in use by [another player]"?

• If you get the message: "CD-Key in use by [another player]", then someone else may have used your CD-Key to install the game. The [name] listed in this error message is not a Battle.net account name - it is the name entered when the game was installed. If this [name] is not the one you entered, please reinstall the game to ensure the correct key is entered. If the CD-Key is still in use, you may need a replacement key. Follow the steps below to request a replacement Diablo 2 CD-Key.

Receiving an Unhandled Exception Error during game launch or while actually playing can be caused by a few problems. As always, please patch the game first. The patch includes several fixes that may correct this type of error. You can patch the game by connecting to Battle.net for the auto-patch or you can download and run the stand-alone patch from our patch page at http://www.blizzard.com/patches/. After installing the patch, please reboot your computer and test the game again. If the patch does not correct the problem, please follow the steps below.

The first step is to reinstall the game, but before reinstalling, you may want to back up your single-player character files. These files are stored in the Diablo II\Save\ folder on your hard drive. The character files have the same name as the character. Save these files to another directory or to a floppy disk and then restore them once you have reinstalled the game.

Uninstall Diablo II by going to Start, Programs, Diablo II, and choose Uninstall Diablo II. Once the game is uninstalled you can delete the Diablo II folder from your hard drive.

Now, run a thorough scandisk and defrag of your hard drive(s). You will probably find it helpful to disable your screen saver and power management features before you scandisk or defrag. Sometimes Windows will restart the defragmentation and/or scandisk if your screen saver or power management kicks in.

(Windows 98/Me)

- Click on the Start button and go to Run.
- Type in "scandisk" (without quotes) and click the OK button.
- Follow the prompts and select "Thorough" scandisk and let it run.
- This will tell you if there are any problems on the hard disk.

- Click on the Start button and go to Run
- Type in "defrag" (without quotes) and click the OK button.
- Follow the prompts to defrag your hard drive.
- This will make the available space more usable by your programs.

(Windows 2000/XP)

- Open My Computer, and select the local disk you want to check.
- On the File menu, click Properties.
- Click the Tools tab.
- Under Error-checking, click Check Now.
- Under Check disk options, select the Scan for and attempt recovery of bad sectors check box and the automatically fix file system errors box.
- Select yes to schedule after restart if a dialog box comes up prompting you to do so.
- Restart your computer

- Open My Computer, and select the local disk you want to check.
- On the File menu, click Properties.
- Click the Tools tab.
- Under Defragmentation, click Defragment now.
- Select volume to Defragment.
- Click Defragment.

Reinstall the multiplayer or full version of Diablo II and then install Diablo II: Lord of Destruction. You will need your original Diablo II play disc for the first part of the installation and the Expansion disc to finish the installation. You will also need to have your original Diablo 2 CD Key for Diablo II and the Lord of Destruction Diablo 2 CD Keys accessible while you install. Windows 2000 users need Administrative rights to run the Diablo II program.

Bugged CD-Key Explained
Many people get this error because Diablo II overlaps itself and keeps it logged in your Processes. When overlapped, your Diablo 2 CD Key is still logged with Battle.Net, disabling you from connecting with the same CD-Key. The removal of this is very easy if you carefully follow the instructions below:

Questions and Answers

Q: Why, when I try to log onto Battle.Net, does it say I’m in use of my own CD-Key?
A: This is known as the “Bugged Diablo 2 CD Keys.” This is because Diablo II has overlapped itself.

Q: What steps must be taken to remove the bugged usage and give me validation to log on?
A: There are a few steps you can take to reset your usage. Read the following:

Manual Removal

• Close your Diablo II window.
• Press CTRL+ALT+DEL and move to your “Processes” tab.
• Look for a program called “game.exe”.
• Once you’ve located this, press “End Task”.
• Retry logging onto Battle.Net after “game.exe” is terminated.

*Note: If you are unable to follow the instructions above, simply restart your computer.*

(0) Inappropriate account or character name
Blizzard Entertainment has rules for account and character names on Battle.net. The name you are inquiring about was disabled because it was deemed inappropriate according to these rules. We are attempting to create a Battle.net environment that is enjoyable and inoffensive for all Battle.net users. Thank you for your understanding.

(1) Advertising an inappropriate website
Inappropriate websites may include sites that promote or provide game hacks, programs with embedded virus code, pornography, or other destructive or intrusive materials that are not appropriate on Battle.net.

(2) Spamming in a channel
Please be advised thatBlizzardEntertainment has an aggressive stance against any account that is used to spam a Battle.net chat channel. Spamming a Battle.net channel disrupts the normal flow of dialogue in the chat room and violates the Battle.net Terms ofUse Agreement and/or End User License Agreement of the game.

(3) Attempting to obtain passwords
Please be advised that Blizzard Entertainment has an aggressive, zero-tolerance stance against any account being used by someone to obtain or steal passwords or to con or trick users into giving out their passwords on Battle.net. This offense violates the Battle.net Terms of Use Agreement and/or End User License Agreement of the game.

(4) Attempting to obtain CD-Keys
Please be advised that Blizzard Entertainment has an aggressive, zero-tolerance stance against any account being used by someone to obtain or steal Diablo 2 CD Keys or to con or trick users into giving out their CD-Keys on Battle.net. This offense violates the Battle.net Terms of Use Agreement and/or End User License Agreement of the game.

(5) Harassment of other users
Please be advised that Blizzard Entertainment does not support or condone the use of any account to harass or threaten other users on Battle.net. This offense violates the Battle.net Terms of Use Agreement and/or End User License Agreement of the game. Harassment may result in the closure of the account or even the temporary or permanent banning of the associated CD-Key.

(6) Inappropriate use of a bot
Blizzard Entertainment does not tolerate bots spamming chat channels or the use of bots to congest channels, which disrupts the normal flow of dialogue. This directly violates the Battle.net Terms of Use Agreement and/or End User License Agreement of the game.

(7) Offensive or racist comments
While Battle.net is a mature environment, we will close accounts that are used to violate the Battle.net Terms of Use Agreement and/or End User License Agreement of the game. We firmly believe that Battle.net's strength lies in its community, and racist or extremely offensive comments are not tolerated.

(8) This account was detected using a third-party program (hack) with one of our games on Battle.net. This account is now permanently banned
Any third-party program that is designed to affect the way the user interacts with Battle.net is considered a hack program. This includes seemingly harmless third-party utilities that work with the game to provide functions that were not included by the game designers. While many of these utilities might not have been created to disrupt the balance of the game, they alter the original design of the program. The detection of any such program by Battle.net may result in the closure of the user's account or even the temporary or permanent banning of the associated Diablo 2 CD Key.

(9) Impersonating a Blizzard representative
Please be advised that Blizzard Entertainment has an aggressive, zero-tolerance stance against any account used in an attempt to impersonate a Blizzard or Battle.net representative. This offense violates the Battle.net Terms of Use Agreement and/or End User License Agreement of the game.

(10) Inappropriate Activities
Accounts may be removed when a Blizzard Representative witnesses activities or behaviors that violate the Battle.net Terms of Use Agreement and/or End User License Agreement of the game. (such as ladder abuse, forum abuse, spamming, etc.) Note: This is a "catch all" reason number. To find out the reason you were banned, you must email support@blizzard.com.

(11) Under 13 years old
The minimum age to play on Battle.net is 13. Your account has been temporarily suspended. Please either email us at support@blizzard.com or call us at 949-955-1382 for further information. You will need to fax in a form signed by your parent or guardian giving permission to play on Battle.net.