How to install from cds without the key? (reddthat.com)

submitted 6 days ago* (last edited 6 days ago) by UninterestingVoid@reddthat.com to c/piracy@lemmy.dbzer0.com

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I found some old cds and dvds. Some are software or games and it asks me for a product key or whatever that was in the back of the original box (I do not have the original box) Idk if this is the right community but is there any way to skip it or crack it or something?

I mean the stuff is probably archived somewhere online and possibly already ready to just download or run but that's no fun and I am also curious.

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[-] Mordikan@kbin.earth 16 points 6 days ago

25 years ago when I was a teenager I had a terrible problem with CD cases getting broken and thrown away. I would have those CD stack cases filled with loose random CDs and no keys. I believe it is still around but GameCopyWorld (just google it) is how I was forced to install.

Honestly, I should have just taped paper on the CD top with the keys, but I was a kid and didn't think very far down the line.

[-] WolfLink@sh.itjust.works 3 points 5 days ago

One day, in the name of organizing, my mom put all of our game CDs into a a compact container and threw the original boxes away.

Yeah that was a sad day…

this post was submitted on 25 Sep 2026

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