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TECHNICAL FAQ

August 23, 2007

Below is a technical FAQ that helps answer many questions that I have seen on the forums today about SecuROM™, PC activation, and other pertinent technical problems that people have been having with BioShock.


How many computers can I activate this game on at once?

2K increased the maximum computers you can install the game simultaneously on from 2 to 5. We are also preparing a new “revoke application” that will allow you to de-authorize computers so that you may move the game to another computer without "using up" one of these activations. This increase in the limit will cover most users' issues, and the revoke application should alleviate remaining concerns. Of course, if you still experience any issues, please feel free to contact support.

How many times can I reinstall this game on the same computer?

2K increased the maximum installs on the same computer from 3 to 5, before you need to seek customer support. The revoke application we will release will make this irrelevant - as long as you revoke before you install again, you will have no issues.

Does my Steam or Direct2Drive downloaded version also allow the increases to the installations?

Yes, both the Steam and Direct2Drive versions also are updated with the new installation increase.

Do I need to connect to the internet every time I play this game?

No. Only for a fresh install and for the activation the first time you run it.

Do I need to have the DVD in the drive every time I play?

Yes.

Does SecuROM fingerprint my hardware? What does this mean?

SecuROM does not fingerprint the hardware. When an activation is performed, a unique ID is generated to identify the system being used for the activation process. The ID is in the form of a hash and cannot be read by any other system or operator. Its only purpose is for comparing future activations on a particular serial.

Does SecuROM send any information out to another server and collect any of my data?

No information is sent to any other servers. The only data collected is the serial being used for activation, the IP address used for activation, an identifier for the software being activated, and the hash of the machine ID. The ID cannot be read by any other system or operator. Its only purpose is for comparing future activations on a particular serial.

If I put a new piece of hardware, such as a new video card, ram, hard drive, or a new motherboard, into my computer, will I have to reactivate my game? Will this count as one of my “allowed” computers?

No. You won't have to reactivate unless you change several pieces of hardware and this will count as one of your 5 allowed computers, if reactivation is required. The revoke application we will release will make this irrelevant - as long as you revoke before you uninstall and install again, you will have no issues.

How do I free up an activation slot if I decide to uninstall my game from one computer and move it to another?

The revoke application we will release will make this possible.

What do I do if I get the message that I have activated this game on too many computers?

Use the forthcoming revoke app on one of the computers you successfully activated it on. If that doesn't solve your problem, contact support. We will get it resolved.

How does activation and security measures differ between steam, IGN, and retail copies of this game?

They all use the same product activation method. In addition to the product activation, retail copies also have a disc check and Steam uses their own security.

My anti-virus software is flagging SecuROM as an intruder program? What does this mean?

Some versions of virus software will incorrectly flag SecuROM. If so, please update the virus definition file. If you still experience issues, please contact 2K Technical Support for further advice. We would appreciate if you could please notify support@securom.com of any software conflicts so that we may work with the anti-virus companies to update their definition files.

What happens if my computer is lost, stolen, or has a complete crash? How do I get that activation back, since I didn’t uninstall the game?

You can still install the game 4 more times (or however many times remaining to your limit of 5) without a problem. Please contact support if you have reached your limit.

Does SecuROM install a root kit on my computer?

No. SecuROM DOES NOT USE any root kit technology in its implementation. SecuROM Product Activation does place a folder and registry keys on your system. These folders are used only for storage of license information and information to assist with disc authentication. Please do not modify or delete these files. Tampering with these files may result in authentication issues.

What is a root kit?

A "rootkit" can be described as software or a set of software tools intended to conceal running processes, files or system data from the operating system and which can open ports to allow remote access to the system.

A "rootkit" makes it possible for viruses or other malicious programs ("malware") to hide content on a user's PC. In this way, a virus or other malware may remain undetected, even if updated anti-virus software is installed.

SecuROM DOES NOT USE any root kit technology in its implementation. SecuROM Product Activation does place a folder and registry keys on your system. These folders are used only for storage of license information and information to assist with disc authentication. Please do not modify or delete these files. Tampering these files may result in authentication issues.

What is SecuROM and 2K's support contact information?

US Support
Phone: 1-866-219-9839
Email: usa@take2support.com

Canadian Support Phone: 1-800-638-0127
Email: canada@take2support.com

SecuROM Support
Email: support@SecuROM.com