BUG: Unable to Enter the CD KEY in the Setup Dialog Box

 Last reviewed: February 6, 1997
Article ID: Q150945
The information in this article applies to:
  • Standard, Professional, and Enterprise Editions of Microsoft Visual Basic, 32-bit only, for Windows, version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

The CD Key dialog box does not allow the correct 3 - 7 digit combination. The characters appear jumbled or do not appear at all.

CAUSE

At the beginning of the installation process, the user is prompted to enter the CD Key for the product. This key is found on the back of the CD-ROM case. Attempts to enter the digits into the text boxes either fail to work, display symbol-like characters, or display the wrong number of characters. The setup program displays the error "This is an invalid CD Key value. Check the identification number from your CD sticker," and does not allow the user to proceed.

RESOLUTION

The setup program requires that the MS Sans Serif font is correctly installed on the machine.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be an issue in the Microsoft products listed at the beginning of this article. We are researching this issue and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

WORKAROUND

To work around this behavior, use either of the following methods:

Method 1

Run Setup with the /k switch. This switch, followed by the CD Key, passes the information directly to the Setup program, and bypasses the dialog box where the CD Key is entered. The message does not appear because the MS Sans Serif font is not used.

To use the Setup program with the switch, use the following steps:

  1. Insert the Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0 CD-ROM.

  2. From the Start menu, select Run.

  3. In the Open dialog box, type the following: 

        <drive>:\SETUP\setup.exe /k "<CD Key>"

where <drive> is the drive letter for the CD-ROM on your computer and <CD Key> is the 10-digit key from the CD-ROM sticker. Enter this key enclosed in quotation marks (" "). The key cannot contain a hyphen. For example: 

   D:\SETUP\setup.exe /k "1111111111"

  • Click OK.

    NOTE: To obtain the best results from other programs, use the steps listed under Method 2 to reinstall the MS Sans Serif font.

    Method 2

    Exit Setup, remove, and then reinstall the MS Sans Serif font. After the MS Sans Serif font is reinstalled, run the Microsoft Visual Basic 4.0 Setup.

    To remove and reinstall the MS Sans Serif font, use the following steps:

    1. From the Start menu, select Settings, and click the Control Panel.

    2. Double-click the Fonts icon in the Control Panel.

    3. Right-click the MS Sans Serif icon, and then click Delete.

    4. From the File menu, select Install New Font.

    5. In the Folders list, select the folder containing the font.

    6. Double-click the font to install it.

    REFERENCES

    For additional information, please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: 

       ARTICLE-ID: Q138079
   TITLE     : OFF7 Err Msg: This is an Invalid CD Key Value

    • KBCategory: kbsetup kbbuglist
    KBSubcategory: Setins vb4win vb432
    Additional reference words: 4.00




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    Last reviewed: February 6, 1997
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