Command & Conquer: Red Alert 3 is unleashed for fans to command and conquer in their free time, but some unfortunates may not have even gotten past the installation screen after picking up their copy at retail. The problem isn't quite sneaky DRM (digital rights management) this time around. Instead, misprinted manuals are being blamed by publisher Electronic Arts for some copies of RA3 being shipped with activation codes that are only 19 characters long, whereas the required code is actually 20 characters.

Those who have the erroneous codes are advised to contact EA by email, phone or fax for replacements. If gamers are really impatient, a simple but tedious workaround involves brute-forcing their way past activation through trial and error by guessing the final character. Now you're (almost) a hacker of legally purchased products, with the blessing of the publisher itself!

There is currently a work around may allow you to bypass this issue. Since you have the first 19 characters of the code already, you can basically try "guessing" the last character. To do this, simply enter your existing code, and then for the last character, try the letters A-Z, and then the numbers 0-9. You should eventually get the right combination, and be able to play the game. If this does not work, you can follow the instructions below.