If you're trying to reactivate, make sure you don't have a software firewall blocking Internet access. Most antivirus include software firewalls.
Where did you buy the game from?
Is the company still in business?
They are the only ones that can help you if you need more activations.
There are several reasons a game might lose activation --
some problems could be on your end:
- Hard drive starting to fail -- and the secret part of your hard drive where the activation information is stored is becoming unreadable. So when the game checks for activation information at startup, it comes up with nothing, and attempts to re-activate the game each time it's started until activations are used up.
- Antivirus blocking game from accessing the part of the hard drive where the activation information is stored. If a game needs to be re-activated, and fails to do so, make sure you don't have a firewall blocking access to the Internet.
- Virus -- some virus will delete or corrupt activation information.
- Some activation codes create a profile of the computer the game is activated on -- combining the key with a hash of information about the computer -- and if the computer configuration changes because you upgraded or replaced something, the activation code no longer matches and the game has to be reactivated. This is usually only a problem if your activation quota has been used up.
Other problems could be external --
- People using key generators playing pirate versions of the game -- every time someone's key generator happens to spin up the same key that you were given, that will use up one of your activations -- and maybe even cause the activation server to de-activate all versions of the game that are using that code -- including your game. Of course pirates can simply use their key generator to spin up a different code, but the person who actially bought the game is left with no activation.
- The activation strategy uses activations that only work temporarily -- and reactivating depends on whether the server is accepting your key (which it won't if your alloted number of activations is used up or if the server is having technical problems or bandwidth problems).
If you bought the game through Iceberg Interactive, I do not know which of the above might apply. Usually activation problems are on the user's side -- caused by a failing hard drive or virus. Reactivation problems can be caused by a firewall blocking connections to the Internet. But if the site that sold the game decides it isn't worth their time continuing to support it, or the activation server is down, reactivating may not be possible.
Even the oldest of the Adam's Venture games is only from 2009 -- not what I call "old." But online activation will make games unplayable, and a company may decide not to support even 5 year old games with activations if the games have problems working on the latest Microsoft OS.