If you are trying to install the game on a modern PC, keep the following in mind:

If you have a valid CD key but can't get the game to run on Windows 10 or 11, the key itself isn't the problem—the is. Modern Windows versions have disabled the drivers required to read old disc-based copy protection.

Drive fast. Keep your distance. And never lose your manual.

For those who own the physical disc but have lost the jewel case liner, the community has preserved what are effectively "universal" keys often distributed by EA for troubleshooting purposes in the past. A widely cited key often used for the standard PC version is: