“Sir… this copy was never activated. The original owner must have thrown away the insert by mistake.”
Some "universal" keys that reportedly worked with the original 1.0 DVD version include: need for speed shift 2 unleashed serial number install
Before uninstalling the game or changing your hardware, you should manually de-authorize your current license to "save" an activation slot. Navigate to your installation folder (e.g., ...\Steam\steamapps\common\Need For Speed Shift 2 Locate and run activation.exe "De-authorize this license" Resetting the Limit: “Sir… this copy was never activated