Here is the safe way to get it:

Install the old "Patch v1.1" from Rockstar Games’ legacy support site. This patch updates the keys.dat for newer systems.

If you’ve tried to install your old physical CD copy on Windows 10 or 11, you’ve likely run into the “CD-ROM error” or the infamous request for a keys.dat file. This file acts as the digital handshake between the game and the disc.

Let’s be real: Grand Theft Auto: Vice City is a masterpiece. But the original PC version (pre-remaster) has a dirty little secret: horrible copy protection .