Question

I am trying to install a hot fix for Visual Studio 2008, but each time the install fails, and the report in the log file is that the installer does not have access to:

\\HKLM\Software\Classes\.map\OpenWithProgids

If I load regedit.exe I can't access that key, I get an "Access denied" error.

• I am a member of "Administrators"
• I am the only non-system account on the machine
• I have rebooted
• I have "Run as Administrator" on the installer and on regedit.exe
• I have enabled the Administrator account and logged on as such
• I have tried to give myself permissions to the key
• I have tried to give SYSTEM permissions to the key
• I have tried to take ownership of the key

I don't know what else to try, I am locked out of my own registry!

Help!

Edit:

I'm using Windows 7

Answer 1

Fixed!!!

For anyone with the same problem in the future:

I went to http://www.heysoft.de/old/RegDACLe.htm and downloaded RegDACL.

I then ran the following command:

regdacl HKLM\SOFTWARE\Classes\.map\OpenWithProgids /gga:F /ggu:R

This gave full permissions to both administrators and users. I needn't have bothered with the users one, but hey ho.

Answer 2

Have you tried taking ownership of the key? In WinXP, you need to open the permissions dialog, click on "Advanced..." and then on the Ownership tab. Don't know if that still works in Win7.