Unable to access a particular registry key

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

windows-registry

Josh Comley

Posted 2009-11-21T14:41:32.043

Reputation: 3 582

Try this answer here:http://superuser.com/questions/454551/unable-to-delete-registry-key

It works perfectly.

– Rui Liu – 2014-08-14T20:08:07.483

Which OS? What permissions exist for this key? – Tim Pietzcker – 2009-11-21T14:46:50.753

What permissions have you given to the key when adding System and yourself it? – MDMarra – 2009-11-21T14:47:48.133

@Tim - Windows 7 ---- @MarkM - I try to give "Full Access" but I'm not allowed to grant myself permissions! – Josh Comley – 2009-11-21T14:50:13.633

Answers

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.

Josh Comley

Posted 2009-11-21T14:41:32.043

Reputation: 3 582

Download here:http://www.heysoft.de/en/software/regtools.php

– Peter – 2012-08-18T02:09:37.000

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.

Tim Pietzcker

Posted 2009-11-21T14:41:32.043

Reputation: 2 338

Yes I've tried this, I get "Unable to set new owner.... access is denied" – Josh Comley – 2009-11-21T14:57:54.210