0
1
I installed a windows desktop application. The installer is Inno Setup and it put my license key for the app under the wow6432node. But when I start the app it tells me it cannot find the license. Can I do anything to get the app to find the license?
user204427
Posted 2018-10-28T17:35:06.817
Reputation: 37
3
There's nothing you can do to make the app work.
What should happen is that the app developer, if he knows the license will always be in the 32-bit registry, needs to alter his call to RegOpenKeyEx from
RegOpenKeyEx(HKEY_CURRENT_USER, ...);
to
RegOpenKeyEx(HKEY_CURRENT_USER | KEY_WOW64_32KEY, ...);
Or the 32-bit installer needs to put the license information in the 64-bit registry, by changing:
RegOpenKeyEx(HEKY_CURRENT_USER, ...)
to
RegOpenKeyEx(HKEY_CURRENT_USER | KEY_WOW64_64KEY, ...);
Since neither of those things is in your control; you should simply copy the license information from the 32-bit registry to the 64-bit registry yourself using RegEdit.
Ian Boyd
Posted 2018-10-28T17:35:06.817
Reputation: 18 244
Superuser readers aren't deeply familiar with Win32 APIs and or-ed flags. Add some old school explanations so that general readers can understand ;) – Biswapriyo – 2018-10-28T20:14:07.933
@Biswapriyo Really the first sentence answers it; and mirrors what you said. – Ian Boyd – 2018-10-28T20:38:20.720
1@Biswapriyo - If a reader isn't familiar with Win32 APIs then it's up to them to learn. This answer is correct. I don't see any way to make more people understand it. Subject matter knowlege is required in a case like this. – Ramhound – 2018-10-29T18:46:45.893
Unless this is a 32-bit application it won’t be able to read that key – Ramhound – 2018-10-28T18:02:02.773