Microsoft KB Archive/286100

= PRB: HKCU Registry Entries Not Propagated on Terminal Services =

Article ID: 286100

Article Last Modified on 10/2/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Windows Installer 1.1
 * Microsoft Windows Installer 1.2
 * Microsoft Windows Installer 2.0

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This article was previously published under Q286100



SYMPTOMS
Registry keys that are written directly under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive by Windows Installer per-computer installations on Windows NT Terminal Server and Windows 2000 with Terminal Services do not get propagated to other users. This causes the Windows Installer to attempt to repair the application for all users. The user that installed the application is not affected.



CAUSE
The keys written at the root of the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive do not get propagated. This is by design. The Windows Installer on Terminal Server computers runs an installation in the context of system so that all changes and updates are redirected into the HKEY_USER\.Default hive. Only the HKEY_USER\.Default\Software hive is propagated. So, each time that a user starts the application, the Windows Installer resiliency gets triggered because it is looking in the HKey_Current_User hive. Rebooting and reinstalling will not fix the problem.



RESOLUTION
If your installation needs to write keys to the HKEY_CURRENT_USER hive on Terminal Server, then they should be written under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software instead of HKEY_CURRENT_USER\.



STATUS
This behavior is by design.

