Microsoft KB Archive/104042

Knowledge Base

PRB: Unable to Write to the Windows NT Registry

Article ID: 104042

Article Last Modified on 12/1/2003

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APPLIES TO

• Microsoft Visual C++ 1.0 Professional Edition
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2.0 Professional Edition
• Microsoft Visual C++ 2.1
• Microsoft Visual C++ 4.0 Standard Edition
• Microsoft Visual C++ 4.1 Subscription

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This article was previously published under Q104042

SYMPTOMS

Windows NT sets up each Windows NT user with a different environment. When you install Visual C++ 32-bit Edition, Visual C++ installs for that particular user. If the user changes his or her group membership (privileges), then the Registry Key will not work accordingly with Visual C++. The following two messages may appear if this happens when starting Visual Workbench:

• Message 1:
  
  

  The options Registry Key 'Visual C++' is missing. A new Registry
     Key will be created using the default settings."
  
     Press OK to continue.
                              

• Message 2:
  
  

     Unable to write to the NT Registry. Option settings will not be
     saved.
  
     Press OK to continue.
                              

After these messages, Visual C++ starts running. However, when you exit you receive the second message again.

CAUSE

Each Windows NT user has a different user profile and privilege level. Each user may not have access to the same Registry Key information as the person who installed Visual C++. Changing the privilege level of the person who installed Visual C++ causes this problem.

RESOLUTION

Check with the Windows NT administrator for the machine to correctly perform the following steps to rebuild the Registry Key for that particular Visual C++ user.

1. Log in as Administrator and give the user of Visual C++ administrative privileges to delete the Visual C++ entry, with the Registry Editor (REGEDT32.EXE) located in the \WINNT\SYSTEM32 directory. The Visual C++ entry is under the HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Software, Microsoft, Visual C++. Be sure not to delete any entries other than Visual C++.
2. Remove the administrative privileges for the Visual C++ user.
3. Log in as the user and start Visual C++ again; this time you will only receive the first message above and a new Registry entry will be created.

Keywords: kbsetup kbprb KB104042

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