"Requested registry access is not allowed" Error

Question

 

I've been trying to install SQL Server 2008 for two days now on both my work laptop and server. In both cases, I get the below error towards the beginning of the installation process (but after pressing the final "Install" button). Any ideas?

 

TITLE: SQL Server Setup failure.
------------------------------

SQL Server Setup has encountered the following error:

Requested registry access is not allowed..

------------------------------
BUTTONS:

OK
------------------------------

 

Here is what I think is the relevant portion of the log:

 

2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp: ----------------------------------------------------------------------
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp: Running Action: InitializeMsiAction
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp: Error: Action "InitializeMsiAction" threw an exception during execution.
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp: Microsoft.SqlServer.Setup.Chainer.Workflow.ActionExecutionException: Requested registry access is not allowed. ---> System.Security.SecurityException: Requested registry access is not allowed.
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:    at System.ThrowHelper.ThrowSecurityException(ExceptionResource resource)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:    at Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey.OpenSubKey(String name, Boolean writable)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:    at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.MsiExtension.SystemPolicy.set_needRestoreDebugPolicy(Boolean value)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:    at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.MsiExtension.SystemPolicy.SetPolicy(String policyOwnerName, String policyRegNameParameter)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:    at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.MsiExtension.SystemPolicy..ctor(ServiceContainer ctx)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:    at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.MsiExtension.InitializeMsiAction.ExecuteAction(String actionId)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:    at Microsoft.SqlServer.Chainer.Infrastructure.Action.Execute(String actionId, TextWriter errorStream)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:    at Microsoft.SqlServer.Setup.Chainer.Workflow.ActionInvocation.InvokeAction(WorkflowObject metabase, TextWriter statusStream)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:    at Microsoft.SqlServer.Setup.Chainer.Workflow.PendingActions.InvokeActions(WorkflowObject metaDb, TextWriter loggingStream)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp: The Zone of the assembly that failed was:
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp: MyComputer
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:    --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:    at Microsoft.SqlServer.Setup.Chainer.Workflow.PendingActions.InvokeActions(WorkflowObject metaDb, TextWriter loggingStream)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp: Received request to add the following file to Watson reporting: C:\WINDOWS\Temp\tmp8A2.tmp
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp: The following is an exception stack listing the exceptions in outermost to innermost order
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp: Inner exceptions are being indented
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp: Exception type: System.Security.SecurityException
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:     Message:
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:         Requested registry access is not allowed.
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:     Stack:
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:         at System.ThrowHelper.ThrowSecurityException(ExceptionResource resource)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:         at Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey.OpenSubKey(String name, Boolean writable)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:         at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.MsiExtension.SystemPolicy.set_needRestoreDebugPolicy(Boolean value)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:         at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.MsiExtension.SystemPolicy.SetPolicy(String policyOwnerName, String policyRegNameParameter)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:         at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.MsiExtension.SystemPolicy..ctor(ServiceContainer ctx)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:         at Microsoft.SqlServer.Configuration.MsiExtension.InitializeMsiAction.ExecuteAction(String actionId)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:         at Microsoft.SqlServer.Chainer.Infrastructure.Action.Execute(String actionId, TextWriter errorStream)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:         at Microsoft.SqlServer.Setup.Chainer.Workflow.ActionInvocation.InvokeAction(WorkflowObject metabase, TextWriter statusStream)
2008-08-15 07:54:10 Slp:         at Microsoft.SqlServer.Setup.Chainer.Workflow.PendingActions.InvokeActions(WorkflowObject metaDb, TextWriter loggingStream)
2008-08-15 07:54:22 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Microsoft SQL Server to file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20080815_074954\Registry_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_Microsoft SQL Server.reg_
2008-08-15 07:54:22 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall to file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20080815_074954\Registry_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_Windows_CurrentVersion_Uninstall.reg_
2008-08-15 07:54:22 Slp: Sco: Attempting to write hklm registry key SOFTWARE\Microsoft\MSSQLServer to file C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Setup Bootstrap\Log\20080815_074954\Registry_SOFTWARE_Microsoft_MSSQLServer.reg_
2008-08-15 07:54:25 Slp: Requested registry access is not allowed.
2008-08-15 07:54:25 Slp: Watson bucket for exception based failure has been created
2008-08-15 07:54:25 Slp: Sco: Attempting to create base registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, machine
2008-08-15 07:54:25 Slp: Sco: Attempting to open registry subkey Software\Microsoft\PCHealth\ErrorReporting\DW\Installed
2008-08-15 07:54:25 Slp: Sco: Attempting to get registry value DW0200
2008-08-15 07:54:26 Slp: Submitted 1 of 1 failures to the Watson data repository
2008-08-15 07:54:28 Slp:
2008-08-15 07:54:28 Slp: ----------------------------------------------------------------------
2008-08-15 07:54:28 Slp:
2008-08-15 07:54:28 Slp: Error result: 2007609785
2008-08-15 07:54:28 Slp: Result facility code: 1961
2008-08-15 07:54:28 Slp: Result error code: 45497

Answer 1

 

After a lot of digging, I finally figured out that I did not have full control to the following registry key: HKLM\Software\Policies\Microsoft\Windows\Installer. Once I changed the permissions settings, all worked fine.

Answer 2

 

How did you change the permisssions settings to have full control?

 

Thx!

Answer 3

Using regedit, navigate to the registery key and right click on the folder with the above name.  Then select permissions and you can change permissions there per user.

Answer 4

Greg1963 said:

Using regedit, navigate to the registery key and right click on the folder with the above name.  Then select permissions and you can change permissions there per user.

 sorry mate, but i dont quite get what you re saying. i have the same problem too and i didnt find anything called regedit..... any help?

Answer 5

Thanks Very much Mate, it works for me.
You know what I did so much digging but couldn't get info, after I change the permissions on the registry it finally works.
Thanks again for the valuable post and solution.