[Error] - Error 1402 when installing VMware

[calugula]

Hi,

I run Windows XP pro. When I try to install VMWARE, I get the next message:

Error1402>coult not open key: HOTKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\RICHTEXT.

RichtextCtrl.1\CLSID.

Verify that you have sufficient acces to that key, or contact your support personnal.

I'm the administrator and I can install everything elde.

It's only VMWARE that show this error.

Is there something to do about this problem>

Help please.

Calugula

Title Edited - Please follow new posting rules from now on.

--Zxian

[cluberti]

Run regmon (www.sysinternals.com) and then install vmware. When it fails, stop the regmon capture (CTRL+E in the regmon window) and look for the installer's access to that key. Is it Access Denied or Not Found? That will tell you whether it's a permissions issue or if the key specified actually doesn't exist...

[calugula]

Thanks for your suggestion.

I now findout that I'm missing my whole system32 file in windows. I don't know how that happen and I don't know how to fix it without installing XP all over again. Dit someone have an answer to this problem.

[cluberti]

That's not something that you can fix without doing a repair installation.

[calugula]

Thanks for your advice, but I had to install XP all over again. It's ok now

[Guest vmware_fixer]

I've encountered the 1402 error under Windows XP SP2 with the VMWare uninstaller (while upgrading). I originally found a "fix" on the VMWare forums (the post is apparently no longer there) that said to change the permissions of the 'HKLM\SOFTWARE\VMWare, Inc.' key such that it had full control (in my case, every user had no permissions set!) during the installation procedure.

WARNING: The following instructions are for the seriously brave at heart. Unlike the usual warnings about using regedit, there is significantly greater potential here to seriously hose your entire Windows installation forcing a full reinstall. I've done the following without any apparent issues, but I am an advanced Windows software developer and know how to fix any issues that may arise in the future. This will likely be my only post here, so don't expect me to answer any questions. USE THIS SOLUTION AT YOUR OWN RISK!

I finally figured out how to fix this problem once and for all: Right click on 'HKLM\SOFTWARE' (the SOFTWARE key). Then, select 'Permissions...', then click 'Advanced'. Then check both checkboxes on the 'Permissions' tab (first tab but should already be selected). Then click 'Apply'. Then click 'OK' and cross your fingers as you hope nothing goes horribly wrong. If you get a message box about not being able to change the permissions on one of the subkey, that's fine. Essentially, some application decided to hose the SOFTWARE key permissions and you need to fix the entire key and subkey tree. This solution does that BUT I have no idea what the side-effects are (if any) as every subtree has been modified under the SOFTWARE key.

This fix allowed me to uninstall VMWare Workstation 6 without any issues and upgrade to 6.5 also without any issues. I'm also pretty sure this will fix a few other problems I've been having lately involving other software products (particularly MSI-based software updaters complaining about updates failing).

Edited September 25, 2008 by vmware_fixer