Error writing to registry

Error Message

During the final stages of the ArcGIS installation, when trying to register, it fails with the following message:

Error writing to registry! You do not have necessary access to make required modifications.

Cause

The user account with which the installation was run under lacks the necessary permissions to certain Windows Registry locations.

Solution or Workaround

Warning:
The instructions below include making changes to essential parts of your operating system. It is recommended that you backup your operating system and files, including the Registry, before proceeding. Consult with a qualified computer systems professional, if necessary.

Esri cannot guarantee results from incorrect modifications while following these instructions; therefore, use caution and proceed at your own risk.

1. Log on with the user account in which the installation was run.
   • Select Start > Run and type REGEDT32. The following two Registry locations must have the groups SYSTEM and EVERYONE given FULL CONTROL access:
     • HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE
     • HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID
2. After making those changes in the Registry, add a new string value to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ESRI\License. The string value is ArcView_Installed and the value data is TRUE.

Warning:
Use caution not to modify anything in the Registry except for the entries indicated above. The integrity of the operating system can be seriously damaged by modifying the incorrect entries.