Error 1406. could not write value folder type to key

[Runesil]

Hi all,

I'm very new to VMware and trying to install it for the first time, but I'm receiving the following error during the installation:

Error 1406. could not write value folder type to key
* \S-1-5-21-854245398-1972579041-362288127-856275\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ShelNoRoamBags23\Shell.*
* Verify that you have sufficient access to that key, or contact your suppor personnel.*

My O/S is 32-bit Windows Vista Ultimate, and I'm trying to install VMware version 6.04 Build 93057 (It's a corporate licenced version, does this matter?)

I've tried searching everywhere I can think, and the closest results I can find indicate that it's a problem with Permissions to access/modify the registry.

I've verified that I am an adminstrator and I even went so far as to give every single entry for ALL the registry entries full access, and it hasn't hellped at all.

I did find some similar registry entries under HKEY_USERS but this specific one I can't find, I don't know if that has anything to do with this or not.

Any help would be appreciated.

Thank you!

[Peter_vm]

Disable UAC, enable Administrator account and set password for it.

Login to Vista with local Administrator account and install/manage VMware product.

[Runesil]

Hi Peter_vm,

I'd already tried this, but to be certain I went and did it again. I still receive the exact same failure message.

Thanks,

[Peter_vm]

Please attach vmware installation logs.

[Runesil]

Where do I find the installation logs? I looked through all the folders/files under Program Files\VMware and didn't see anything obviously labeled.

Thanks,

[Peter_vm]

Any files that have "vm" in their names and time stamp of your installation time.

Including, but not limited to:

vminst.log

vmmsi.log

[Runesil]

H Peter_vm,

The only file I saw that looked relevant was vminst.log (from ..\Users\...\AppData\Local) which I've attached.

Thanks

[Peter_vm]

Search for vmmsi.log

cmd

attrib C:\vmmsi.log /s

[Runesil]

As far as I can tell it doesn't exist. I searched with the normal windows search (vm*.log) and also using your suggestion and neither found the file.

[Peter_vm]

Suggested approach to install is:

1. Disable UAC

2. Enable Administrator account, set password for it

3. Login to Vista as freshly enabled Administrator and install VMware application.

Oh, I have said it already, never mind....

[Runesil]

Yeah, I did try that the other day. I'll attach now the log from when I tried this...

[devinderaujla]

Hello Runesil,

what you are facing is because of some wrongly set access permissions in your registry. It normally happens. You can try to reset all the registry key permissions to the default by using Subinacl tool. Here is the method to do so.

Download and install the tool from:

Make sure you do not change the default install directory which is C:\Program Files\Windows Resource Kits\Tools

Now, open notepad and copy the below given command and then save it as reset.cmd (You need to set the "Save as type:" to "All Files")

-

---

cd %ProgramFiles%\Windows Resource Kits\Tools

subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE /grant=administrators=f

subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CURRENT_USER /grant=administrators=f

subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT /grant=administrators=f

subinacl /subdirectories %SystemDrive% /grant=administrators=f

subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE /grant=system=f

subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CURRENT_USER /grant=system=f

subinacl /subkeyreg HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT /grant=system=f

subinacl /subdirectories %SystemDrive% /grant=system=f

-

---

All you have to do is to Right click this file and Run as Administrator. This might take about 10-15 or more minutes to finish but that would be worth it. Once it is finished, restart Windows and try to install VMWare.

Let me know if this works...

-Devinder Aujla-

[tomk303]

I've fallen victim to this same problem. I have run your "reset.cmd" verbatim. Still, same problem:

"Error 1406. Could not write value Field2 to key \SOFTWARE\VMware, Inc.\VMware Workstation\Dormant\License.wsace.6.0.200610. Verify that you have sufficient access to that key, or contact your support personnel."

I have tried install without UAC as admin. Same result. I am "running as administrator" for the install. Same result.

Any other ideas? Seems like a huge hole in the install process. My machine config is pretty standard and clean. (Host: Vista Ultimate)

---more info:

I decided to see what would happen if I hit "ignore" on all these errors. The install completed. I brought up VMware workstation OK, but it would not accept my serial number (an evaluation number I generated about 2 days ago). Error: "No licenses were found for the entered serial number." I suspect the reg keys relating to licensing that failed are causing this.

[continuum]

> Error: "No licenses were found for the entered serial number."

Either your license is invalid - or this key is missing or corrupt: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\VMware, Inc.\VMware Workstation\Dormant

Please check if it exists

___________________________________

description of vmx-parameters:

VMware-liveCD:

[tomk303]

There's two errors here.

1. The installation fails in creating the the key you mention. In fact, it cannot create anything under "Dormant"

2. Therefore, it cannot validate the license key.

So, yes that key is missing.

[continuum]

Try to create it yourself BEFORE you try an install

___________________________________

description of vmx-parameters:

VMware-liveCD:

[Marakai]

Hi,

Have you ever been able to resolve this issue?

I am trying to get Workstation 6.5 installed on a fresh install of 64-bit Vista Ultimate and am encountering the same error(s).

I've tried every single solution in permutations - using local admin user, running the registrly fix, manually adding the registry keys, but to absolutely no avail.

This is starting to have business impact (maybe I should just open an official ticket?) as I need Vista64 to address all my RAM (otherwise I would certainly just stick with XP - I don't think XP-x64 is officially supported is it?)

Thanks

Mike

PS: On a whim I deleted all keys referring to VMware from my registry - I had the VMware server browser plugin installed to get to the console of some remote VMs.

Interestingly enough the installation proceeded far further and was able to successfully create all registry keys.

Unfortunately it then stops with the cryptic:

Warning 25033: Failed to remove Windows logon customization (INSTALLED=). Please contact your administrator.

Not amount of googling has returned anything useful on this message anywhere - while labelled a "warning" it results in an automatic rollback of the installation.

PPS:

Not for the faint of heart: to try and get to the bottom of this, I took drastic measures and when above warning showed up I yanked the power (merely killing the installl process still creates a rollback, as it should). Brutal but it left almost everything in place and I'm able to bring up Workstation, enter a license key, add VMs, configure etc.

When trying to start the machine up, though, I get "authorization service is not running". And when I check, none of the VMware services are available under Windows, so apparently it's trying to install those where the install goes awry. Is there a manual way to register all necessary services? Or is this enough information for someone to check what's going on here?

Message was edited by: Marakai

Added further troubleshooting information.

[matt336]

When it asks for a path where to install it (on Vista x64) install it somewhere other than C:\Program Files (x86) .... I chose C:\VMware and it installed successfully.

[jvs]

I had a similar error with a different registry key. After I rebooted and tried to install workstation the problem was gone.

Best regards,

Jvs

[lightningbit]

I had a similar issue/error

I was installing VMware infrasturcture client 2.5.0 on a Windows vista Ultimate (32bit) , as an administrative user

after reading this discussion, the consensus seems to be towards a registry access/write issue.

So I did some troubleshooting/testing there :

- I didn't stop the installation, while I was doing the below, I kept the install on the error where it complained about not being able to write the regkey, with the options CANCEL/IGNORE/RETRY

- setting/resetting/changing the permissions on the key /SOFTWARE/VMware, Inc. through regedit did not work, adding a subkey didn't work either (permission denied), however, renaming the key DID work

- now because the only other vmware tool I had installed on this machine was the vmware remote console

- I RENAMED the /VMware, Inc. key to VMware, Inc. old

- and then clicked "RETRY" on the installation error message ............... the install continued without issues, and I saw immediately a new /VMware, Inc. regkey appearing in the registgry, with all subkeys

I hope this helps some of you, having similar issues

Olivier