Error Message: Installation Failed While Installing from .INF

• Microsoft Windows NT Workstation version 4.0
• Microsoft Windows NT Server version 4.0

SYMPTOMS

When a user, who does not belong to the Administrators local group, tries to run an INF file by right-clicking the INF file and choosing the Install Context menu item, the following error message appears:

   Installation failed

CAUSE

The Setupapi.dll that processes the INF files [DefaultInstall] section needs to write to the registry key HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\RunOnce to prepare the launch of Grpconv.exe when the installation script is completed. Because a user, not belonging to the Administrators local group, does not have full control permission to this registry key, the according API function, RegOpenKeyEx(), returns an error 5 (access denied). This error occurs when the Setupapi.dll attempts to open the key using the KEY_ALL_ACCESS flag. The Setupapi.dll in turn generates the error message "Installation failed."

RESOLUTION

To prevent the error message described above, either log on with an administrative account or give the user in question (or the Users local group) full control permission to the HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\ CurrentVersion\RunOnce registry key.

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Windows NT version 4.0. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.