Windows 7: Can't Install/Uninstall programs - policies to prevent Install

I have a laptop with Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit and it can not install or uninstall programs in any normal way. When you try to do so, it comes up with this error "The System Administrator has set policies to prevent this installation." Now, I have googled it and most posts refer me to use the Local Security Policy editor/snap-in which is NOT available in Windows 7 Home Prem. So, most say you have to edit the registry to enable this support, but I have not ran across a reg edit that will help me with this specific issue. My account is an administrative account and I have even gone as far as creating a new account with admin privledges and still get the same error. I even got that error in the middle of creating the new account, too. So, is there anyone out there who might know what registry entry I need to add/modify to get passed this issue? I will add that you CAN install programs so long as you right click the installer and run it as administrator. Thanks for your time.

Welcome to the Seven Forums, peauxrouge.

If you are unable to install/uninstall any programs then it means that your computer is as it was when you purchased it. Are you the Administrator or not?

Try and log-in as the Administrator and then run gpedit.msc to change the Group Policy to allow installation/unistallation of programs. I am certain that one can run gpedit.msc from W 7 Pro upwards but I am not sure if it is possible in W 7 Home Premium.

If not then either ask the vendor about how to change the Group Policy or just clean install W 7 Home Premium from scratch once again.

Yeah, Windows 7 Home Premium does not allow you access to gpedit.msc nor the local security policy. Yes, my user account is the only account and it is and administrator account. HP isn't going to do squat about changing the local policy settings. As to your comment about reloading, if I wanted to reload windows, I certainly would have done that already and not bothered posting. However, I would like to avoid reloading, so if anyone else has any ideas about what registry entry I might be able to change I am all ears. Thanks for your consideration.

If it is an HP then apart from this problem that you are facing it must also be having loads of piggy-backed bloatware. Instead of looking for a Registry Hack I would strongly recommend that you download a W 7 Home Premium 64-bit ISO image from Official Windows 7 SP1 ISO from Digital River « My Digital Life and make a Windows 7 Installer DVD and clean install Windows 7. The Product Key that you have been provided by HP would activate the OS.

You shall then get rid of your present problem and bloatware in one shot. Installing W 7 afresh is not all that cumbersome as the earlier OSs. Please however line up your device drivers particularly Ethernet and Wi-Fi Drivers beforehand from the HP Website if you don't already have them just in case.

Again, thanks for the response. What you are suggesting is against the windows EULA. Just because it would initially work and probably activate, the Windows would eventually see that my product key was an HP key and then deactivate it. That's just how Windows 7 works now. Plus, that's not legal.

Anyways, I discovered my own registry hack and will likely try and get back on here with what I exactly did, but it involved creating some Install and Uninstall keys in the registry under the policy keys in certain spots and then creating a DWord for DisableMSI in each of those. It had to be done in multiple spots, but it wound up working great. Yay me.

Anyway, again, think twice before suggesting people violate the Windows EULA. If I had followed your advice, not only would it have been illegal, but after MS deactivated my Windows as not genuine, I would have had to pay for a replacement key. Thanks but not thanks.

peauxrouge,
You are wrong. Wanchoo is correct.

I repeat:
You are wrong!
Wanchoo is correct!

Karl,

Thanks for the reply. Would you care to elaborate on how Wachoo is correct?

In every aspect.