Solved Excel always configures & HKCR\.aw access denied

[geob]

[FONT=&quot]I am trying to debug an annoyance with Excel - it has started including a "Configuring..." and an "...installing.." every time it launches. This is accompanied by an Event Viewer entry:[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]- System [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] - Provider [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [ Name] MsiInstaller [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] - EventID 1004 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [ Qualifiers] 0 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Level 3 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Task 0 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Keywords 0x80000000000000 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] - TimeCreated [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [ SystemTime] 2012-07-30T21:25:32.000000000Z [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] EventRecordID 16911 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Channel Application [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] Computer gwb [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] - Security [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] [ UserID] S-1-5-21-2037688818-723828979-1879572323-1001 [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot]- EventData [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] {91140000-0011-0000-0000-0000000FF1CE} [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] ProductFiles [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] {E5EE9C9D-798D-4D1D-ABF2-32EC15820B2F} [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.aw\ [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] (NULL) [/FONT]
[FONT=&quot] (NULL) [/FONT]


In regedit, however, I am told access to the key is denied. I cannot view permissions but I am told (untruthfully) that I can change permissions. (I'm logged in as an administrator of the system and UAC is off.)

[edit]Google search says .aw file extension used by MSOICONS.EXE. Just for jollies I tried to execute it but it's reported as not a valid win32 application.[/edit]

Now what?

Thanks.

George

 

[geob]

Most strange solution: created an empty file with extension .aw. Assigned it an application (in this case, WordPad). Opened and closed the file. The HKCR\.aw key can now be accessed and permissions viewed. Excel starts without incident. Go figure.