Error 1606 (Windows 2000)

[Shinjuku]

"Error 1606. Could not access network location <Common Administrative Tools>.AllUsers\."

This happens almost everytime I try to install something thus preventing me from installing anything. Recently my spyware program messed up so I was forced to uninstall it now I can't get it to reinstall due to this error... until now the error was just a minor annoyance but now ... well, you get the picture.

Either that error msg or one telling me I don't have admin rights to install anything even though I'm logged on as the admin and nothing new will install on my comp now.

HELP!, please.

[MartyMcFly]

Have you seen THIS.

How did you get on with it

[Shinjuku]

yes, I've seen it and tried it. The only thing that changes is the error msg. It changes to the value I enter for the registry key.

[DjLizard]

One of the main problems with Windows 2000's regedit is that you can't create REG_EXPAND_SZ, which is what type of key it needs to be.

Save the following text in the code block as "test.reg" and double-click it to import it.
(It is basically saying "Common Administrative Tools" = "%ALLUSERSPROFILE%\Start Menu\Programs\Administrative Tools" but in hex, which contains the flag to make it REG_EXPAND_SZ instead of just REG_SZ)
Then verify with regedit that the key is now of type REG_EXPAND_SZ.
After you import this, if you find that both your old key and this new key exist (one of REG_SZ and one of REG_EXPAND_SZ), then delete the REG_SZ version.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\User Shell Folders]
"Common Administrative Tools"=hex(2):25,00,41,00,4c,00,4c,00,55,00,53,00,45,00,\
  52,00,53,00,50,00,52,00,4f,00,46,00,49,00,4c,00,45,00,25,00,5c,00,53,00,74,\
  00,61,00,72,00,74,00,20,00,4d,00,65,00,6e,00,75,00,5c,00,50,00,72,00,6f,00,\
  67,00,72,00,61,00,6d,00,73,00,5c,00,41,00,64,00,6d,00,69,00,6e,00,69,00,73,\
  00,74,00,72,00,61,00,74,00,69,00,76,00,65,00,20,00,54,00,6f,00,6f,00,6c,00,\
  73,00,00,00

[Shinjuku]

one small problem... when I double click it, it wants to open in notepad instead of copying it to my registry. how do I get it so it doesn't open w/ notepad?

[DjLizard]

To permanently make it to where double-clicking on the .reg file tries to import it, do the following:
Start > Run > cmd.exe
Then type each line:

assoc .reg=regfile
assoc regfile="Registration Entries"
ftype regfile=regedit.exe "%1"
exit

To just import this .reg and leave the notepad association alone, do the following:
Start > Run > regedit.exe
Registry > Import Registry File... > (browse to and choose the .reg you saved)