"Error 1402" when installing Acrobat Reader in Windows XP

Symptom

When you try to install Acrobat Acrobat Reader 8 on your Windows XP system, you may receive the following error message:

Error 1402. Could not open key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\PDF.PDFCTRL.6\CLSID. Verify you have sufficient access or contact support personnel.

Resolution

This error occurs if you don't have write access to the above registry key. Follow these steps to resolve the problem:

• Click Start, Run and type regedit.exe
• Navigate to the following branch:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\CLASSES\PDF.PDFCTRL.6

• On the Edit menu, click Permissions.
• Select your user account from the list, and ensure that Full Control permissions is set to Allow.
• Select Administrators group from the list, and give then Full Control permissions.
• Click the Advanced button
• Select Replace permission entries on all child objects with entries shown here that apply to child objects.
• Deselect Inherit from parent the permission entries that apply to child objects. Include these with entries explicitly defined here
• Click Apply, and then click Yes when you are prompted to continue. Click OK, and then click OK again.
• Exit the Registry editor.

Try installing Acrobat Reader now.