Example of the 1401 / 1402 / 1406 Error

The 1401 / 1402 / 1406 errors will arise when the files required for the installing of the Office software suite are not given the right permissions. This could be due to a variety of factors, including that the user doesn’t have sufficient permissions to modify the registry; third party software is denying permission to install (software such as an anti virus) or the user doesn’t have the correct permissions to allow it to install programs. The error will prevent the installation of Office, so it’s vital it gets fixed in order to ensure the installation of this suite of programs.

What Causes the 1401 / 1402 / 1406 Error?

The 3 error messages that could appear due to this error are:

• Error 1401: Setup cannot create Registry Key
• Error 1402: Setup cannot open Registry Key
• Error 1406: Setup cannot write the value to the registry key

You may also experience this error if you attempt to run the Office software after installation:

Microsoft <<program>> has not been installed for the current user. Please run setup to install the application.

These various errors will arise due to the fact that the Office installation files do not have the required permissions to alter sensitive parts of the system, such as the registry or the C:\ drive. This will prevent the Office suite from installing, and probably lead to a number of other errors on your system as well. To fix this error, you will either have to set the correct permissions for every user, disable any third party software (such as anti virus) during the installation or you will need to fix the Office license which may be corrupted or you have a fault registry. These steps are detailed below.

How To Fix The 1401 / 1402 / 1406 Error

Step 1 - Set Permissions For Every User To Change Registry Keys

The registry is a very important and sensitive part of the system and to prevent any potential damage that could be caused to it by, the system prevents unauthorized users from accessing it. However, this could also be detrimental to the installation process, as it prevents the installer from adding vital registry keys to this part of your PC (leading to the error messages you’re seeing)

To fix this, you must allow every user the ability to change the registry keys. If you users you cannot trust with the registry, you can always revert back the settings at a later date. Follow these steps:

• Log onto your computer with the administrator account
• Start Windows Explorer
• Click Tools > Folder Options
• Click View
• Under Hidden Files and Folders, click Show Hidden Files and Folders
• Clear the Hide extensions for known file types box and then click OK
• Open the following folder: C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Office\Data\
• For Office 2003, right-click Opa11.dat and click properties. For Office XP, right click Data.dat and click properties.
• Click on Security >Advanced > Permissions
  
• Click to select Everyone in the Permission entries list, and then click Edit
• Click to select the Full Control check box.
• You should now click OK three times to confirm the settings

This will allow all the users the ability to change the registry, so you can now install the Office suite without the 1401 / 1402 /1406 erros surfacing. However, this may not be the problem, so if it doesn’t carry on to the next step.

Step 2 – Disable Any Running Third-Party Software

If you are any software programs on your PC at the time of installation, it could prevent the setup of the Office in two ways: either it stops the installation due to security reasons or it could cause the Windows Installer program to become confused. Most installers will tell you to close down any open programs to enable the installer to work as well as possible. However, many people often ignore this, which could lead to the 1401 / 1402 or 1406 errors showing.

The first thing to do is to look to disable any firewalls or anti virus that you have on your computer. Do not access the internet whilst you have these disabled as your security may be compromised. Then, if the Office suite will still not install, you should look at alternative programs, such as iTunes and similar software, to disable that temporarily. After you disable each program, you should try to install the Office suite again. If you succesfully manage to install it, then you can enable the programs again.

Step 3 - Your Office License Could Be Corrupted

- Microsoft Released a Fix For This Problem Here

Sometimes, it can be the case that your license file is corrupted. This cannot be solved by the uninstalling then reinstalling the software, as the license is always maintained on the system. Similarly, when you remove the product the license is not removed with it. If it is corrupt, then the installation cannot proceed as it is required to successfully validate your Office software.

To fix this issue, you will need to run Microsoft’s tool “Fix-it”. This will automatically fix the problem for you, if this is indeed the issue. You can download the tool here.

Step 4 - Clean Out The Registry

• Download This registry cleaner

One of the main causes for the 1401 / 1402 / 1406 errors to show when trying to install Office is the problem in which registry keys are either inaccessible or damaged. The ‘registry’ is a big database on your PC which needs to store all the details & options that Windows uses to help it recall many of the settings that your PC requires to run. Unfortunately, the registry is also one of the biggest causes of errors because it’s either being damaged or saved incorrectly. Each time you install a program onto your system, it needs to place 100′s of settings & options into the registry… but if any of those options are damaged, it will cause numerous errors to show on your system. To ensure this is not a problem, you should use a registry cleaner tool, which you can download from the recommended link below:

Microsoft Office is a universally known suit of programs which are designed to help you complete your day-to-day work. Many companies and individuals use this package around the World, but it’s often fraught with problems. One of the most common issues that faces Office users is the dreaded “1402 Error“. This appear when you’re trying to install Office and can prevent the installation from commencing. To fix this, there is a simple method you can follow…

What Causes The Office 1402 Error?

The 1402 error is a problem caused by the Office / program installation being unable to open and save a certain registry key on your PC. The error will typically read “Error 1402. Could not open key: key_name“. The key_name refers to the actual registry key that the installation program cannot open, which has lead to the error message.

There are two typical causes of this error:

• You are trying to install Microsoft Office (or another program) on an old machine (typically Windows 98)
• You are trying to install the program on an account with insufficient privileges.

How To Fix The 1402 Error

There are several steps to fix the 1402 error. Here they are:

Step 1 - Run a Registry Check (For Windows 98 & 2000)

1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Information.
2. On the Tools menu, click Registry Checker. You may receive the following error message:
   Windows encountered an error accessing the system registry. Windows will restart the computer and repair the system registry for you.

   If you receive this error message, restart your computer.

   If you do not receive the error message, you can choose to compact and repair damage to the internal data structure of the system registry by following these steps:

   1. Close all programs that are running.
   2. Click Start and point to Run. In the Open box, type the following and then click OK:
      scanreg /fix
   3. Click Yes to restart the computer.
3. Run Office Setup again.

Step 2 - Retry The Installation With Different User Profiles

You may be unable to perform the installation if the user profile under which you are logged on to the system is corrupt or not the administrator. Therefore, you may try to log on to the system using another profile and then try to install Office again. If your existing profile is damaged, you may need to delete and recreate it to prevent any future problems.

Step 3 - Clean The Registry With A ‘registry cleaner’

• Download This registry cleaner

Registry cleaners will go through the registry and fix any of the damaged or corrupted registry keys that could be causing the 1402 error. If the above methods do not work, or partially work, then you should try and use a registry cleaner tool to scan through the corrupted files and fix the ones that are causing problems.