PRB: Error Message: 0x80004005: General Error Unable to Open Registry Key

When you access a page that connects to an Access database, you may receive the following error message in the browser:

The account that is being used to access the page does not have access to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC registry key.

Important This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, click the following article number to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

1. Start Registry Editor (Regedt32.exe).
2. Select the following key in the registry:
   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\ODBC
3. On the Security menu, click Permissions.
4. Type the required permissions for the account that is accessing the Web page.
5. Quit Registry Editor.

This behavior is by design.