Can't Access the Registry

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated February 26, 2022)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021

When Jacques opens the Visual Basic Editor and clicks Tools | References, he gets the following message: "Can't access the system registry." Jacques isn't sure why this occurs and he's wondering how to fix it.

The Registry is, of course, the place where all the configuration information for your installation of Windows is stored. In addition, many applications (such as Excel and VBA) store configuration information in the Registry. If something is out of kilter in the Registry, then you may have problems accessing whatever application is expecting to find information there. This is apparently what is happening in Jacques' case.

In this particular case, it seems that the problem may be related to account permissions to access certain Registry information. The solution to this is not a trivial one; it can require a number of rather detailed steps to fix. Rather that recreate those steps here, it is best to visit the following page:

https://answers.microsoft.com/en-us/msoffice/forum/all/a-step-by-step-procedure-for-fixing-error/3c81197e-a237-4fb7-8c8a-d28145f7428e

I know that URL is very long, so you'll want to make sure that you get it all included when you go to visit the page.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10151) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

The Line that Won't Go Away

Have you ever had a line appear on your document that you can't seem to get rid of? It could be due to a built-in ...

Discover More

Specifying a Data Validation Error Message

Data validation is a great tool for limiting what can be input into a cell. Excel allows you to specify what should ...

Discover More

Formatting Page Numbers

Need to format the page numbers you added to your document? Word makes it easy, using the same techniques you use to ...

Discover More

Excel Smarts for Beginners! Featuring the friendly and trusted For Dummies style, this popular guide shows beginners how to get up and running with Excel while also helping more experienced users get comfortable with the newest features. Check out Excel 2013 For Dummies today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Stopping an Excel Window from Maximizing

When you drag an Excel window near the edge of your screen, you may end up having that window occupy more of the screen ...

Discover More

Losing Data in a Shared Workbook

When you create a shared workbook, you run the risk of losing some of the data in that workbook. Here's a discussion ...

Discover More

Mouse Scroll Wheel Doesn't Work with Some Worksheets

When you use the mouse wheel, the normal behavior is to scroll vertically through your worksheet. If the mouse wheel ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is two more than 0?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)

This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.

Links and Sharing
OUR COMPANY
OUR PRODUCTS
OUR SITES
 

Copyright © 2023 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.