RealFlight 9.5S Steam - KEError 21017: Registry Key Load Operation Failed

[FCVision]

Hello @Ryan Douglas,

I'm experiencing an issue with RealFlight 9.5S (Steam version) on Windows 11. When attempting to launch the simulator, I receive the following error messages:

KEError 21017: Registry key load operation failed.
Key: SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\RealFlight9Pro_Steam.exe
Value: ProgramToLaunch.
The RealFlightHelper will exit now.

KEError 75912: Unexpected activation result: 4.
The application will exit now.

As you know, the Steam version of RealFlight 9.5S does not use any digital activation keys or activation files; activation is handled entirely through Steam's service. However, the software currently fails to launch due to issues related to activation.

I've tried restarting Steam, verifying the integrity of the game files, running "D:\SteamLibrary\steamapps\common\RealFlight 9\RealFlight.exe" with administrator privileges, and even performed a clean installation by wiping all data and installing the latest version of Windows 11—but the error persists.

Could you please help me resolve this issue?

Thanks in advance!

---

System Information:
- Windows 11 Pro (24H2, OS build 26100.3323)
- Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-9700F CPU @ 3.00GHz
- RAM: 32.0 GB
- GPU: ASUS Nvidia Geforce RTX 2060

 

[Flapper]

While you wait for a reply from Ryan, do a search on the error code here. Frequently that will find solutions that others have found in the past.

Here's one, that is worth a try: https://forums.realflight.com/index.php?threads/more-istalation-problems.53084/

"activation" in this context may not refer to a product security method, only to whether a process can run, or not. Ryan may clarify.
You ran one aspect as an administrator, but there may be other permissions (like the registry one noted in the above thread) that may not be correct.

Did you really wipe the whole PC and do a completely new install? That's a pretty nuclear option, unless this was very new to start with, anyway!

Hope the above helps, it is a pretty rare issue!

 

[flightengr]

If I read that error message very literally:

KEError 21017: Registry key load operation failed.
Key: SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\RealFlight9Pro_Steam.exe
Value: ProgramToLaunch.
The RealFlightHelper will exit now.


Then it sounds like it's unable to access a key in the registry, or there's a problem with it.

For RealFlight 9.5S, I have that registry key in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\...
(There's a similar key in HKLM for RealFlight Evolution.)

There's an App Paths area in the registry for HKEY_CURRENT_USER as well, but on my computer it doesn't contain the RealFlight stuff.

That makes me wonder if either RF wasn't installed with administrator rights, or if you're not running it as the user that installed it.

Another thought... That registry key (ProgramToLaunch) contains the path to the RealFlight EXE file. Might you have moved the Steam Library folder after RealFlight was installed?