The Java VM write the follow debug output to System.error.

 

19.02.2009 08:51:11 java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferences openKey

WARNUNG: Could not open windows registry node Software\JavaSoft\Prefs\com\inet\report\config\cc at root 0x80000002. Windows RegOpenKey(...) returned error code 5.

 

 

This occur if we access to a not writable part of the preferences. 
Because the method throw a SecurityException which we catch there is no need 
to write debug output to the console. 

This is a regression. It occur in Java 1.6.0_11 and 1.6.0_12 but not in 1.6.0_02. 
��The stacktrace of the correct SecurityException is:

java.lang.SecurityException: Could not open windows registry node Software\JavaSoft\Prefs\com\inet\report\config\cc at root 0x80000002: Access denied

���������� at java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferences.openKey(WindowsPreferences.java:496)

���������� at java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferences.openKey(WindowsPreferences.java:463)

���������� at java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferences.openKey(WindowsPreferences.java:449)

���������� at java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferences.putSpi(WindowsPreferences.java:595)

���������� at java.util.prefs.AbstractPreferences.put(AbstractPreferences.java:234)

���������� at com.inet.lib.util.PreferencesUtils.isWriteable(PreferencesUtils.java:133)

���������� at com.inet.lib.util.PreferencesUtils.isSystemWriteable(PreferencesUtils.java:40)
The OS is Windows Vista with enabled UAC. ��That the system preferences are not writeable. 

Code snippet attached:

public static void main(String[] args) {

     isWriteable("/com/inet/report/config/cc ", true ));
 }

private static boolean isWriteable( String path, boolean isSystem ) {

Preferences prefs = null;

try {

 if( isSystem ) {

 prefs = systemRoot();

 } else {

 prefs = userRoot();

 }

boolean deleteAfterwards = false;

 if (!prefs.nodeExists( path )) {

 deleteAfterwards = true;

 }

prefs = prefs.node( path );
prefs.put( "dummy", "nothing" );
prefs.flush();
prefs.sync();

if (deleteAfterwards) {
 prefs.removeNode();
 prefs.flush();

} else {
  prefs.remove( "dummy" );
  prefs.flush();
  prefs.sync();

 }

 } catch( BackingStoreException e ) {

 return false;

 } catch( SecurityException ex ) {

 return false;

 }

 return true;

 }