Registry Access Errors In SharePoint 2013 – Requested Registry Access Is Not Allowed

I can’t imagine I am the only one that ran / has run into this, so thought I would jot down a quick note. In SharePoint 2013, when creating service accounts / managed accounts you may get the error:

somewhere in the ULS logs: 

requested registry access is not allowed  

or in the ASP.NET stacktrace:

Application error when access /_admin/registeraccount.aspx, Error=Requested registry access is not allowed.  
 at Microsoft.Win32.RegistryKey.OpenSubKey(String name, Boolean writable)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPCredentialManager.GetMasterKey(SPFarm farm)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPCredentialManager.GetFarmEncryptionKey(SPFarm farm)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPCredentialManager.EncryptWithMasterKey(SecureString sstrPassphrase)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPEncryptedString.SetSecureStringValue(SecureString sstrValue)    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.Administration.SPManagedAccount.Update()    
 at Microsoft.SharePoint.WebControls.RegisterAccountControl.BtnSubmit_Click(Object sender, EventArgs args)    
 at System.Web.UI.WebControls.Button.RaisePostBackEvent(String eventArgument)    
 at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequestMain(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint)    
 at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequest(Boolean includeStagesBeforeAsyncPoint, Boolean includeStagesAfterAsyncPoint)    
 at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequest()    
 at System.Web.UI.Page.ProcessRequest(HttpContext context)    
 at System.Web.HttpApplication.CallHandlerExecutionStep.System.Web.HttpApplication.IExecutionStep.Execute()    
 at System.Web.HttpApplication.ExecuteStep(IExecutionStep step, Boolean& completedSynchronously)

No good, accounts are pretty important :) The easiest way to debug registery access issues is to use Process Monitor:

http://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/bb896645.aspx

Bubbling up the same error when running the Process Monitor you will see that this error primarly occurs when an account is trying to access:

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server Extensions\15.0\Secure\FarmAdmin

In a standalone install, this will be NETWORK SERVICE. So just add that user with permissions and you can create as many accounts as you want!