NI Package Manager Update Fails Due to reg.exe Block

Issue Details

I am trying to update or install NI Package Manager on my computer. However, my corporate IT group policy blocks execution of reg.exe.
When I attempt to run either the offline or online installer, the installation fails during the final stage [1]. The installer displays the following error message,

An error occurred while upgrading from package 'ni-package-manager-upgrader (26.0.0.49288-0+f136)' to 'ni-package-manager-upgrader (26.3.0.49300-0+f148)'

Under the Additional error information section, the following detail is shown,

The executable returned error '1' after running the custom execute command 'path='"\\?\C:\WINDOWS\system32\reg.exe"', options='delete "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\National Instruments\NI Package Manager\CurrentVersion" /v UpgraderExecutableFullPath /f'

Additionally, if I attempt to use the update button directly within NI Package Manager, the update progress bar remains stuck at 0% and does not complete.

Solution

This issue occurs because the NI Package Manager upgrader utilizes the Windows utility reg.exe to modify registry values during installation and updates. If corporate group policies or endpoint security software block reg.exe execution, the installer cannot complete this step and fails with error code.

To resolve this issue, use one of the following methods.

• Request Temporary Permissions from Your IT Department.
  • Contact your IT administrator to temporarily grant execution permissions for C:\Windows\System32\reg.exe on the target machine.
  • Run the NI Package Manager installer or upgrader while the restriction is lifted.
  • Re-enable the registry restrictions once the installation has completed successfully.
• Perform Upgrades Using Command Line Interface.
  • Open the Windows Command Prompt as an administrator.
  • Execute the upgrade command via the NI Package Manager CLI to bypass some interactive GUI blocks.

If CLI upgrades are also blocked, the only solution is to temporarily lift the registry restriction.