Build Failure: "npx react-native run-windows" -> ERROR: The system was unable to find the specified registry key or value.

[rustymiller]

I started from a pretty clean Win 11 machine (Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.22621.1992]) and followed the setup instructions here: https://microsoft.github.io/react-native-windows/docs/getting-started . The dependency check from https://microsoft.github.io/react-native-windows/docs/rnw-dependencies passed.

When I ran "npx react-native run-windows" it output:

ERROR: The system was unable to find the specified registry key or value.
...
Build failed with message 6:6>EXEC : error : The system was unable to find the specified registry key or value. [C:\Users\rusty\OneDrive\projects\src\client\MyApp\windows\MyApp\MyApp.vcxproj]. Check your build configuration.

Via trial and error I was able to address the first error by passing "--no-telemetry" -> "npx react-native run-windows --no-telemetry"
For the second error I needed to also update ...MyApp\node_modules\react-native-windows\PropertySheets\Autolink.props and ...MyApp\node_modules\react-native-windows\PropertySheets\Codegen.props to add "--no-telemetry" to the command args - for example:

<AutolinkCommandArgs Condition="'$(AutolinkCommandArgs)' == ''">--check --no-telemetry</AutolinkCommandArgs>

I can't rule out it's a specific issue to my machine causing the telemetry to fail - but wanted to share in case others are hitting the same issue.

[chrisglein]

Can you confirm which version of RNW you were running with this?

[rustymiller]

npmPackages:
react:
installed: 18.2.0
wanted: 18.2.0
react-native:
installed: 0.72.3
wanted: 0.72.3
react-native-windows:
installed: 0.72.4
wanted: 0.72.4

[rustymiller]

I think it's due to my machine having 32bit node.js. In node_modules@react-native-windows\telemetry\lib-commonjs\utils\basePropUtils.js:

...
const DeviceIdRegPath = 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\SOFTWARE\\Microsoft\\SQMClient';
const DeviceIdRegKey = 'MachineId';
/**
 * Gets a telemetry-safe stable device ID.
 * @returns A telemetry-safe stable device ID.
 */
async function deviceId() {
    try {
        const output = (0, child_process_1.execSync)(`${process.env.windir}\\System32\\reg.exe query ${DeviceIdRegPath} /v ${DeviceIdRegKey}`).toString();
        const result = output.match(/\{([0-9A-Fa-f-]{36})\}/);
        if (result && result.length > 1) {
            return `s:${result[1]}`;
        }
    }
    catch (_a) { }
    return '';
}
...

I can see from Process Monitor that it's looking for [HKLM\SOFTWARE\WOW6432Node\Microsoft\SQMClient] : "MachineId" (a redirected registry path since 32bit node.exe is launching 32bit reg.exe). This key doesn't exist (at least on my machine). However, I do have [HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\SQMClient] : "MachineId".

[jonthysell]

This is a bug, issue tracking it here: #11977