How do I fix an “Invalid license data. Reinstall is required.” error in Visual C# 2010 Express?

Question

I\'ve tried to install Visual C# 2010 Express edition onto my PC, but whenever I try to run it, I get a error message.

Invalid license data. Reinstall

Answer 1

I am using Visual Studio 2013 and I have the same issue but it occurs when I try to open a solution that was made using Visual Studio 2010.

The solution for me is to open the solution file (.sln), using notepad and change this line:

[# Visual Studio 2010]

to this:

[# Visual Studio 2013]

Answer 2

It appears that this has been reported as a bug, but has been closed as "Not Reproducible". One suggestiong from the Microsoft supporter is to redownload and reinstall:

Please try downloading the complete ISO from http://www.microsoft.com/express/Downloads/#2010-All, mount it as virtual drive. Then execute Visual C# setup from the ISO media and select an option to remove the product. Once the Visual C# has been uninstalled, please try installing it again from the ISO media.

It sounds a bit far fetched to me, but you might want to give it a try.

If that does not help you, I would suggest that you either post a new bug report to Microsoft or vote to reopen the existing one (I am not sure if/how this is possible).

Answer 3

My prolem: -VS works fine, but when I create new Solution Setup and Deployment it make Setup file but when I run this Setup file, it say: "Invalid license data. Reinstall is required." -subinacl do not work.

My PC: -OS:Windows 7 64bit. -Visual Studio 2012

My way: -Close Visual Studio -Run regedit. -Pull down HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT -Looking for Licenses -Right click on Licenses -> click Permissions... -> click Addvanced -> click User you want edit -> click Edit -> choose This key and subkey -> check all Allow: Full Control, Query Value, SetValue, Create Subkey, Enumerate Subkeys, Notyfy, Create Link, Delete, Write DAC, Write Owner, Read Control... -> check Apply these permissions to objects... -> click OK -> click OK -> click OK -> Close Registry Edit -Start VS -Hope this help

Answer 4

I'm having this problem with Visual Studio 2015 installed.

ramonsantana over at forum.unity3d.com had the solution for me: https://forum.unity3d.com/threads/if-anyone-is-having-visual-studio-shell-2010-invalid-license-data-reinstall-is-required.298824/

Copied here for reference

Use regedit go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT and look for Visual Studio.DTE Since i have Visual Studio 2015 CTP installed i have 3 DTE, one is VisualStudio.DTE, the other Visual StudioDTE.10.0 and VisualStudio.DTE.14.0 Go to VisualStudio.DTE.14.0 ( or whatever version of Visual studio you have installed) and click CLSID.

Copy the Default (Double click Default and Copy the key inside), now go back to Visua Studio.DTE and double click the Default there and paste the key you just copied.

Almost there

On VisualStudio.DTE go to CurVer and double click the key there to Edit it. Change the 10.0 in the end to 12.0 or 13.0 or 14.0, depending on what version of Visual Studio you have and you are done.

Answer 5

Analysis: as per the previous correct note by reece (and the original workaround author), I used ProcessMonitor to see what devenv.exe tries to do and fails. Unfortunately, it was attempting to read a number of reg keys which were not under the Licenses node (so it wouldn't have been enough to take ownership of the latter with subinacl). Furthermore, even after taking ownership, the affected keys still yielded "ACCESS DENIED". Doing it as Administrator was equally useless. Plus, Visual Studio didn't fall for any date change nonsense either.

Solution - Don't try this at home :D though: I downloaded pstools and ran psexec -i -s regedit to get System privileges, then I changed permissions on the entire HKCR node to allow Everyone to Read (:P what can I say, viva el comandante).

I want to point out that adding "Everyone" to have read permissions on HKEY_Classes_Root did fix this issue for me.

I am not sure exactly what permission is needed, but this "worked for me" ... YMMV

Answer 6

Background: Visual Studio 2012 Pro installed by Administrator account. As "Joe User" (member of Win 7 Users group, but NOT Adminstrators) I got the error message. On reading this forum I concluded this is a generic error message. Steps to fix: As an adminstrator, open HK_CLASSES_ROOT. Open context menu on the Licenses subkey Select Permissions... Set Full Control for all users.

Now log on as "Joe" again. Voila!

Next, as Administrator change the permission on HKCR/Licenses back to read only for Users.

Two hints for developers. If you can develop and run an application as an ordinary user, then presumably your poor clients don't need admin rights to run it either.

Don't leak security information in "helpful" error messages. Microsloth are probably following their own advise and giving a vague and unhelpful error message here.

I have no idea why changing the permission to FC then back again to the original setting worked. I can only assume the Visual Studio writes something to that key the first time it runs.