"Error 5 opening registry key" error message when you try to configure the FrontPage Server Extensions 2002 on Windows Server 2003

When you try to configure the FrontPage Server Extensions 2002 from Microsoft on a Microsoft Windows Server 2003-based Web page, you may receive the following error message:

This problem may occur if the Microsoft SharePoint Administration site is running in the MSSharePointAppPool application pool by using an incorrect identity such as Network Service. The problem occurs because the SharePoint Administration site requires permissions to create and to modify registry keys and to run system commands. By default, when you install FrontPage Server Extensions on your server, a specialized application pool that is named MSSharepointAppPool is created and is assigned to run in the security context of the Local System account.

To resolve this problem, switch the identity of the MSSharePointAppPool to run as Local System. To do this, follow these steps:

1. Open Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) Manager, and then expand Application Pools.
2. Right-click MSSharePointAppPool, and then click Properties.
3. Click the Identity tab.
4. Change the Identity to Local System.
5. Click OK in the remaining windows, and then restart the IIS services.

Microsoft has confirmed that this is a problem in the Microsoft products that are listed in the "Applies to" section of this article.