Error "The Windows registry was not in expected state…." when launching Illustrator (CS3)

Issue

When you start Illustrator you receive the error message, “The Window registry was not in the expected state/ Please run Illustrator installer to correct this problem.” Illustrator does start after you receive this error message.

Reason

You uninstalled Illustrator CS2 after installing Illustrator CS3.

Solution

Rerun the Illustrator CS3 installer.

1. Install the Illustrator CS3 or Creative Suite CS3 installation DVD.
2. Choose “Install or Reinstall and click Next.
3. Follow the on screen instructions to install Illustrator CS3.

Note: If you are installing from the Creative Suite installation DVD, you only need to reinstall the Illustrator CS3 component of the Suite.

Additional Information

Uninstalling Illustrator CS2 after you installed Illustrator CS3 causes certain keys to be removed that are critical to the operation of Illustrator CS3.

Version Info

Illustrator CS3