Q: Can't access Boot Camp Control Panel in Windows 8

Programs control panel: Boot Camp: Repair

When you install Apple package may need to use Compatibilty

If you go to the program(s) file itself, try changing the properties to Windows 7 and Admin privilege.

But yours is the first report I recall seeing with that error, so does not seem widespread.

AHCI or the lack is separate.

Maybe don't play with files without copy and backup and time to use System Repair/Restore and go back to earliest time before this.

I heard is the bane of the internet.

I have a brand new MacBook Pro Retina, and went ahead and installed the Windows 8 Release Preview (RP) in Boot Camp.

I have this exact problem - but ONLY with my primary Windows 8 admin account.

Strangely enough, the Boot Camp Control Panel works PERFECTLY for my second, non-admin Windows 8 account. Unfortunately, the settings made there are account-specific, so the primary account remains unable to use the function keys or enhanced trackpad features.

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On a related note, as soon as I set up the second account, it took a very long time to initialize (I stared a "your PC is being prepared" screen for about 5 minutes), and as soon as it finished, I noticed a "bootcamp service installed - you must restart your computer" message. After I restarted, Boot Camp Control Panel worked flawlessly on my secondary Windows 8 user account.

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So far I've tried setting the Boot Camp Control Panel process to run in both compatibility mode AND with administrator privileges... neither works. Maybe what we need to do is RESTRICT it's privileges? I suspect that it detects it has administrator privileges and try to access something it shouldnt.

Any OS you should have a standard non-admin, and once in awhile an accident can make your one and only account read-only or an error and without another (admin) unable to login and use the system.

Same for OS X. And more secure. Use admin to install, but use standard otherwise for everyday use.

Yeah, I'm in the same boat. It's a lot less than ideal.

It seems that the Boot Camp Control Panel plain old breaks any time it's run with administrator privileges. :-/

Bingo. tjmentum posted a full work-around here:

https://discussions.apple.com/thread/4034572?start=15&tstart=0

"Short" answer:

1. Make sure Bootcamp.exe is NOT set to "Run As Administrator" (this isn't default, but some of us may have done this while trying to troubleshoot - this was my problem when trying the "musical account privileges" approach)
2. Create a second user account in Windows
3. Set the second user account to Administrator
4. Set the original user account to Standard
5. Log OUT of both accounts (this will force BCCP to restart on next login)
6. Log in to the primary/original account
7. Change your Boot Camp Control Panel settings (it will work because they don't have admin privileges)
8. Set the main account back to Administrator (settings will be saved, but you wont be able to re-open it)
9. Optionally delete the second user if you dont want it

Excellent stuff here -

If you want to access it once every time you are logged in - hold down shift and right click (or whatever your secondary click option is) and run the AppleControlPanel.exe as a different user (standard account) and it will come up with keyboard and trackpad settings - only problem is they will disappear after a reboot.

To alleviate that, using the help above and ProcessMonitor, I was able to track down the registry keys that this affects and what settings it applies - in my case I wanted right click in the bottom-right and tap to click enabled - this is what I've come up with - Either HKCU or HKU\SID## will work for these paths - I used Current_User as I was logged in with the admin account:

\Software\Apple Inc.\TrackpadMode -

Decimal value 8 - nothing enabled

Decimal value 105 and the above two settings will be enabled after reboot, along with the default of 2-finger secondard tap

Decimal value 41 - tap to click and 2-finger secondary tap

Decimal value 43 - tap to click, 2 finger secondary tap and Dragging

Decimal value 47 - tap to click, 2 finger secondary tap, dragging and drag lock

Decimal value 111 - tap to click, 2 finger seconday tap, dragging, drag lock and seconday click bottom right (bottom left is 239)

Haven't gone through all combinations, but might build a interface if several are interested.

\Software\Apple Inc.\Apple Keyboard Support\OSXFnBehavior

Decimal Value 1 is default - fn key to get regular F1-F12

Decimal Value 0 changes to standard function keys - fn to get apple special commands

This still does not get you into the control panel, but its a tad faster than roaming between two user accounts.

Also trying to figure out why the AppleControlPanel.exe is set to Run As Admin under an admin account, but not under a standard user account - it always prompts for it under admin account, could have something to do with my group policies.

If you'd like a script or GUI to do this from (until Apple fixes this) let me know and I'll get one going.

This is all tested on a MBP Retina with Windows 8 RTM - has been an issue on all previous releases as well.

In Mac Pro, only time I ever accessed the BC Control panel was to target/default boot to Mac OS. Default boot can be set in Mac OS. No need ever for me to access BC Control Panel.

Must be some reason you need to access BC Control panel in your version of Mac.

I have found another solution using the Micorosft Application Compatability Toolkit:

Download version 5.6 of the above and execute application from C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Application Compatibility Toolkit\Compatibility Administrator (64-bit)

Click fix and load the AppleControlPanel.exe file

Choose the option RunAsInvoker

Save the database

Click file-run and it will update the executable - the UAC icon does not go away, but it does open under an Administrator-user account!

*This was based on this post that does not work: http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/sasha/archive/2012/08/16/running-the-boot-cam p-control-panel-applet-from-windows-8-on-macbook-pro.aspx?CommentPosted=true#com mentmessage

http://blogs.microsoft.co.il/blogs/sasha/archive/2012/08/16/running-the-boot-cam p-control-panel-applet-from-windows-8-on-macbook-pro.aspx?CommentPosted=true#com mentmessageand the post here:

http://superuser.com/questions/171917/force-a-program-to-run-without-administrat or-privileges-or-uac

Enjoy!

LeviateK solution above worked using compatibility fix. Just remeber to reboot after running fix.