python winreg unable to write to HKEY_CURRENT_USER

Question

When using the following code block, I cannot write to HKEY_CURRENT_USER, but writing to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE is fine. There are no errors reported when attempting to write to HKEY_CURRENT_USER. There is no endpoint protection installed that would restrict writing to the registry.

Using python 3.9.1 and psutil 5.8.0 on Windows 10 64-bit and script is being executed as administrator.

import winreg
#HKEY_CURRENT_USER
with winreg.ConnectRegistry(None, winreg.HKEY_CURRENT_USER) as root:
    with winreg.CreateKeyEx(root, 'Software\AAA', 0, access = winreg.KEY_WOW64_64KEY | winreg.KEY_WRITE) as key:
        winreg.SetValueEx(key, "PATH", 0, winreg.REG_SZ, 'test')

# HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
with winreg.ConnectRegistry(None, winreg.HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE) as root:
    with winreg.CreateKeyEx(root, 'Software\AAA', 0, access = winreg.KEY_WOW64_64KEY | winreg.KEY_WRITE) as key:
        winreg.SetValueEx(key, "PATH", 0, winreg.REG_SZ, 'test')

HKEY_CURRENT_USER

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE

C:\Users\admin\source\repos> python3 test.py

C:\Users\admin\source\repos>

Anyone have an idea of what I'm missing?

thanks!

Answer 1

Downgraded to python 3.8.7 and at first onset seems to be working.