Gen 8.6 build error C1083: Cannot open ... 'windows.h'

Products

• Gen
• Gen - Workstation Toolset
• Gen - Run Time Distributed
• Gen - Host Encyclopedia

Issue/Introduction

Build Tool fatal error:
Fatal error C1083: Cannot open include file: 'windows.h': No such file or directory
NMAKE : fatal error U1077: '"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\BIN\cl.EXE"' : return code '0x2'
File Not Found

Cause

Windows User Identification authority.
If the authority for the Windows UserID is limited and will not allow the "reg" command to execute, the error will occur in the Build Tool when building a GUI client.

Resolution

The resolution is to restore authority to execute the "reg" command to the Windows UserID.
A workaround is to edit the vsvars32.bat and hard code the directory locations that the "reg" command resolved.  A search on the internet will have suggestions on how to do this.