Search error: Illegal operation attempted on a registry key that has been marked for deletion

Question

I'm intermittently getting this error when performing a search in my SharePoint 2010 environment:

SearchServiceApplication::Execute--Exception: System.Runtime.InteropServices.COMException     (0x800703FA): Illegal operation attempted on a     registry key that has been marked for deletion. (Exception from HRESULT: 0x800703FA)     
at System.Runtime.InteropServices.Marshal.ThrowExceptionForHRInternal(Int32 errorCode, IntPtr errorInfo)     
at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Query.KeywordQueryInternal.Execute()     
at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Query.QueryInternal.Execute(QueryProperties properties)     
at Microsoft.Office.Server.Search.Administration.SearchServiceApplication.Execute(QueryProperties properties)   

I'm running an application server and 2 front end web servers in the farm. All are on Windows Server 2008. I've exhausted my resources and have no idea why this is occuring.

Answer 1

http://pacsharepoint.com/2011/11/sharepoint-search-illegal-operation.html