openUrl() confounded by certain Windows registry values

[tik]

Environment:
Windows XP 32-bit
An old version of Opera installed at c:\bin\Opera\
Current version of Opera installed at c:\bin\Opera 11\
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\shell\open\command is set to "c:\bin\Opera 11\Opera.exe" "%1"

Problem:
When "Launch browser on router startup" is enabled, the wrong executable is launched.

Expected result:
C:\bin\Opera 11\Opera.exe should launch.

Actual result:
C:\bin\Opera\Opera.exe launches. (And it hangs and doesn't draw a window... a topic for another ticket.)

[tik]

Here is the problem:

I2Psvc.exe runs as the "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM" on startup (as a service.)

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT key in windows is a merged/derived view of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes and HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes.

There is no HKEY_USERS\S-1-5-18\Software\Classes\http key, and thus "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM" does not see a HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Classes\http key.

So, for "NT AUTHORITY\SYSTEM", HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\http\shell\open\command is the default system value stored in HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Classes\http\shell\open\command.

Which in my case happens to be "c:\bin\Opera\Opera.exe" "%1"