Task services has failed with an unknown exception

While installing SharePoint 2010 on a clean Windows 2008 R2 box, I received the following error:

Task services has failed with an unknown exception
Exception: System.InvalidOperationException: The specified value for the LocStringId parameter is outside the bounds of this enum.

Exception: System.InvalidOperationException: The specified value for the LocStringId parameter is outside the bounds of this enum.
	at Microsoft.SharePoint.Portal.WebControls.StringResourceManager.ConvertLocStringIdToStringFast(LocStringId lsid)
	at Microsoft.SharePoint.Portal.WebControls.StringResourceManager.GetString(LocStringId lsid)
	at Microsoft.Office.Server.ApplicationRegistry.SharedService.ApplicationRegistryServiceInstance.get_TypeName()
	at Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.ServicesTask.InstallServiceInstanceInConfigDB(Boolean provisionTheServiceInstanceToo, String serviceInstanceRegistryKeyName, Object sharepointServiceObject)
	at Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.ServicesTask.InstallServiceInstances(Boolean provisionTheServiceInstancesToo, String serviceRegistryKeyName, Object sharepointServiceObject)
	at Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.ServicesTask.InstallServices(Boolean provisionTheServicesToo)
	at Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.ServicesTask.Run()
	at Microsoft.SharePoint.PostSetupConfiguration.TaskThread.ExecuteTask()

Even after trying multiple Windows restart, SharePoint 2010 Repair procedures nothing really helped. What eventually helped was an un-expected trick posted on one of the MSDN Forums here.

So, what you need to do is REMOVE the registry key at the following location and the re-run the configuration wizard.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server Extensions\14.0\WSS\Services\_Microsoft.Office.Server.ApplicationRegistry.SharedService.ApplicationRegistryService] 

And also,

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Shared Tools\Web Server Extensions\14.0\WSS\ServiceProxies\Microsoft.Office.Server.ApplicationRegistry.SharedService.ApplicationRegistryServiceProxy]

Happy SharePoint 🙂