ADDITIONAL SYSTEM INFORMATION :
On every Windows from Java version 8 to 16.

A DESCRIPTION OF THE PROBLEM :
java.lang.StackOverflowError
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.util.prefs.AbstractPreferences.isUserNode(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferences.rootNativeHandle(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferences.<init>(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferences.getUserRoot(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferencesFactory.userRoot(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.Preferences.userRoot(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.AbstractPreferences$1.run(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.AbstractPreferences$1.run(Unknown Source)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.util.prefs.AbstractPreferences.isUserNode(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferences.rootNativeHandle(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferences.<init>(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferences.getUserRoot(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferencesFactory.userRoot(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.Preferences.userRoot(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.AbstractPreferences$1.run(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.AbstractPreferences$1.run(Unknown Source)
at java.security.AccessController.doPrivileged(Native Method)
at java.util.prefs.AbstractPreferences.isUserNode(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferences.rootNativeHandle(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferences.<init>(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferences.getUserRoot(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.WindowsPreferencesFactory.userRoot(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.Preferences.userRoot(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.AbstractPreferences$1.run(Unknown Source)
at java.util.prefs.AbstractPreferences$1.run(Unknown Source)

The problem is that the error handler is not using the parameter of the constructor. Else it is calling a function that trigger the constructor again.

    private WindowsPreferences(long rootNativeHandle, byte[] rootDirectory) {
        super(null, "");
        long[] result =
                WindowsRegCreateKeyEx1(rootNativeHandle, rootDirectory);
        if (result[ERROR_CODE] != ERROR_SUCCESS) {
            logger().warning("Could not open/create prefs root node " +
                    byteArrayToString(windowsAbsolutePath()) +
                    " at root 0x" + Long.toHexString(rootNativeHandle()) +
                    ". Windows RegCreateKeyEx(...) returned error code " +
                    result[ERROR_CODE] + ".");
            isBackingStoreAvailable = false;
            return;
        }
        // Check if a new node
        newNode = (result[DISPOSITION] == REG_CREATED_NEW_KEY);
        closeKey(result[NATIVE_HANDLE]);
    }

In the code rootNativeHandle() should be replaces with rootNativeHandle. Removing the parentheses should solve the StackOverflowError and show the real error.

STEPS TO FOLLOW TO REPRODUCE THE PROBLEM :
calling Preferences.userRoot() if no access rights to the registry


CUSTOMER SUBMITTED WORKAROUND :
Give the user more access right to the user of the Java process.

FREQUENCY : always