Winsat - "Cannot create formal lines for disk assessment"

Hi, yes, sorry- a request for help with WEI/Winsat. I've looked at this from time to time, but cannot find the error listed on the internet.

In an elevated command prompt:
winsat formal
- fails (aborts)
Error: Cannot create formal lines for the disk assessment
ERROR: Access is denied.

I don't understand and can't find out what that means.

Now these commands do work:
winsat media -input C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT -xml media.xml
winsat features
winsat cpu - compression
winsat mem -mint 4.0 -maxt 12.0 -buffersize 32MB -xml memtest.xml
winsat dwm -xml dwmtest.xml
winsat dwm -xml C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT\dwmtest.xml
winsat mfmedia -input C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT\winsat.wmv -xml C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT\datastore\mfmediatest.xml
winsat disk -seq -read -drive c
winsat disk -seq -read -n 0
-xml C:\Windows\Performance\WinSAT\datastore\disktest.xml

At the GUI level, I see
Click Windows Experience Index: Unrated
New hardware detected
Your computer has a windows Experience Index base score of ?
Subscore, Base Score - no figures.

Last Rating: %LastChecked%
Manage startup programs no
Adjust visual effects no
Adjust indexing options no
Adjust power settings no
Open Disk Cleanup no
Advanced tools works
Security Center no
Problem Reports and Solutions no
--------------------------
Learn how you can improve... no
View & print no
Learn more no
View software no
View ways no
What do... no
Update.. no
Button
Rate this computer no

(no = nothing happens when I click on it).

This has been so for some months; SFC /Scannow doesn't help.

I'm left guessing it's some sort of registry corruption... some suggest it's to do with Nvidia drivers. I've seen a few other reports of these links not working.

Would be happy if you have an idea! Thanks...

Some more info:

1. I've found I can sometimes persuade it to show a WEI score of 1.0.
2. If that is true, then Performance Information and Tools shows 'Refresh'
(New hardware detected)
3. If I hit 'Refresh', an attempt to compute WEI is made.
4. The links on the page which didn't work then do.
5. That fails as before with the Access denied message when a disk assessment is attempted.
ERROR: can't crate disk assessment command line: Access is denied.
appears in the log file (spelt as such).
6. Note, I only see that error if the formal assessment is attempted (refresh, or winsat formal from an elevated command prompt)
7. This is a laptop, no hardware changes per se, though drivers have been added & updated.
8. I did try updating the Nvidia driver, but it didn't work, and is again the HP build.
9. winsat can write log and xml files to C:\Windows\Performance\Winsat, so the Access denied doesn't seem to refer to that. Maybe to the registry?

Vista 32 bit, Home Premium, up to date.

So, another that is 'fixed' by a new Vista installation...
- just one of those things that can be broken, otherwise unfixable I guess.

Now WEI and Winsat work... thanks.