PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied

Question

I'm getting this error :

Exception in Tkinter callback
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Python34\lib\tkinter\__init__.py", line 1538, in __call__
return self.func(*args)
File "C:/Users/Marc/Documents/Programmation/Python/Llamachat/Llamachat/Llamachat.py", line 32, in download
with open(place_to_save, 'wb') as file:
PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: '/goodbye.txt'

When running this :

def download():
    # get selected line index
    index = films_list.curselection()[0]
    # get the line's text
    selected_text = films_list.get(index)
    directory = filedialog.askdirectory(parent=root, 
                                        title="Choose where to save your movie")
    place_to_save = directory + '/' + selected_text
    print(directory, selected_text, place_to_save)
    with open(place_to_save, 'wb') as file:
        connect.retrbinary('RETR ' + selected_text, file.write)
    tk.messagebox.showwarning('File downloaded', 
                              'Your movie has been successfully downloaded!' 
                              '\nAnd saved where you asked us to save it!!')

Can someone tell me what I am doing wrong?

Specs : Python 3.4.4 x86 Windows 10 x64

Solution 1

This happens if you are trying to open a file, but your path is a folder.

This can happen easily by mistake.

To defend against that, use:

import os

path = r"my/path/to/file.txt"
assert os.path.isfile(path)
with open(path, "r") as f:
    pass

The assertion will fail if the path is actually of a folder.

Solution 2

There are basically three main methods of achieving administrator execution privileges on Windows.

1. Running as admin from cmd.exe
2. Creating a shortcut to execute the file with elevated privileges
3. Changing the permissions on the python executable (Not recommended)

---

A) Running cmd.exe as and admin

Since in Windows there is no sudo command you have to run the terminal (cmd.exe) as an administrator to achieve to level of permissions equivalent to sudo. You can do this two ways:

1. Manually

   • Find cmd.exe in C:\Windows\system32
   • Right-click on it
   • Select Run as Administrator
   • It will then open the command prompt in the directory C:\Windows\system32
   • Travel to your project directory
   • Run your program

2. Via key shortcuts

   • Press the windows key (between alt and ctrl usually) + X.
   • A small pop-up list containing various administrator tasks will appear.
   • Select Command Prompt (Admin)
   • Travel to your project directory
   • Run your program

By doing that you are running as Admin so this problem should not persist

B) Creating shortcut with elevated privileges

1. Create a shortcut for python.exe
2. Righ-click the shortcut and select Properties
3. Change the shortcut target into something like "C:\path_to\python.exe" C:\path_to\your_script.py"
4. Click "advanced" in the property panel of the shortcut, and click the option "run as administrator"

Answer contributed by delphifirst in this question

C) Changing the permissions on the python executable (Not recommended)

This is a possibility but I highly discourage you from doing so.

It just involves finding the python executable and setting it to run as administrator every time. Can and probably will cause problems with things like file creation (they will be admin only) or possibly modules that require NOT being an admin to run.

Solution 3

Make sure the file you are trying to write is closed first.

Solution 4

Change the permissions of the directory you want to save to so that all users have read and write permissions.

Solution 5

You can run CMD as Administrator and change the permission of the directory using cacls.exe. For example:

cacls.exe c: /t /e /g everyone:F # means everyone can totally control the C: disc

View more solutions

Comments

[MarshallMa]

Thanks. It works when I run anaconda prompt as admin.

[Gulzar]

What if this hapens from PyCharm? I am unable to give admin privilages to python.exe because this is a work computer.

[Mixone]

In that case you probably need to contact your IT support team. Or just move the file creation/deletion to a directory you have write access on your work pc

[Mixone]

Also try running PyCharm as an Admin, if you can, not the python.exe

[Gulzar]

or you could just use path = os.path.abspath(path)

[Gulzar]

I was going to edit your namings to be cohesive, then noticed you got the error for folder_path, and didn't get the error for img_path. This makes me believe Keras isn't bugged, and the real solution to your problem is stackoverflow.com/a/62244490/913098

[Neil_UK]

@Mixone Why does the OP need admin privileges? If he owns the destination folder, and owns the program, then surely the levels match? How does one debug what level you're running at, and what level you need for any specific destination?

[d33tah]

WARNING: the first two snippets here have a vulnerability called OS command injection: whitehatsec.com/glossary/content/os-command-injection ; always use subprocess and never combine shell=True or os.system and user-controlled variables.

[Admin]

Please add further details to expand on your answer, such as working code or documentation citations.

[Phenyl]

Indeed, if the file is open in Excel, you cannot open it.

[Nesha25]

I wish the original asker would accept this as the answer. There are many, many questions about this error, and this is the only answer that really seems to be right. Often this error occurs despite the file having correct permissions set, and so the answer has to be something else. This is it.

[Arun Sai Mustyala]

I'm running pydev project in windows and this solution worked fine for me

[Gulzar]

Also, instead of all the "\\", you can (and should) use os.path.sep, or better, use os.path.join

[Mixone]

@Neil_UK I beleive it was due to the fact that their code allows the user to CHOOSE a directory to save in also some work and school pcs have a lot of gpo policies blocking write access to some folders that are sometimes shared, he needs the priv if he doesnt own it is the point, you know the level in microsoft due to your user