shutil: permission denied errors on windows

[Antoine De Groote]

Google tells quite some things about it, but none of them are satisfactory.

I'm on Windows, and shutil operations (e.g. move, copy) throw [Errno 13]
Permission denied all the time, for the source files. It seems that this
is the case for all my files. But what I don't understand is that
yesterday it still worked. I didn't change anything on my system though
(at least not that I am aware of). I restarted the computer several
times to see if that helped, but it didn't. Also I can't find a process
that would be using the files...

Has anybody experienced this problem before, or have a solution?

Kind regards,
antoine

Here's the code that throws the errors

[...]
for l in files:
from_file = os.path.join(dir, l)
to_file = from_file.replace(tree_top, backup_dir)
try:
if not os.path.exists(to_file):
log('Copying new %s' % from_file)
counter_new += 1
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
elif int(os.path.getmtime(from_file)) >
int(os.path.getmtime(to_file)):
log('Copying modified %s' % from_file)
counter_mod += 1
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
elif os.path.getsize(from_file) > os.path.getsize(to_file):
log('Sizes differ, but not rest: Copying %s' %
from_file)
counter_special += 1
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
elif os.path.getsize(from_file) < os.path.getsize(to_file):
log('Orig file smaller than backup file: Copying
%s' % from_file)
counter_special += 1
shutil.copy2(to_file, backup_dir+'DIFF_SIZE')
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
else:
#log('not treated: %s' % l)
pass

except (OSError, IOError), e:
not_accessible += 1
print e
[...]

 

[John Henry]

I use the copy function a lot and never have problem. I suggest that
you write a no brainer standalone test code and if it still fails
there, then you have a problem with your installation.

 

[Antoine De Groote]

Yes it's strange, I never had the problem before, either. It seems now
to be only the case for folders. A very simple

shutil.copy('a', 'b')

already fails with the error message.

I reinstalled Python, but that didn't change anything...

Regards,
antoine

I use the copy function a lot and never have problem. I suggest that
you write a no brainer standalone test code and if it still fails
there, then you have a problem with your installation.

Google tells quite some things about it, but none of them are satisfactory.

I'm on Windows, and shutil operations (e.g. move, copy) throw [Errno 13]
Permission denied all the time, for the source files. It seems that this
is the case for all my files. But what I don't understand is that
yesterday it still worked. I didn't change anything on my system though
(at least not that I am aware of). I restarted the computer several
times to see if that helped, but it didn't. Also I can't find a process
that would be using the files...

Has anybody experienced this problem before, or have a solution?

Kind regards,
antoine

Here's the code that throws the errors

[...]
for l in files:
from_file = os.path.join(dir, l)
to_file = from_file.replace(tree_top, backup_dir)
try:
if not os.path.exists(to_file):
log('Copying new %s' % from_file)
counter_new += 1
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
elif int(os.path.getmtime(from_file)) >
int(os.path.getmtime(to_file)):
log('Copying modified %s' % from_file)
counter_mod += 1
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
elif os.path.getsize(from_file) > os.path.getsize(to_file):
log('Sizes differ, but not rest: Copying %s' %
from_file)
counter_special += 1
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
elif os.path.getsize(from_file) < os.path.getsize(to_file):
log('Orig file smaller than backup file: Copying
%s' % from_file)
counter_special += 1
shutil.copy2(to_file, backup_dir+'DIFF_SIZE')
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
else:
#log('not treated: %s' % l)
pass

except (OSError, IOError), e:
not_accessible += 1
print e
[...]

 

[jUrner]

Yes it's strange, I never had the problem before, either. It seems now
to be only the case for folders. A very simple

shutil.copy('a', 'b')

already fails with the error message.

I reinstalled Python, but that didn't change anything...

Regards,
antoine

Just a guess, update you virus scanner. Maybe someone sits in the back
and doesn't like what you are doing.

Regards Jürgen

 

[John Henry]

Okay, it's always good that strange things are repeatable and happens
with simple scripts.

Are you saying "a" is a folder? So, the failure is only with copying
folder? Not individual file?

Yes it's strange, I never had the problem before, either. It seems now
to be only the case for folders. A very simple

shutil.copy('a', 'b')

already fails with the error message.

I reinstalled Python, but that didn't change anything...

Regards,
antoine

I use the copy function a lot and never have problem. I suggest that
you write a no brainer standalone test code and if it still fails
there, then you have a problem with your installation.

Google tells quite some things about it, but none of them are satisfactory.

I'm on Windows, and shutil operations (e.g. move, copy) throw [Errno 13]
Permission denied all the time, for the source files. It seems that this
is the case for all my files. But what I don't understand is that
yesterday it still worked. I didn't change anything on my system though
(at least not that I am aware of). I restarted the computer several
times to see if that helped, but it didn't. Also I can't find a process
that would be using the files...

Has anybody experienced this problem before, or have a solution?

Kind regards,
antoine

Here's the code that throws the errors

[...]
for l in files:
from_file = os.path.join(dir, l)
to_file = from_file.replace(tree_top, backup_dir)
try:
if not os.path.exists(to_file):
log('Copying new %s' % from_file)
counter_new += 1
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
elif int(os.path.getmtime(from_file)) >
int(os.path.getmtime(to_file)):
log('Copying modified %s' % from_file)
counter_mod += 1
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
elif os.path.getsize(from_file) > os.path.getsize(to_file):
log('Sizes differ, but not rest: Copying %s' %
from_file)
counter_special += 1
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
elif os.path.getsize(from_file) < os.path.getsize(to_file):
log('Orig file smaller than backup file: Copying
%s' % from_file)
counter_special += 1
shutil.copy2(to_file, backup_dir+'DIFF_SIZE')
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
else:
#log('not treated: %s' % l)
pass

except (OSError, IOError), e:
not_accessible += 1
print e
[...]

 

[Antoine De Groote]

Yes, that's exactly what was the case... But see my other post, that
straightens things up...

Thanks!
antoine

Okay, it's always good that strange things are repeatable and happens
with simple scripts.

Are you saying "a" is a folder? So, the failure is only with copying
folder? Not individual file?

Yes it's strange, I never had the problem before, either. It seems now
to be only the case for folders. A very simple

shutil.copy('a', 'b')

already fails with the error message.

I reinstalled Python, but that didn't change anything...

Regards,
antoine

I use the copy function a lot and never have problem. I suggest that
you write a no brainer standalone test code and if it still fails
there, then you have a problem with your installation.

Antoine De Groote wrote:
Google tells quite some things about it, but none of them are satisfactory.

I'm on Windows, and shutil operations (e.g. move, copy) throw [Errno 13]
Permission denied all the time, for the source files. It seems that this
is the case for all my files. But what I don't understand is that
yesterday it still worked. I didn't change anything on my system though
(at least not that I am aware of). I restarted the computer several
times to see if that helped, but it didn't. Also I can't find a process
that would be using the files...

Has anybody experienced this problem before, or have a solution?

Kind regards,
antoine

Here's the code that throws the errors

[...]
for l in files:
from_file = os.path.join(dir, l)
to_file = from_file.replace(tree_top, backup_dir)
try:
if not os.path.exists(to_file):
log('Copying new %s' % from_file)
counter_new += 1
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
elif int(os.path.getmtime(from_file)) >
int(os.path.getmtime(to_file)):
log('Copying modified %s' % from_file)
counter_mod += 1
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
elif os.path.getsize(from_file) > os.path.getsize(to_file):
log('Sizes differ, but not rest: Copying %s' %
from_file)
counter_special += 1
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
elif os.path.getsize(from_file) < os.path.getsize(to_file):
log('Orig file smaller than backup file: Copying
%s' % from_file)
counter_special += 1
shutil.copy2(to_file, backup_dir+'DIFF_SIZE')
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
else:
#log('not treated: %s' % l)
pass

except (OSError, IOError), e:
not_accessible += 1
print e
[...]

 

[Antoine De Groote]

Thanks for your replies, guys. I found the problem now.

Actually the problem arised just before the code that I had in my
original post.

Here are the 2 lines that mess things up. It's those that are commented
out. If not commented, the errors were raised.

Clearly there is an error in the second line. It includes subdirs and s
instead of files and f. Took me 2 days to finally see it.

for dir, subdirs, files in os.walk(tree_top):

# subdirs[:] = [s for s in subdirs if
os.path.join(dir,s).replace('\\', '/') not in excluded]
# files[:] = [f for f in subdirs if
os.path.join(dir,s).replace('\\', '/') not in excluded]

for s in subdirs:
bak_sub = os.path.join(dir, s).replace(tree_top, backup_dir)
if not os.path.exists(bak_sub):
log('Creating directory %s' % bak_sub)
os.mkdir(bak_sub)

for l in files:
[code pasted earlier]...



But what still beats me is why my minimal example with folders 'a' and
'b' didn't work... It was independent of this code...

Anyway, my program works now, and that's for the moment the most
important thing.

Regards,
antoine

I use the copy function a lot and never have problem. I suggest that
you write a no brainer standalone test code and if it still fails
there, then you have a problem with your installation.

Google tells quite some things about it, but none of them are satisfactory.

I'm on Windows, and shutil operations (e.g. move, copy) throw [Errno 13]
Permission denied all the time, for the source files. It seems that this
is the case for all my files. But what I don't understand is that
yesterday it still worked. I didn't change anything on my system though
(at least not that I am aware of). I restarted the computer several
times to see if that helped, but it didn't. Also I can't find a process
that would be using the files...

Has anybody experienced this problem before, or have a solution?

Kind regards,
antoine

Here's the code that throws the errors

[...]
for l in files:
from_file = os.path.join(dir, l)
to_file = from_file.replace(tree_top, backup_dir)
try:
if not os.path.exists(to_file):
log('Copying new %s' % from_file)
counter_new += 1
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
elif int(os.path.getmtime(from_file)) >
int(os.path.getmtime(to_file)):
log('Copying modified %s' % from_file)
counter_mod += 1
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
elif os.path.getsize(from_file) > os.path.getsize(to_file):
log('Sizes differ, but not rest: Copying %s' %
from_file)
counter_special += 1
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
elif os.path.getsize(from_file) < os.path.getsize(to_file):
log('Orig file smaller than backup file: Copying
%s' % from_file)
counter_special += 1
shutil.copy2(to_file, backup_dir+'DIFF_SIZE')
shutil.copy2(from_file, to_file)
else:
#log('not treated: %s' % l)
pass

except (OSError, IOError), e:
not_accessible += 1
print e
[...]