PostgreSQL 9 install on Windows: "Unable to write inside TEMP environment path." - windows

Question

I am attempting to install PostgreSQL 9 (postgresql-9.0.3-1-windows.exe) on my WinXP machine and get the following error at the start:
Some googling around yielded some advice that suggested Windows Scripting Host might be disabled. I've checked and WSH is definitely enabled, so it must be something else. Question is, what?
I can see a file called prerun_checks.vbs is created in %TEMP% and when I try to run this manually, I get the following:
Which looks like a permissions error. However, I am an Admin, and I've given myself full control of the temp folder and it's still not working.
Any help appreciated.

Answer 1

In my case the solution was related to NotePad++ being the default application for opening .vbs files. If you have the same situation, here's an elaborate solution:
http://igordcard.blogspot.co.il/2012/03/unable-to-write-inside-temp-environment.html
In a nutshell, in the registry, you need to go to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\.vbs, and set the (Default) entry back to the string VBSFile.

Answer 2

This is a an old thread, but I just had the same problem on windows 10:
Unable to write inside TEMP environment path
Solve by the following steps
Check that the problem is related to Windows Script Host.
From cmd run wscript.exe
If you get an error Windows Script Host is not enabled then you can solved it by running the following from cmd
Fix for Current User
REG DELETE "HKCU\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Script Host\Settings" /v Enabled /f
Fix for Local Machine
REG DELETE "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Script Host\Settings" /v Enabled /f
Now you can install psql

Answer 3

As I was finishing off my question above, our IT chap turned up and knew what the problem was immediately: it's McAfee. It prevents anything from running in a TEMP folder, including Windows Scripting Host scripts. Disabling McAfee for the duration of the installation fixed the problem for me.
So if you see this problem, try disabling your anti-virus.

Answer 4

The answer in the following page helpped me.
http://forums.enterprisedb.com/posts/list/3040.page
run-> regedit and take backup of registry using export
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE->SOFTWARE->Classes->CLSID->B54F3741-5B07-11cf-A4B0-00AA004A55E8} -> InprocServer32
Modify registry entry with new value as C:\Windows\System32\vbscript.dll
In fact, I found there are 3 entries of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE->SOFTWARE->Classes->CLSID->B54F3741-5B07-11cf-A4B0-00AA004A55E8}, and set the first one as above, it works.

Answer 5

If anyone else is searching for information on this and doesn't have any luck here, you might want to look at:
http://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/Troubleshooting_Installation
For follow-ups to the mailing list please read:
http://wiki.postgresql.org/wiki/Guide_to_reporting_problems

Answer 6

Well, in my case nothing worked, and disabling McAffee needed a special ticket with my company's security team to actually do... so I installed using the binaries, by following this guide Helpful Guide.
In summary, download the binary from here, unzip it, go inside the pgsql folder, create log and data directories in there, and then open a command prompt, navigate to where the pgsql\bin folder is, and run initdb -U postgres -A password -E utf8 -W -D POSTGRESQL_ROOT\data
You can start and stop the server by running
"POSTGRESQL_ROOT/bin/pg_ctl" -D "POSTGRESQL_ROOT/data" -l "POSTGRESQL_ROOT/log/pgsql.log" start
and
"POSTGRESQL_ROOT/bin/pg_ctl" -D "POSTGRESQL_ROOT/data" -l "POSTGRESQL_ROOT/log/pgsql.log" stop
where POSTGRESQL_ROOT is the full path to the pgsql folder.

Answer 7

All the above did not work for me. I was getting an error like:
Script output:
CScript Error: Windows Script Host access is disabled on this machine. Contact your administrator for details.
so after a couple of googling i found the solution:
Navigate to the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows Script Host\Settings
In the right panel, you will see Enabled. If you see the entry 0, it means that the Windows Script Host access is disabled on your Windows machine.
Double Click on it and give it Value Data 1 to enable it.
A value of 1 will enable Windows Script Host
A value of 0 will disable Windows Script Host.
for windows 10 navigate to
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Script Host\Settings

Answer 8

To prevent further problems you should also exclude the data directory (where Postgres puts its data) from being scanned by your virus-scanner

Answer 9

In my case it was another application that caused the problem. Not Notepad++. To others who encounter this problem, you can diagnose it by first deleting all files in C:\Documents and Settings\UserName\Local Settings\Temp so that you'll be able to find the bitrock_installer.log easily when you try installing postgresql again and view the instructions in it. Changing the (Default) key in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, .vbs section of the registry to VBSFile solved it.

Answer 10

I had this issue when trying to install the 32 bit version on Windows 7 64 bit.
Trying the install kit for 64 bit presented no errors, but the solutions presented by others are also valid.

Answer 11

In my case I've downloded McAfee removal tool
MCPR (McAfee Consumer Product Removal)
which cleaned up some tailings after McAfee uninstallation.
Some registry entries which previously had InprocServer32 values like 'c:\program files\common files\mcafee\systemcore\...' changed back to its original values:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID\{B54F3741-5B07-11cf-A4B0-00AA004A55E8}\InprocServer32\(default) = vbscript.dll
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Wow6432Node\CLSID\{B54F3741-5B07-11cf-A4B0-00AA004A55E8}\InprocServer32\(default) = C:\Windows\SysWow64\vbscript.dll
After that I successfully installed PostgreSQL 9.3

Answer 12

it happens when Notepad++ associates .vbs file types.
you can open notepad++ -> Preferences -> fileAssociation
Remove the .vbs from the registered exts.
Close the notepad++. Try installing Postgres again.

Answer 13

In my case Changing the (Default) key in the HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT, .vbs section of the registry to VBSFile solved it. BlueFish is grab .vbs file association.

Answer 14

In the temp directory, my bitrock_installer.log file had the following:
Executing cscript //NoLogo "C:\Users\MyUser\Local
Settings\postgresql_installer_1b4eec8be6\prerun_checks.vbs"
Script exit code: 1
Script output:
Input Error: Can not find script file "C:\Users\MyUser\Local
Settings\postgresql_installer_1b4eec8be6\prerun_checks.vbs".
Turns out that Windows has a symlink between the following directories:
C:\Users\cpetrie\Local Settings\Temp
C:\Users\cpetrie\AppData\Local\Temp
For some reason my "TMP" and "TEMP" user variables were referencing the "Local Settings" path instead of the "AppData" path. Changing this fixed my install issue.

Answer 15

My problem was Smad-Av which disables Windows Scripts from running,
Only after going through this thread i remembered.
I just right clicked the Smad-Av icon and selected Allow Windows-Script & Office-Macro (Permanent).

Answer 16

I had the same problem with installing PostgreSQL (Unable to write in TEMP environment variable path), the problem was in Windows Script Host which was disabled (check the log file to see if this is your problem). enable it with register editor (run-->regedit) at this location Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows Script Host\Settings by setting its value at 1
For more details check this web link: http://1stopit.blogspot.com/2011/01/postgresql-83-and-84-fails-to-install.html

Answer 17

I had the same problem in Windows 10 and the culprit was the OS's permission, or rather the lack thereof, on allowing the executable to write on the User dedicated Temp folder.
Solved it by following my gut and changing the User Temp folder to the same with the system's : Win + Pause/Break to have the Computer Properties window appear (you can do that manually by right-click on Computer icon on Desktop -> Properties) -> click on Advanced System Settings on the panel on the left -> click on Environment Variables and
under "System variables" - Variables, find the TEMP and TMP ones and copy their paths. Then, under "User variables for Administrator" - Variables, find the TEMP and TMP ones and paste the paths. It's most always "C:\Windows\TEMP" anyways ;)
There's this site I read : https://www.askvg.com/where-does-windows-store-temporary-files-and-how-to-change-temp-folder-location/

Answer 18

search for "Registery Editor" and run it.
choose HKEY_CURRENT_USER => SOFTWARE => Microsoft => Windows script host => Setting (Computer\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows Script Host\Settings)
open "Enabled" and change value data to "1".(you will find it with a vlaue of 0).
Happy coding!

Answer 19

Check the log in the system's TEMP directory (provided the installer is able to write into it).
There's lot of information about the errors.
My issue was that VBS files were associated with a text editor (probably the anti virus software is the culprit) .
Here you can find some reg edit scripts to revert to the default behaviour:
http://www.nilpo.com/2009/07/windows-xp/restoring-vbs-vbscript-script-file-file-associations/#more-107
Cheers

Answer 20

My solution is similiar to #5, with an Explantion of how and why McAfee ruins your vbscript registration.
Apparently, when I had McAfee antivirus software on my computer, it bashed the vbscript.dll registration that Windows Scripting Host needs to run .VBS files.
In the exported .REG file:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID{B54F3741-5B07-11cf-A4B0-00AA004A55E8}\InprocServer32]
#="C:\Program Files\Common Files\McAfee\SystemCore\ScriptSn.20120327211246.dll"
That SHOULD be changed back to "C:\Windows\System32\vbscript.dll" now.
McAfee apparently installs a DLL that hijacks the vbscript.dll in order to try to protect bad scripts from running. When I uninstalled McAfee in favor of Microsoft
Security Essentials, McAfee did not restore the registry paths ("not
my problem"), and the McAfee DLL, of course, was removed from the location during uninstall, so the vbscript.dll registration in fact pointed to NOWHERE and NOTHING.
There has to be a better way to write Antivirus software so that it doesn't disable the user's operating system when it is uninstalled, or when features
are turned off, or replace registration. See the following:
https://kc.mcafee.com/corporate/index?page=content&id=KB71660
I have a 64-bit OS. The registry path was changed in a number of locations.
The regular class ID should point to the "C:\Windows\System32\vbscript.dll" 64-bit file.
The "Wow6432Node" registry paths should point to the "C:\Windows\SysWOW64\vbscript.dll" 32-bit file.
Yes, the 64-bits are in the "32" folder and the 32-bits are in the "SysWOW64" folder. Microsoft didn't want to change the name of the main "System32" execution folder when it migrated to 64-bits.
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\CLSID{B54F3741-5B07-11cf-A4B0-00AA004A55E8}
C:\Windows\System32\vbscript.dll
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Wow6432Node\CLSID{B54F3741-5B07-11cf-A4B0-00AA004A55E8}
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\vbscript.dll
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\CLSID{B54F3741-5B07-11cf-A4B0-00AA004A55E8}
C:\Windows\System32\vbscript.dll
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Classes\Wow6432Node\CLSID{B54F3741-5B07-11cf-A4B0-00AA004A55E8}
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\vbscript.dll
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Wow6432Node\Classes\CLSID{B54F3741-5B07-11cf-A4B0-00AA004A55E8}
C:\Windows\SysWOW64\vbscript.dll

Answer 21

Before you start messing with the registry, check if WSH is actually disabled or not. To do that run wscript.exe in the DOS box.
If you see a dialog box called "Windows Script Host Settings", WSH is enabled, and your problem with PostgreSQL installation must be related to something else.
If you get an error box that says "Windows Script Host access is disabled on this machine. Contact your administrator for details", WSH is disabled, and your problem with PostgreSQL installation may be related to it (or may be not).
For me, my problem was related to Windows script. I resolved this by right-clicking on smadav icon in the hidden icons in the task bar and checked "Allow Windows-script and Office-Macro (Permanent)". Then double click on the PostgreSQL setup again.

Answer 22

First go to registry Editor then choose HKEY_CURRENT_USER > software > Microsoft > Windows script host > setting > default > add value data to 1 and click Ok. done!

Answer 23

After disabling Smad Av, it still did not work. So, I right clicked on the Smad Av tray icon and I selected 'Allow Windows-Script & Office-Macro (Permanent)' and it worked.