Problems installing PostGres 8.3.7-1Windows

hi
i have been trying to instal postgres all day! the install gets most of the way through then pops up an error saying

"Problem running post-install step. installation may not complete correctly. error reading file C:\Program Files\PosGresQL/8.3/data/postgresql.conf"
the only option is to click ok which carries on the installer, then finishes saying installation complete.

I am using the postgresql8.3.7-1WIndows.exe

when i look in the above directory there is nothing in it.

i have found this issue on a number of forums but none with any answers. The weird thing is using the same installer i successfully installed PostGres on my laptop.
Both machines are running windows xp Pro sp3

the output from the log is below - i guess it has something to do with the access denied but I unchecked the read only and reinstalled and the same thing happened:

Script output:

Ensuring we can write to the data directory (using cacls):
Are you sure (Y/N)?processed dir: C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.3\data
Access is denied.

The files belonging to this database system will be owned by user "clevey".
This user must also own the server process.

The database cluster will be initialized with locale English_United Kingdom.1252.
The default text search configuration will be set to "english".

initdb: could not access directory "C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.3/data": No such file or directory

Securing data directory (using cacls):
Are you sure (Y/N)?processed dir: C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.3\data

processed dir: C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.3\data

initcluster.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

Configuring database server startup...
Executing cscript
Script exit code: 0

Script output:
startupcfg.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

Creating menu shortcuts...
Executing cscript
Script exit code: 0

Script output:
createshortcuts.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

Starting the database server...
Executing cscript
Script exit code: 0

Script output:
Starting postgresql-8.3
Service postgresql-8.3 started successfully
startserver.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

Loading additional SQL modules...
Executing cscript
Script exit code: 0

Script output:
Installing pl/pgsql in the template1 databases...
psql: could not connect to server: Connection refused (0x0000274D/10061)
Is the server running on host "???" and accepting
TCP/IP connections on port 5432?

Installing the adminpack module in the postgres database...
psql: could not connect to server: Connection refused (0x0000274D/10061)
Is the server running on host "???" and accepting
TCP/IP connections on port 5432?

loadmodules.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

Write the data directory to the ini file...
Write the port number, service ID, locale and superuser to the ini file...
Problem running post-install step. Installation may not complete correctly
Error reading file C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.3/data/postgresql.conf
Creating Uninstaller
Creating uninstaller 25%
Creating uninstaller 50%
Creating uninstaller 75%
Creating uninstaller 100%
Installation completed
Log finished 06/11/09 at 15:27:55

Does anyone have any ideas?

Many thanks
Caz

Caroline_L wrote:
Does anyone have any ideas?

Hi,

Please try the updated installer at http://uploads.enterprisedb.com/download.php?file=fd66bbc24b3b7105a22f54b11447eeea

It should resolve this issue (I hope!).

Regards, Dave.

Many thanks
Worked perfectly.

Cheers
Caz

This new install isn't helping me at all - i'm running into the exact same problem. The problem happened for me when installed 8.3 and 8.4.

Can you post the error part of the log and also which version of windows you are using?

Where is the error log located? I'm on windows xp sp 3

The installation log can be found at your system's temp directory (%TEMP%\install-postgresql.log).

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 15/07/2009 20:19:10

Log started 07/15/09 at 12:49:35
Preferred installation mode : win32
Trying to init installer in mode win32
Mode win32 successfully initted
Could not find registy key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Installations\postgresql-8.3 Data Directory. Setting variable iDataDirectory to empty value
Could not find registy key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Installations\postgresql-8.3 Base Directory. Setting variable iBaseDirectory to empty value
Could not find registy key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Installations\postgresql-8.3 Branding. Setting variable iBranding to empty value
Could not find registy key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Installations\postgresql-8.3 Version. Setting variable brandingVer to empty value
Existing base directory:
Existing data directory:
Using branding: PostgreSQL 8.3
Executing cscript
Script exit code: 0

Script output:
Executing the runtime installer: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp\postgresql_installer\vcredist_x86.exe
installruntimes.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

..... lots of file names and other stuff i omitted

Running the post-installation/upgrade actions:
Delete the temporary scripts directory...
Write the base directory to the ini file...
Write the version number to the ini file...
Initialising the database cluster (this may take a few minutes)...
Executing cscript
Script exit code: 0

Script output:

Ensuring we can write to the data directory (using cacls):
The data is invalid.

The files belonging to this database system will be owned by user "kboon".
This user must also own the server process.

The database cluster will be initialized with locale English_United States.1252.
The default text search configuration will be set to "english".

fixing permissions on existing directory C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.3/data ... ok
creating subdirectories ... initdb: could not create directory "C:/Program Files": File exists
initdb: removing contents of data directory "C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.3/data"

Granting service account access to the data directory (using cacls):
processed dir: C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.3\data

initcluster.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

Configuring database server startup...
Executing cscript
Script exit code: 0

Script output:
startupcfg.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

Creating menu shortcuts...
Executing cscript
Script exit code: 0

Script output:
createshortcuts.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

Starting the database server...
Executing cscript
Script exit code: 0

Script output:
Starting postgresql-8.3
Service postgresql-8.3 started successfully
startserver.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

Loading additional SQL modules...
Executing cscript
Script exit code: 0

Script output:
Installing pl/pgsql in the template1 databases...
psql: could not connect to server: Connection refused (0x0000274D/10061)
Is the server running on host "???" and accepting
TCP/IP connections on port 5432?

Installing the adminpack module in the postgres database...
psql: could not connect to server: Connection refused (0x0000274D/10061)
Is the server running on host "???" and accepting
TCP/IP connections on port 5432?

loadmodules.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

Write the data directory to the ini file...
Write the port number, service ID, locale and superuser to the ini file...
Problem running post-install step. Installation may not complete correctly
Error reading file C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.3/data/postgresql.conf
Creating Uninstaller
Creating uninstaller 25%
Creating uninstaller 50%
Creating uninstaller 75%
Creating uninstaller 100%
Installation completed
Log finished 07/15/09 at 12:51:42

Hello kyle,

It seems the previous unsuccessful installations has left behind the data folder in inconsistent state as the installation failed while doing inintdb.

Please uninstall this installation using the uninstaller and make sure you remove the data folder afterwards.

Now re-run the installer. Hope this works out for you.

The same thing is still happening. I uninstalled, deleted the entire postgresql install dir and re ran the installation.

Log started 07/16/09 at 10:37:04
Preferred installation mode : win32
Trying to init installer in mode win32
Mode win32 successfully initted
Could not find registy key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Installations\postgresql-8.3 Data Directory. Setting variable iDataDirectory to empty value
Could not find registy key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Installations\postgresql-8.3 Base Directory. Setting variable iBaseDirectory to empty value
Could not find registy key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Installations\postgresql-8.3 Branding. Setting variable iBranding to empty value
Could not find registy key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\PostgreSQL\Installations\postgresql-8.3 Version. Setting variable brandingVer to empty value
Existing base directory:
Existing data directory:
Using branding: PostgreSQL 8.3
Executing cscript
Script exit code: 0

Script output:
Executing the runtime installer: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp\postgresql_installer\vcredist_x86.exe
installruntimes.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

Executing C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\Local Settings\Temp\postgresql_installer\getlocales.exe
Script exit code: 0

Running the post-installation/upgrade actions:
Delete the temporary scripts directory...
Write the base directory to the ini file...
Write the version number to the ini file...
Initialising the database cluster (this may take a few minutes)...
Executing cscript
Script exit code: 0

Script output:

Ensuring we can write to the data directory (using cacls):
The data is invalid.

The files belonging to this database system will be owned by user "kboon".
This user must also own the server process.

The database cluster will be initialized with locale English_United States.1252.
The default text search configuration will be set to "english".

fixing permissions on existing directory C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.3/data ... ok
creating subdirectories ... initdb: could not create directory "C:/Program Files": File exists
initdb: removing contents of data directory "C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.3/data"

Granting service account access to the data directory (using cacls):
processed dir: C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\8.3\data

initcluster.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

Configuring database server startup...
Executing cscript
Script exit code: 0

Script output:
startupcfg.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

Creating menu shortcuts...
Executing cscript
Script exit code: 0

Script output:
createshortcuts.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

Starting the database server...
Executing cscript
Script exit code: 0

Script output:
Starting postgresql-8.3
Service postgresql-8.3 started successfully
startserver.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

Loading additional SQL modules...
Executing cscript
Script exit code: 0

Script output:
Installing pl/pgsql in the template1 databases...
psql: could not connect to server: Connection refused (0x0000274D/10061)
Is the server running on host "???" and accepting
TCP/IP connections on port 5432?

Installing the adminpack module in the postgres database...
psql: could not connect to server: Connection refused (0x0000274D/10061)
Is the server running on host "???" and accepting
TCP/IP connections on port 5432?

loadmodules.vbs ran to completion

Script stderr:

Write the data directory to the ini file...
Write the port number, service ID, locale and superuser to the ini file...
Problem running post-install step. Installation may not complete correctly
Error reading file C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.3/data/postgresql.conf
Creating Uninstaller
Creating uninstaller 25%
Creating uninstaller 50%
Creating uninstaller 75%
Creating uninstaller 100%
Installation completed
Log finished 07/16/09 at 10:39:28

The Data directory is completely empty. What if I copied a valid installation's copy of the Data directory?

Hello kyle,

The error is strange here:

fixing permissions on existing directory C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.3/data ... ok
creating subdirectories ... initdb: could not create directory "C:/Program Files": File exists

initdb could not create subdirectories in C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/8.3/data, but in the error msg it is giving, could not create "C:/Program Files". Which seems quite odd(After looking at initdb's code) . Well I suggest you to do 2 things:

1) Try to install in a simpler location say (C:\postgres) also make sure you have sufficient privileges to create directories and files in that location.

and if this also dont works out, try running initdb manually. (http://www.postgresql.org/docs/8.4/interactive/app-initdb.html) and see if that works. Please let us know what happened.

The issue seems to be the the registry keys that postgres is looking for don't exist. Is there a way I can verify this manually?

argh, so I am running initdb by hand and keep getting permission denied no matter what directory I try to use

C:\postgres\bin>initdb --pgdata C:\postgres\data -d
Running in debug mode.
Running in debug mode.
VERSION=8.3.7
PGDATA=C:/postgres/data
share_path=C:/postgres/share
PGPATH=C:/postgres/bin
POSTGRES_SUPERUSERNAME=kboon
POSTGRES_BKI=C:/postgres/share/postgres.bki
POSTGRES_DESCR=C:/postgres/share/postgres.description
POSTGRES_SHDESCR=C:/postgres/share/postgres.shdescription
POSTGRESQL_CONF_SAMPLE=C:/postgres/share/postgresql.conf.sample
PG_HBA_SAMPLE=C:/postgres/share/pg_hba.conf.sample
PG_IDENT_SAMPLE=C:/postgres/share/pg_ident.conf.sample
The files belonging to this database system will be owned by user "kboon".
This user must also own the server process.

The database cluster will be initialized with locale English_United States.1252.

The default database encoding has accordingly been set to WIN1252.
The default text search configuration will be set to "english".

fixing permissions on existing directory C:/postgres/data ... ok
creating subdirectories ... initdb: could not create directory "C:/postgres": Fi
le exists
initdb: removing contents of data directory "C:/postgres/data"

C:\postgres\bin>

Hello kyle,

The installer tries to find any previous installation by looking at those registry entries, so if you dont have any previous installation, you will see the messages like the one you see in the beginning of the log. Thats normal.

I would say, Check permissions for the user you are trying to install?

Just for the info, installer tries this command:

where passwordfile contains your password and reside in %TEMP%

When I am running it normally, it is using my own account (kboon) which is an admin account and should have all the rights it needs.