Search code examples
pythonfilewritefile

Permission Error when trying to create a .txt file

Problem: I have not been successful in simply creating a new .txt file onto my desktop.

I am truly at a loss. To be fair, I do not mess with files very much, so I am sure this is a simple solution. One weird thing that I have encountered is that it does create a folder instead of a file even though it has the file extension provided. From what I have researched though, this is very common.

I would not have asked this question if I could not already find it on this website, but I think my situation is a little unique.

I have tried multiple different methods including the following:

  1. Running Idle as administrator.
  2. Creating a folder on the desktop and saving the file there.
  3. Going into each individual .py file and making sure they have permissions.

Code:

desktop_path = pathlib.Path.home() / 'OneDrive' / 'Desktop'
print (desktop_path)

def save_data():   
        file_name = last+'_'+first+'_'+'Symptom Checklist 90-R Results.txt'
        file_path = Path(os.path.join(desktop_path, file_name))
        
        table = tabulate(data, headers="firstrow", tablefmt="grid")
        
        os.makedirs(file_path, exist_ok=True)
        print(file_path)
        try:
            with open(file_path,'w') as file:
                file.write(first_name+"\n"+last_name+"\n"+age+"\n"+birthday+"\n")
                file.write(table)
            file.close()
        except PermissionError:
            print("You do not have access to create this file.")

Here are what the print statements execute:

C:\Users\name\OneDrive\Desktop
C:\Users\name\OneDrive\Desktop\__Symptom Checklist 90-R Results.txt
You do not have access to create this file.

Again, I am sure this is a simple solution, and I am just blind to see it. I have also made sure that this file name doesn't already exist for whatever reason.

Solution

  • Thank you all for your insight and help. I ended up following this example found here: https://www.codeease.net/programming/python/how-to-run-python-script-as-admin

    The first solution provided me with an easy solution. All I had to do was simply add this line: os.system(f'runas /user:Administrator "{file_path}"')