Failed to Create Anaconda Menus, Directories, etc.

[EddyTheB]

I tried "conda update -all", which crashed, and after that my computer didn't recognise conda, or python, as a recognised command. So I uninstalled Anaconda, redownloaded the installer (python 2.7, windows 64 bit), and tried to install.

The installation worked to a point, but then gave me three warnings in turn: "Failed to create Anaconda menus", "Failed to create Anaconda directories", and "Failed to add Anaconda to the system PATH". I chose to ignore each warning (because retry just brought up the warning again), and now I still have no working python or conda installation.

I have tried shortening the PATH variable (I removed all previous references to Anaconda). I don't have any non-ascii characters in my PATH.

[mingwandroid]

How did you try to install it? All users or Just me? Did you run it as Administrator?

For the record, Just me and not running as Administrator are usually safer.

[EddyTheB]

I tried both, but most recently as 'Just me'.

I think I found a fix though. The problem was that since I first installed Anaconda, I have also installed ESRI ArcGIS, which installs it's own version of python. I think it was something about having more than one version of python on the machine. Now I have uninstalled ArcGIS and reinstalling Anaconda has worked.

Now to reinstall ArcGIS...

Thanks.

[mingwandroid]

If you can, at install time, select to add neither Anaconda nor ArcGIS to your system PATH. That is the source of most problems of this nature on Windows (DLL hell).

Then, to use Anaconda software, launch the Anaconda Prompt or Anaconda Navigator.

[ijstokes]

Maybe this is also the cause of my problems. I have tried installing Anaconda3 v4.4 non-Admin, "just-for-me", Win10, and into a path in my home directory "C:\Users\USERNAME\Anaconda3_44". During the last step I get the "Failed to create Anaconda menus".

[mingwandroid]

Can you run DebugView from Microsoft and try again? I added verbose debugging to the installer but you need that tool to see it.

[VincentRouvreau]

I have the same problem on Win 7 x64 virtual machine, when trying to install anaconda3 4.4.0 for Python 3.6.
I solved it by doing in command line in my anaconda folder:

pythonw.exe -E -s Lib\_nsis.py mkmenus
pythonw.exe -E -s Lib\_nsis.py mkdirs
pythonw.exe -E -s Lib\_nsis.py addpath

And here, no errors. Quite strange...

But this workaround does not work. When I try to install something :

CondaIOError: Missing write permissions in: C:\Anaconda3
#
# You don't appear to have the necessary permissions to install packages
# into the install area 'C:\Anaconda3'.
# However you can clone this environment into your home directory and
# then make changes to it.
# This may be done using the command:
#
# $ conda create -n my_root --clone="C:\Anaconda3"

Hope it helps.

[mingwandroid]

If you can run DebugView and paste the output that would be helpful.

[VincentRouvreau]

I need to activate Capture Global Win32, that's it ?

[mingwandroid]

You need to run https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/sysinternals/debugview.aspx while installing then copy the text from the output window.

[artuskg]

Warning: Some other stuff might be interleaved

[10668] shell\lib\bindctx.cpp(128)\explorerframe.dll!00007FFF0866F200: (caller: 00007FFF086924EA) ReturnHr(98) tid(2c28) 80070057 The parameter is incorrect.
[632] onecore\ds\security\umstartup\usermgr\cli\usermgrcli.cxx(165)\usermgrcli.dll!00007FFF1CEE11F6: (caller: 00007FFF0C8F65AF) ReturnHr(8) tid(4c4) 80070005 Access is denied.
[632] onecoreuap\base\appmodel\execmodel\modern\lifetimemanager\appxexecutionutil.cpp(41)\modernexecserver.dll!00007FFF0C8F6690: (caller: 00007FFF0C8CAD35) ReturnHr(140) tid(4c4) 80070005 Access is denied.
[4880] onecoreuap\base\diagnosis\platform\notifications\platform\database\sqlitedatabase.cpp(1420)\wpncore.dll!00007FFF14387395: (caller: 00007FFF1438710F) Exception(14) tid(1774) 80070490 Element not found.
[4880] onecoreuap\base\diagnosis\platform\notifications\platform\database\sqlitedatabase.cpp(1424)\wpncore.dll!00007FFF143979CA: (caller: 00007FFF1438710F) ReturnHr(27) tid(1774) 80070490 Element not found.
[4880] Msg:[onecoreuap\base\diagnosis\platform\notifications\platform\database\sqlitedatabase.cpp(1420)\wpncore.dll!00007FFF14387395: (caller: 00007FFF1438710F) Exception(14) tid(1774) 80070490 Element not found.
[4880] ]
[4880] onecoreuap\base\diagnosis\platform\notifications\platform\database\databasehelpers.cpp(143)\wpncore.dll!00007FFF14351589: (caller: 00007FFF143522DF) ReturnHr(28) tid(1774) 80070490 Element not found.
[632] onecoreuap\base\appmodel\execmodel\modern\lifetimemanager\appxexecutionutil.cpp(51)\modernexecserver.dll!00007FFF0C8F6690: (caller: 00007FFF0C8F773A) ReturnHr(141) tid(568) 80073D57 The process has no application identity.
[632] onecoreuap\base\appmodel\execmodel\modern\lifetimemanager\appxexecutionutil.cpp(51)\modernexecserver.dll!00007FFF0C8F6690: (caller: 00007FFF0C8F773A) ReturnHr(142) tid(568) 80073D57 The process has no application identity.
[632] onecoreuap\base\appmodel\execmodel\modern\lifetimemanager\appxexecutionutil.cpp(51)\modernexecserver.dll!00007FFF0C8F6690: (caller: 00007FFF0C8F773A) ReturnHr(143) tid(568) 80073D57 The process has no application identity.
[632] onecoreuap\base\appmodel\execmodel\modern\lifetimemanager\appxexecutionutil.cpp(51)\modernexecserver.dll!00007FFF0C8F6690: (caller: 00007FFF0C8F773A) ReturnHr(144) tid(568) 80073D57 The process has no application identity.
[632] onecoreuap\base\appmodel\execmodel\modern\lifetimemanager\appxexecutionutil.cpp(51)\modernexecserver.dll!00007FFF0C8F6690: (caller: 00007FFF0C8F773A) ReturnHr(145) tid(568) 80073D57 The process has no application identity.
[632] onecoreuap\base\appmodel\execmodel\modern\lifetimemanager\appxexecutionutil.cpp(51)\modernexecserver.dll!00007FFF0C8F6690: (caller: 00007FFF0C8F773A) ReturnHr(146) tid(568) 80073D57 The process has no application identity.
[632] onecoreuap\base\appmodel\execmodel\modern\lifetimemanager\appxexecutionutil.cpp(51)\modernexecserver.dll!00007FFF0C8F6690: (caller: 00007FFF0C8F773A) ReturnHr(147) tid(568) 80073D57 The process has no application identity.
[632] onecoreuap\base\appmodel\execmodel\modern\lifetimemanager\appxexecutionutil.cpp(51)\modernexecserver.dll!00007FFF0C8F6690: (caller: 00007FFF0C8F773A) ReturnHr(148) tid(568) 80073D57 The process has no application identity.
[10668] shell\lib\bindctx.cpp(128)\explorerframe.dll!00007FFF0866F200: (caller: 00007FFF086924EA) ReturnHr(99) tid(2c28) 80070057 The parameter is incorrect.
[632] onecoreuap\base\appmodel\execmodel\modern\lifetimemanager\appxexecutionutil.cpp(51)\modernexecserver.dll!00007FFF0C8F6690: (caller: 00007FFF0C8F773A) ReturnHr(149) tid(568) 80073D57 The process has no application identity.
[632] onecoreuap\base\appmodel\execmodel\modern\lifetimemanager\appxexecutionutil.cpp(51)\modernexecserver.dll!00007FFF0C8F6690: (caller: 00007FFF0C8F773A) ReturnHr(150) tid(568) 80073D57 The process has no application identity.
[632] onecoreuap\base\appmodel\execmodel\modern\lifetimemanager\appxexecutionutil.cpp(51)\modernexecserver.dll!00007FFF0C8F6690: (caller: 00007FFF0C8F773A) ReturnHr(151) tid(568) 80073D57 The process has no application identity.
[632] onecoreuap\base\appmodel\execmodel\modern\lifetimemanager\appxexecutionutil.cpp(51)\modernexecserver.dll!00007FFF0C8F6690: (caller: 00007FFF0C8F773A) ReturnHr(152) tid(568) 80073D57 The process has no application identity.
[5504] Suspending
[4880] avcore\npsm\localprovider\baseprovider\lib\baseprovider.cpp(604)\NPSMDesktopProvider.dll!00007FFEE8E52140: (caller: 00007FFEE8E526E5) ReturnHr(72) tid(144c) 80070490 Element not found.

[mingwandroid]

Thanks @artuskg, but unfortunately none of that is Anaconda related. You were installing the 4.4.0 release weren't you? Earlier versions do not do this debug output stuff.

[artuskg]

Anaconda3-4.4.0-Windows-x86_64.exe

[mingwandroid]

@artuskg, just to confirm, did you run this while installing? Can you also try to enable 'Capture Global Win32'?

Thanks!

[VincentRouvreau]

Sorry about that, I tried Anaconda3-4.4.0-Windows-x86_64.exe and Anaconda3-4.4.0-Windows-x86.exe, with or without Capture Global Win32, I have no output in DebugView... Maybe I missed something while running debugview

[artuskg]

I only started DebugView it after encountering the error message but then I hit "retry" several times and got more stuff piling up in the window.

Setup is now running again. This time, however, I have chosen a different install directory because I suspect that the problem stems from reinstalling to an "old" directory. I encountered some setuptools / easy-install related errors that pointed there too. DebugView was set to Global Win32, too.

Edit: as expected no errors upon choosing a new directory.
Edit2: I also deleted some dangling entries in the registry pointing to already uninstalled versions of Anaconda2 and 3. Dont know if that had any influence.