Cannot Update on Windows?

[danfiscus]

Make sure you are using the latest version: run youtube-dl --version and ensure your version is 2016.05.21.2. If it's not read this FAQ entry and update. Issues with outdated version will be rejected.

• I've verified and I assure that I'm running youtube-dl 2016.05.21.2

NO, I have not updated because I am unable to.

Before submitting an issue make sure you have:

• At least skimmed through README and most notably FAQ and BUGS sections
• Searched the bugtracker for similar issues including closed ones

What is the purpose of your issue?

• Bug report (encountered problems with youtube-dl)
• Site support request (request for adding support for a new site)
• Feature request (request for a new functionality)
• Question
• Other

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If the purpose of this issue is a bug report, site support request or you are not completely sure provide the full verbose output as follows:

Add -v flag to your command line you run youtube-dl with, copy the whole output and insert it here. It should look similar to one below (replace it with your log inserted between triple ```):

C:\Users\Dan Fiscus>youtube-dl -U -v
[debug] System config: []
[debug] User config: []
[debug] Command-line args: [u'-U', u'-v']
[debug] Encodings: locale cp1252, fs mbcs, out cp437, pref cp1252
[debug] youtube-dl version 2016.05.16
[debug] Python version 2.7.10 - Windows-8-6.2.9200
[debug] exe versions: none
[debug] Proxy map: {}
Updating to version 2016.05.21.2 ...
ERROR: no write permissions on youtube-dl

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Description of your issue, suggested solution and other information

I am not used to Windows, so perhaps I have set this up wrong somehow, but no matter what I try or what tutorial I follow, I cannot get youtube-dl to update because it does not have write permissions. I followed the installation guide on the documentation (simply put it in any folder in the path) but as I put in a previous bug report, it did not work in the folder I tried (system32) so I simply created a new folder C:\youtube-dl and put the .exe file in there.

[dstftw]

Obviously you don't have right to write in disk root or experiencing implications of #2718. Place it anywhere else where you have right to write to, e.g. your %HOME% and run update command while in the same directory.

[danfiscus]

@dstftw Okay, I've asked this before but I guess I did it wrong last time too, where should the .exe file be? I think at this point the instructions on the documentation are clearly not very helpful.

Windows users can download a .exe file and place it in their home directory or any other location on their PATH.

That's what I did and it didn't work. Twice.

[dstftw]

It should be in any directory in path where you have write access to. Also when updating with -U you have to be in the same directory where it's located.

[danfiscus]

@dstftw I have write access to the folder it's in which is in the path, but I wasn't in the same directory. That information should all be in the documentation for users like myself.