Why Do I See an "Error Writing to File" Message when Installing Proclaim on Windows?

When updating Proclaim, you may receive a message Error writing to file which prevents the update from installing. 

Why does this error happen?

This error can occur if the permissions or ownership for Proclaim files have been changed. This may be caused by certain PC “Cleaning” or security software.

To fix this issue, you’ll need to repair the ownership settings on the Proclaim folder and files (recommended), or elevate the process temporarily.

How do I fix the error?

Since this error message is caused by a problem in your Windows configuration, we strongly recommend fixing the configuration issue as the long-term solution by resetting the ownership of the Proclaim directory, and applying that change to all subcontainers and files.

Warning: Modifying ownership and permissions in the Windows Users folder can be dangerous and may prevent access to other files if not done correctly. Because you are modifying your Windows configuration, we may be unable to assist you. If you need help, please contact a tech-savvy friend, Microsoft technician, or your computer manufacturer for assistance. You can still follow the temporary workaround in the meantime.

Follow along with this animation, or read the steps below to restore administrator access to the Proclaim directory.

Note: These directions are for Windows 10 and may not fully apply to older versions of Windows. If you’re running Proclaim on Windows 7 or Windows 8.1, visit this article on error writing files with Logos for more help.

1. Access the Proclaim data folder in Windows Explorer by navigating to the %LOCALAPPDATA% directory.

2. Right-click the Proclaim directory and select Properties from the right-click menu.

3. In the Security tab, click the Advanced button at the bottom of the dialog.

4. At the top of the advanced settings dialog, click  Change button.

5. Select Locations on the right side of the dialog that pops up and confirm your local computer is selected.

6. Click Advanced.

7. On the right side of the dialog that appears, select Find Now from the list.

8. Select your user name from the list and click OK.

9. Check the box to Replace owner on subcontainers and objects.

10. Click OK.

Alternate Steps for Network Logins

If you log into your computer through an office network, the steps above may be slightly different. In step 4, select your network, instead of your computer. If you’re unsure, consult your Network Administrator before making any changes.

You can now retry the Proclaim update. It should work if you selected the correct user account. If not, please use the temporary work around below and ask a tech-savvy friend, your network administrator, computer manufacturer or a certified Microsoft technician to assist you with the steps above.

Note: If the above does not resolve the problem it is likely the source of the problem resides elsewhere in the user directory and should be handled by your network administrator, computer manufacturer or a certified Microsoft technician.

What’s the temporary workaround?

While not recommended, you can work around this issue temporarily:

1. Close Proclaim.
2. Right-click the Proclaim icon on the desktop, and choose Run as Administrator. (If Proclaim is pinned to the taskbar, right click, then in the menu, right click again on Proclaim, and choose Run as Administrator.).
3. When the User Account Control prompts “Do you want to allow…”, click Yes.
4. When Proclaim prompts to install the update, click Yes again.

This will “elevate” the process, and should allow the update to install, but this does not resolve the root issue and will require administrator authentication every time Proclaim prompts to update.