FIX: Error opening file for writing in Windows 10 (2023)

Installing new software on Windows 10 is rather simple, however, users reported Error opening file for writing error message while installing certain applications.

It seems that this problem can affect almost any application, thus preventing you from installing it.

Since this issue prevents you from installing additional software, it might seemserious, but you can easily fixit by following one of these solutions.

How do I fix the Error opening file for writing on Windows 10?

Error opening file for writing can be a big problem since you won’t be able to run certain files on your PC. Speaking of this error, users reported the following issues:

• Error opening file for writing MSI Afterburner, Kodi, Steam, VLC, Wireshark, CCleaner, BSPlayer, Hotspot Shield – This problem can affect many applications, and if you’re having this issue, you might be able to fix the issue simply by reinstalling the affected applications.
• Error opening file for writing qt5core.dll, vcredist_x86.exe, npf.sys, msvcr110.dll – Many users reported that this error is caused by certain files on your PC. To fix the issue, you might have to reinstall the components that are in charge of these files and check if that solves the problem.

1. Run the Compatibility troubleshooter

In certain cases, older software might not be fully compatible with Windows 10, and if that’s the case, you might get the Error opening file for writing messages while installing it.

To fix this issue, you need to do the following:

1. Right-click the setup file of the problematic application.
2. Choose Properties from the menu.
   
3. Once Properties window opens, navigate to the Compatibility tab.
4. Click Run compatibility troubleshooter.
   
5. Select Try the recommended settings.
   
6. Follow the instructions and your problem should be fixed.

In addition to using a Compatibility troubleshooter, you can just set the program to run in compatibility mode to fix this problem.

2. Run program as administrator

Sometimes, you’ll get the Error opening file for writing messages if your user account lacks certain privileges. The simplest solution for this problem is to install the problematic application as an administrator.

To do that follow these steps:

1. Right-click the setup file.
2. Select Run as administrator from the menu.
   

If running the application as an administrator fixes the problem, you’ll have to repeat this workaround every time you want to start this application.

If you want a more permanent solution, you can set the application to always run with administrative privileges. To do that, just follow these steps:

1. Right-click the application that is giving you this problem and choose Properties from the menu.
2. Now navigate to the Compatibility tab and check Run this program as an administrator.
   
3. Click on Apply and OK to save changes.

After doing that, the application will always run with administrative privileges and you won’t experience this issue anymore.

3. Check your antivirus

According to some users, your antivirus can cause the Error opening file for writing messages to appear.

Even though your antivirus is crucial when it comes to protecting your safety online, sometimes the antivirus can interfere with your files and cause this error to appear.

To fix the problem, users are suggesting to change their antivirus settings and check if that solves the issue. You can start by disabling certain features and see if that helps.

If you don’t know which feature to disable, you can always disable your antivirus altogether and check if that solves the issue.

If that doesn’t help, you might have to remove your antivirus and check if that solves the issue. Since your old antivirus was causing this issue, it might be a good idea to switch to new antivirus software.

There are many great antivirus tools available, and if you need to resolve this writing error file quickly, it’s probably the best idea to find one that doesn’t cause any errors.

4. Reinstall the problematic application

According to users, sometimes this error can occur if you’re trying to run a specific application.

If this happens, it means that your installation is probably corrupted, and to fix the problem you need to reinstall the application.

There are several ways to do that, but the best one would be to use uninstaller software.

In case you’re not familiar, uninstaller software is a special tool that can completely remove any application from your PC.

In addition to removing an application, uninstaller software will also remove all files and registry entries associated with that application ensuring that the application is completely removed from your PC.

Once you remove the application, install it again and check if that solves your problem.

5. Create a new administrator account

If the Error opening file for writing message persists, you might have to create a new administrator account and install the application on that account. To do that, follow these steps:

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Navigate to Family & other users tab and click the Add someone else to this PC button.
   
3. Select I don’t have this person’s sign-in information.
   
4. Now click on Add a user without a Microsoft account.
   
5. Add a user name and password for this account and click Next.
   
6. You should see the newly created account available in Other users section. Select it and click on the Change account type button.
   
7. From the account type, menu select Administrator and click OK.
   
8. Now switch to the newly created administrator account and try installing the application again.

Alternatively, you can enable the hidden administrator account using the Command Prompt. To do that, follow these steps:

1. Press Windows Key + X shortcut and select Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu.
   
2. When Command Prompt starts, enter net user administrator /active:yes and press Enter to run it. This will enable a new administrator account that you can switch to install the problematic software.
   

If you wish to disable this administrator account, switch back to your old account, open Command Prompt as administrator and enter net user administrator /active:no.

6. Changethe security permissions

By default, regular users aren’t allowed to install applications, and if you try to do that, you’ll probably encounter thiserror message.

If you can’t install a certain application as a regular user, we strongly advise you to create an administrator account or try to install the application as an administrator to avoid this issue.

If you don’t want to use an administrator account, you might want to change security permissions. To do that, follow these steps:

1. Locate the folder in which you’re trying to install the problematic application. For example, it could be C: Program FilesSteam directory.
2. Once you’ve located the directory, right-click it and choose Properties.
3. Navigate to the Security tab and click the Edit button.
   
4. Select Users from the Group or user names and check under Permissions for Users section, check Write.
   
5. Click OK and Apply.

After you’ve changed security permissions, you should be able to install applications to that specific folder.

7. Disable User Account Control

User Account Control is designed to notify you whenever there’s a system-related change that requires administrator privileges.

This feature is designed to protect you, but it can sometimes interfere with other software and cause Error opening file for writing error message. To disable User Account Control, do the following:

1. Press Windows Key + S and enter User Account. Select Change User Account control settings.
   
2. Move the slider down until it says Never notify.
   
3. Click OK to save the changes.

After you’ve disabled User Account Control, Error opening file for writing error message shouldn’t appear anymore.

In addition to turning off User Account Control, users are also reported that turning off Windows Defender fixes this problem.

If you have any third-party antivirus software installed, Windows Defender should be turned off by default, but if you don’t use any third-party antivirus software, try disabling Windows Defender.

8. Change advanced security permissions

Changing security permissions isn’t always the best option, and we strongly advise that you try installing the problematic application by running its setup file as an administrator or by using an administrator account.

If both of these options aren’t working for you, you might want to try changing advanced security permissions by following these steps:

1. Locate the folder in which you’re trying to install the problematic app. In our example, we’ll use C: Program FilesSteam.
2. Right-click the folder and choose Properties.
3. Navigate to the Security tab and click the Advanced button.
   
4. Click the Change permissions button and click on Add.
5. Click on Select a principal.
   
6. In the Enter the object name to select section type Everyone and click Check Names and OK.
   
7. In the Basic permissions, section select Full control and click OK.
   
8. From Permissions open file for writing entries list select Everyone and check Replace all child object permission entries at the bottom.
   
9. Click Apply and OK to save changes.

After changing the security permissions you’ll be able to install the application to that folder without any issues.

9. Use registry cleaner software to clean up your registry

In some cases, the Error opening file for writing message appears due to problems in the registry. To fix this, the simplest solution is to download and run any registry cleaner.

We covered thebest registry cleaners for Windows 10, so make sure that you check it out to find a proper registry cleaner for you.

Error opening file for writing error message will prevent you from installing certain software, however, this problem can be easily fixed by switching to the administrator account or by using any other solution from this article.