Re: BUG #18553: Please seriously address the severe issue of database installation failures on Windows 10.

The following bug has been logged on the website:

Bug reference: 18553
Logged by: Yan Chen
Email address: pinsaxy(at)gmail(dot)com
PostgreSQL version: 16.3
Operating system: Windows 10
Description:

The first step for customers using PostgreSQL is installation. However, due
to potential user permission issues with PostgreSQL, the installation always
fails at the database creation step. During the installation process, a
dialog box pops up saying: Problem running post-install step, Installation
may not complete correctly. Failed to start the database server. After
installation, the data directory is empty.

I believe that a dedicated software company should not ignore installation
issues. I am extremely angry about this and have registered an account
specifically to express my dissatisfaction with you!

Welcome to open source, if you'd like professional guidance and support, may I suggest EDB. They would be happy to assist you for a professional fee. They are great!

-----Original Message-----
From: PG Bug reporting form <noreply(at)postgresql(dot)org>
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2024 11:21 PM
To: pgsql-bugs(at)lists(dot)postgresql(dot)org
Cc: pinsaxy(at)gmail(dot)com
Subject: [EXTERNAL] BUG #18553: Please seriously address the severe issue of database installation failures on Windows 10.

The following bug has been logged on the website:

Bug reference: 18553
Logged by: Yan Chen
Email address: pinsaxy(at)gmail(dot)com
PostgreSQL version: 16.3
Operating system: Windows 10
Description:

The first step for customers using PostgreSQL is installation. However, due to potential user permission issues with PostgreSQL, the installation always fails at the database creation step. During the installation process, a dialog box pops up saying: Problem running post-install step, Installation may not complete correctly. Failed to start the database server. After installation, the data directory is empty.

I believe that a dedicated software company should not ignore installation issues. I am extremely angry about this and have registered an account specifically to express my dissatisfaction with you!

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On Thursday, July 25, 2024, PG Bug reporting form <noreply(at)postgresql(dot)org>
wrote:

> The following bug has been logged on the website:
>
> Bug reference: 18553
> Logged by: Yan Chen
> Email address: pinsaxy(at)gmail(dot)com
> PostgreSQL version: 16.3
> Operating system: Windows 10
> Description:
>
> The first step for customers using PostgreSQL is installation. However, due
> to potential user permission issues with PostgreSQL, the installation
> always
> fails at the database creation step. During the installation process, a
> dialog box pops up saying: Problem running post-install step, Installation
> may not complete correctly. Failed to start the database server. After
> installation, the data directory is empty.
>
> I believe that a dedicated software company should not ignore installation
> issues. I am extremely angry about this and have registered an account
> specifically to express my dissatisfaction with you!
>
>
Didn’t even know there was an issue until you tell us. And still don’t
know what that issue is because you have not provided sufficient details.
There are many ways to get community assistance with installation and
debugging, though this bug report forum isn’t one of them, but maybe the
third-party installation provider EDB will chime in with more helpful
comments anyway. In the meantime, if you’d like to do more than vent I’d
suggest following the instructions on the installer/s website:
https://www.enterprisedb.com/docs/supported-open-source/postgresql/troubleshooting/

David J.

On 2024-07-26 Fr 9:32 AM, David G. Johnston wrote:
> On Thursday, July 25, 2024, PG Bug reporting form
> <noreply(at)postgresql(dot)org> wrote:
>
> The following bug has been logged on the website:
>
> Bug reference:      18553
> Logged by:          Yan Chen
> Email address: pinsaxy(at)gmail(dot)com
> PostgreSQL version: 16.3
> Operating system:   Windows 10
> Description:
>
> The first step for customers using PostgreSQL is installation.
> However, due
> to potential user permission issues with PostgreSQL, the
> installation always
> fails at the database creation step. During the installation
> process, a
> dialog box pops up saying: Problem running post-install step,
> Installation
> may not complete correctly. Failed to start the database server. After
> installation, the data directory is empty.
>
> I believe that a dedicated software company should not ignore
> installation
> issues. I am extremely angry about this and have registered an account
> specifically to express my dissatisfaction with you!
>
>
> Didn’t even know there was an issue until you tell us.  And still
> don’t know what that issue is because you have not provided sufficient
> details.  There are many ways to get community assistance with
> installation and debugging, though this bug report forum isn’t one of
> them, but maybe the third-party installation provider EDB will chime
> in with more helpful comments anyway.  In the meantime, if you’d like
> to do more than vent I’d suggest following the instructions on the
> installer/s website:
> https://www.enterprisedb.com/docs/supported-open-source/postgresql/troubleshooting/
>
>

Let me add a couple of things. First, the PostgreSQL community is not a
software company. It doesn't sell anything, and you haven't bought
anything from it. Expressing anger isn't really appropriate here, no
matter how frustrated you are.

Second, while I work for EDB, which produces the installers for Windows,
I am not responsible for the installers. However, I did just install the
latest release on my Windows 10 machine without a hitch. So this isn't a
universal problem, at least.

Note that the download page says that the while the releases will
generally work on desktop editions of Windows, we test on various server
editions, see </download/windows/>

cheers

andrew

--
Andrew Dunstan
EDB:https://www.enterprisedb.com

Hello,

You observed some installation issues with the PostgreSQL Windows
installers, which utilize Bitrock installation technology. Several factors
could contribute to these problems, including:

1. *System Update Status*: Ensure your system is fully up to date.
2. *Permissions*: Verify that you are running the installer with
administrative rights.
3. *Existing Data Directory*: Installing over an existing data directory
may lead to compatibility issues.
4. *Other Factors*: There could be additional reasons causing
installation failures.

To assist with troubleshooting, please attach the installation logs to your
support thread. This will help us better understand and resolve the issue.

Thanks,

Zaid

Bitnine Global Inc.

On Fri, Jul 26, 2024 at 2:33 PM PG Bug reporting form <
noreply(at)postgresql(dot)org> wrote:

> The following bug has been logged on the website:
>
> Bug reference: 18553
> Logged by: Yan Chen
> Email address: pinsaxy(at)gmail(dot)com
> PostgreSQL version: 16.3
> Operating system: Windows 10
> Description:
>
> The first step for customers using PostgreSQL is installation. However, due
> to potential user permission issues with PostgreSQL, the installation
> always
> fails at the database creation step. During the installation process, a
> dialog box pops up saying: Problem running post-install step, Installation
> may not complete correctly. Failed to start the database server. After
> installation, the data directory is empty.
>
> I believe that a dedicated software company should not ignore installation
> issues. I am extremely angry about this and have registered an account
> specifically to express my dissatisfaction with you!
>
>

On Fri, Jul 26, 2024 at 9:33 PM PG Bug reporting form
<noreply(at)postgresql(dot)org> wrote:
> The first step for customers using PostgreSQL is installation. However, due
> to potential user permission issues with PostgreSQL, the installation always
> fails at the database creation step. During the installation process, a
> dialog box pops up saying: Problem running post-install step, Installation
> may not complete correctly. Failed to start the database server. After
> installation, the data directory is empty.

Some wild guesses at things to look into:

1. User error: does it need to be run as administrator? I wonder if
it is possible that the diagnostic error messages could be improved,
ie if common user mistakes could be detected better, and also if the
dialogue box could tell the user where to find the log to check for
more details if it doesn't already, which might help users fix
problems themselves more often and encourage higher quality bug
reports when they can't. I've never used the installer myself, I'm
just thinking out loud about how to turn this information-free bug
report towards a positive outcome, ie whether the frustration
expressed is really about mismatched expectations about where users
will think to look for the solution.

2. Encoding issues: There have in the past been a few problems with
locale names, directory names, user names containing non-ASCII
characters that have apparently confused the installer. Examples:

https://github.com/EnterpriseDB/edb-installers/issues/127 (same message)
https://github.com/EnterpriseDB/edb-installers/issues/106 (different message)

Again, the .log file might have the clues needed.

> I believe that a dedicated software company should not ignore installation
> issues. I am extremely angry about this and have registered an account
> specifically to express my dissatisfaction with you!

I just want to say that I really appreciate the hard work done by the
Windows installer team. Packaging large complicated open source
projects for that OS is a really difficult job, given for free to end
users, and it can be a hostile crowd.

> On Jul 25, 2024, at 23:20, PG Bug reporting form <noreply(at)postgresql(dot)org> wrote:
> I believe that a dedicated software company should not ignore installation
> issues. I am extremely angry about this and have registered an account
> specifically to express my dissatisfaction with you!

Hi.

Before firing out accusations of incompetence, please keep in mind that many, many people have used the Windows installers without issue. The chance that every single person is encountering the same error you are is vanishingly slim.

If this is an emergency and you need immediate support, EDB is a commercial company and offers paid support.

Best,
-- Christophe

I searched for many solutions, and there are numerous solutions to this
problem online, including adding the executable file path to the PATH
environment variable, manually creating a postgres user and adding it to
the local administrators group, granting full control permissions to the
postgres user for the installation directory and data directory, running
the installer with postgres privileges, even logging into Windows as the
postgres user and then running the installer, uninstalling the old program
completely and cleaning the registry before installation, and many other
methods. However, they all still resulted in the same error.

I finally solved this problem by using administrator privileges in the
command line:
D:\PostgreSQL\bin>initdb.exe -D D:\databases
D:\PostgreSQL\bin>pg_ctl.exe register -N PostgreSQL -D D:\databases

PG Bug reporting form <noreply(at)postgresql(dot)org> 于2024年7月26日周五 14:21写道：

> The following bug has been logged on the website:
>
> Bug reference: 18553
> Logged by: Yan Chen
> Email address: pinsaxy(at)gmail(dot)com
> PostgreSQL version: 16.3
> Operating system: Windows 10
> Description:
>
> The first step for customers using PostgreSQL is installation. However, due
> to potential user permission issues with PostgreSQL, the installation
> always
> fails at the database creation step. During the installation process, a
> dialog box pops up saying: Problem running post-install step, Installation
> may not complete correctly. Failed to start the database server. After
> installation, the data directory is empty.
>
> I believe that a dedicated software company should not ignore installation
> issues. I am extremely angry about this and have registered an account
> specifically to express my dissatisfaction with you!
>
>

Hi,

You shouldn't need to do anything manual to get the installation working.
Could you please share the Bitrock installation log that is found at
%TEMP%? This will have information about the failure

On Sat, Jul 27, 2024 at 7:11 AM 燕尘 <pinsaxy(at)gmail(dot)com> wrote:

> I searched for many solutions, and there are numerous solutions to this
> problem online, including adding the executable file path to the PATH
> environment variable, manually creating a postgres user and adding it to
> the local administrators group, granting full control permissions to the
> postgres user for the installation directory and data directory, running
> the installer with postgres privileges, even logging into Windows as the
> postgres user and then running the installer, uninstalling the old program
> completely and cleaning the registry before installation, and many other
> methods. However, they all still resulted in the same error.
>
> I finally solved this problem by using administrator privileges in the
> command line:
> D:\PostgreSQL\bin>initdb.exe -D D:\databases
> D:\PostgreSQL\bin>pg_ctl.exe register -N PostgreSQL -D D:\databases
>
> PG Bug reporting form <noreply(at)postgresql(dot)org> 于2024年7月26日周五 14:21写道：
>
>> The following bug has been logged on the website:
>>
>> Bug reference: 18553
>> Logged by: Yan Chen
>> Email address: pinsaxy(at)gmail(dot)com
>> PostgreSQL version: 16.3
>> Operating system: Windows 10
>> Description:
>>
>> The first step for customers using PostgreSQL is installation. However,
>> due
>> to potential user permission issues with PostgreSQL, the installation
>> always
>> fails at the database creation step. During the installation process, a
>> dialog box pops up saying: Problem running post-install step, Installation
>> may not complete correctly. Failed to start the database server. After
>> installation, the data directory is empty.
>>
>> I believe that a dedicated software company should not ignore installation
>> issues. I am extremely angry about this and have registered an account
>> specifically to express my dissatisfaction with you!
>>
>>

--
Sandeep Thakkar