Python [Errno 13] Permission denied:

Question

I'm attempting to write a quick python script to iterate through all csv files in the current folder and remove the header row from them then store them in a separate folder.

The current working directory has four sample csv files and the python script. Once executed the script creates the HeaderRemoved directory.

It appears that once the folder is created the code that is attempting to read the files is trying to access the folder but looking at the code I'm not sure why it would be.

I'm on a windows machine at the moment.

import csv, os, argparse, string
from ctypes import *

os.makedirs('HeaderRemoved', exist_ok=True)

# Loop through files in the current working directory
for csvFile in os.listdir('.'):
    if not csvFile.endswith('.csv'):
        continue                            # Skips non-csv files
    print ('Removing header from ' + csvFile + '...')

# Read in CSV skipping the first row
csvRows = []
csvFileObj = open(csvFile)
csvReader = csv.reader(csvFileObj)

for row in csvReader:
    if csvReader.line_num == 1:
        continue                            # Skips the first row
    csvRows.append(row)
csvFileObj.close()

# Write out the CSV file
csvFileObj = open (os.path.join('HeaderRemoved', csvFile), 'w', newline='')
for row in csvRows:
    csvWriter.writerow(row)

csvFileObj.close()

Sample output:

Removing header from examplefile_1.csv... 
Removing header from examplefile_2.csv... 
Removing header from examplefile_3.csv... 
Removing header from examplefile_4.csv... 
Traceback (most recent call last):   File "atbs_csv_parse.py", line 14, in <module>
    csvFileObj = open(csvFile) PermissionError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: 'HeaderRemoved'

Pay close attention to the indentation. See how your `csvFileObj = open(csvFile)` isn't inside your `for csvFile in os.listdir('.'):` block? That means that you're opening only the *last* file that the `for` loop considered, no matter whether that file did or did not have a `.csv` extension. — Charles Duffy, Dec 05 '16 at 23:04
This is an issue with the indentation: the folder `HeaderRemoved` is probably the last file returned by `os.listdir` and you are trying to open and remove the header _only_ from it, which cannot be opened as a CSV file (it is a folder). Hence, the `Permission Denied` error. — musically_ut, Dec 05 '16 at 23:06

score 27 · Answer 1 · answered Sep 25 '18 at 21:57

27

In my case, I had opened the csv file via Excel and ran the script. Then this Permission denied exception occurred.

Just closed the opened file and run the script again :)

answered Sep 25 '18 at 21:57

Chanaka Fernando

2,176
19
19

score 10 · Answer 2 · answered Mar 26 '18 at 12:16

10

In my case, the same error was because I was passing a directory name instead the file name.

Maybe could be the same problem of others.

answered Mar 26 '18 at 12:16

Randolfo

647
1
8
18

score 7 · Answer 3 · edited Nov 27 '20 at 00:32

7

The file in the script is opened somewhere in the system. That is the reason for getting "PermissionError : [Error 13]".

Solution:
Just close the file and run the script. You won't get the error.

edited Nov 27 '20 at 00:32

Gino Mempin

25,369
29
96
135

answered Aug 12 '19 at 16:17

Ashwani Kumar

71
1
2

digital_alchemy · Accepted Answer · 2016-12-07T15:53:17.060

5

As Charles Duffy commented under my original question, the issue was in fact that the lines of code for reading and writing the files had not been indented to fall within the for loop. Correcting the indentation fixed the issue and it now works as desired.

A good reminder to always check the simple things.... I got so wrapped up in why it wasn't working that I didn't even notice the lack of indentation.

edited Dec 07 '16 at 15:53

answered Dec 05 '16 at 23:29

digital_alchemy

663
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score 1 · Answer 5 · answered Jul 26 '20 at 16:31

If you are facing the problem where you can use the csv file with hard coded path but can't use with the windows directory or file path as the pandas or other library do not have the permission to use that object diectly, to so you have to convert it to stirng and use. I faced this issue and this solution worked for me.

from pathlib import Path
cur_dir=Path.cwd()
#cwd = os.getcwd()
csv_path=str(cur_dir)+"\\..\\Dataset\\FuelConsumptionCo2.csv"
df = pd.read_csv(csv_path)

Python [Errno 13] Permission denied:

5 Answers5

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