You cannot upgrade Windows Services for UNIX version 3.0 to version 3.5 until you fix permissions

When you upgrade Microsoft Windows Services for UNIX version 3.0 to version 3.5 Beta on a computer that runs Microsoft Windows 2000 Service Pack 4, you receive the following error message:

This problem occurs because Windows Installer cannot change the permissions or the ownership on any one of the Interix files that are already present on the computer.

To resolve this problem, use one of the following methods:

• Run the Fixperms.exe program from the Windows Services for UNIX 3.5 Beta CD. Fixperms changes permissions on the Interix files that were already installed.
• Upgrade to Windows Services for UNIX 3.5 (not the Beta version).

If the upgrade installation does not succeed, use one of the following methods:

• Method A: Overwrite certain files
• Method B: Change ownership and permissions

Method A: Overwrite certain files

Warning If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.If the upgrade installation does not work, overwrite certain files as described in this section. To overwrite certain files to resolve this problem, follow these steps.

Note These steps assume that the registry entries for Windows Services for UNIX are intact.

1. On the Windows Services for UNIX 3.0 CD, open the Interix folder.
2. Copy the following files to your %systemroot% folder (perhaps C:\Windows\System32):
   • Psxss.exe
   • Posix.exe
   • Psxdll.dll
   • Psxrun.exe
   If you have trouble overwriting any one of these files in the \System32 folder, rename the file before you try this step again.
3. Restart the computer.
   
   If the Interix 3.0 subsystem starts, you can expect to be able to run Fixperms, and then you can restart your upgrade to Windows Services for UNIX 3.5.

Method B: Change ownership and permissions

If the upgrade installation does not succeed, follow these steps:

1. Manually emulate what Fixperms does programmatically. However, before you do this, make a list of all the files that you added or that you changed the ownership or permissions on. Save these files before you continue.
2. Start Windows Explorer, and then locate the %SFUDIR% folder.
3. Change the ownership of all files and sub-folders to Administrators.
4. Change the permissions on all files and sub-folders so that Administrators has Full Control. (You might even want to permit Everyone to have Full Control.)

Note If you just want to do what Fixperms does, change either the ownership or the permissions (or both) on all the files in the following folders (where %SFUDIR% is the folder where Windows Services for UNIX is installed):

• %SFUDIR%\bin
• %SFUDIR%\common
• %SFUDIR%\etc
• %SFUDIR%\usr
• %SFUDIR%\tmp
• %SFUDIR%\var

If you want a complete list of all the files, look in the Setup folder for the Beta2fl.txt file on the CD (this file may be listed next to the Fixperms.ksh file).

The reason for running Fixperms is to make sure that all files permit Administrators to have read/write access so that Windows Installer does not stop responding. When you change some files in the %SFUDIR%\Var\Adm folder, you may receive a message about permission or access. You can safely click OK and continue.

After you complete these steps, you can expect that upgrading to Windows Services for UNIX 3.5 upgrade will work (unless the previous interrupted upgrade corrupted something else).

This behavior is by design.