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Hello,
I was able to run IDLE once or twice on my laptop. Then I downloaded
kiki and tried to run it but had forgotten to install wxPython. After
that, IDLE no longer opens although the command prompt does still work.
 I get the following error:
C:\Python25>python.exe Lib\idlelib\idle.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
 File "Lib\idlelib\idle.py", line 21, in <module>
 idlelib.PyShell.main()
 File "C:\Python25\lib\idlelib\PyShell.py", line 1404, in main
 shell = flist.open_shell()
 File "C:\Python25\lib\idlelib\PyShell.py", line 275, in open_shell
 self.pyshell = PyShell(self)
 File "C:\Python25\lib\idlelib\PyShell.py", line 813, in __init__
 OutputWindow.__init__(self, flist, None, None)
 File "C:\Python25\lib\idlelib\OutputWindow.py", line 16, in __init__
 EditorWindow.__init__(self, *args)
 File "C:\Python25\lib\idlelib\EditorWindow.py", line 248, in __init__
 self.update_recent_files_list()
 File "C:\Python25\lib\idlelib\EditorWindow.py", line 715, in
update_recent_fil
es_list
 rf_file = open(self.recent_files_path, 'w')
IOError: [Errno 13] Permission denied: 'C:\\Documents and
Settings\\skcheng\\.id
lerc\\recent-files.lst'
I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling several times 2.5 and also 2.6.
 When I look at the folder .idlerc in windows explorer, I get an error
each time I click on it that access is denied, even though I am running
as administrator on my laptop. I have tried uninstalling Python and
deleting the .idlerc folder. I have also tried manually unchecking the
read-only property for the folder. I have a Lenovo T400 that is built
for Windows Vista, but am running Windows XP. Thank you.

I meet the same problem and have it fixed. I use Python 2.5.2 on Windows XP.
This is my solution:
1. Choose "Tool->Folder Option" in your explorer menu, then click "View"
tab, uncheck "use simple file sharing(recommended)".
2. Right click on "C:\Documents and Settings\<YourName>\.idlerc" folder,
then click "property", you got the folder property dialog
3. Click "Safety" tab, you may found there's only "System" user in the
list. Click "Add" and add type your username, then click "OK". 
4. Select your name in the list, enable all the permissions in the box
below.
Now this problem should be fixed. Hope this works.

Any ideas about how the permissions for .idlerc may get wrong? Is this
something we can check and try to fix (or warn about) on install?

Was python installed with another user account, or a "just for me" install?

Thanks!! This worked perfectly! Finally got around to trying this out
today.
Sincerely,
Sophia
On 3/20/09 4:26 AM, "Timothy Zhang" <report@bugs.python.org> wrote:
> 
> Timothy Zhang <zt@live.cn> added the comment:
> 
> I meet the same problem and have it fixed. I use Python 2.5.2 on Windows XP.
> 
> This is my solution:
> 1. Choose "Tool->Folder Option" in your explorer menu, then click "View"
> tab, uncheck "use simple file sharing(recommended)".
> 2. Right click on "C:\Documents and Settings\<YourName>\.idlerc" folder,
> then click "property", you got the folder property dialog
> 3. Click "Safety" tab, you may found there's only "System" user in the
> list. Click "Add" and add type your username, then click "OK".
> 4. Select your name in the list, enable all the permissions in the box
> below.
> 
> Now this problem should be fixed. Hope this works.
> 
> ----------
> nosy: +timium
> 
> _______________________________________
> Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
> <http://bugs.python.org/issue4625>
> _______________________________________

A quick test on Linux would be:
 chmod -w ~/.idlerc/recent-files.lst
IDLE will give a traceback and not start. This should not be a fatal error.
The provided patch will present an error dialog if the recent files list can not be written.

A couple of comments on the patch:
1. Displaying a popup is fine but it gets annoying when it does it repeatedly. Since this is really a non-fatal error as the user can continue, it would be better to only display the popup once.
2. Another file in .idlerc, breakpoints.lst, has the same problem.
Here are updated patches that address these issues.

I just tested Ned's updated patches against 3.3a0 and 2.7 and they work as advertised.

Hi Ned,
Thanks for the patch, I appreciate it. Sadly, I've since upgraded my
laptop to Win 7, and don't seem to be having the problem anymore :-/ , so I
can't verify. But thank you for writing a patch.
Sincerely,
Sophia
On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 10:50 AM, Roger Serwy <report@bugs.python.org>wrote:
>
> Roger Serwy <roger.serwy@gmail.com> added the comment:
>
> I just tested Ned's updated patches against 3.3a0 and 2.7 and they work as
> advertised.
>
> ----------
>
> _______________________________________
> Python tracker <report@bugs.python.org>
> <http://bugs.python.org/issue4625>
> _______________________________________
>

New changeset 7857d1f4ce79 by Ned Deily in branch '2.7':
Issue #4625: If IDLE cannot write to its recent file or breakpoint
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/7857d1f4ce79
New changeset 26e3e542d20d by Ned Deily in branch '3.2':
Issue #4625: If IDLE cannot write to its recent file or breakpoint
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/26e3e542d20d
New changeset ba832d42cd9e by Ned Deily in branch 'default':
Issue #4625: If IDLE cannot write to its recent file or breakpoint
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/ba832d42cd9e
New changeset f6ca22bbf138 by Ned Deily in branch '2.7':
Issue #4625: add NEWS entry.
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/f6ca22bbf138
New changeset f1fe411bfd6b by Ned Deily in branch '3.2':
Issue #4625: add NEWS entry.
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/f1fe411bfd6b
New changeset f6510cdf4ada by Ned Deily in branch 'default':
Issue #4625: Add NEWS entry.
http://hg.python.org/cpython/rev/f6510cdf4ada 

Applied to 2.7 (for release in 2.7.3), 3.2 (3.2.3), and default (3.3).