System: (all drivers up to date)
Win 7 64-bit Pro
AMD FX6300 CPU
Radeon RX580 GPU
16 gigs DDR3 1333 RAM
MSI 970A-G43 mobo
Focusrite Scarlett 2i4 audio interface
500 gig SSD boot drive
500 gig data HDD
4 TB data HDD
You’re misinterpreting that. The square box doesn’t mean “this folder is read only” it means “there might be some files that are read only but I haven’t checked”. It then lets you untick the box to force all files to not be read-only, or tick the box to force all files to be read-only, but then regardless it will always show the square box afterwards.
A folder itself can’t be read-only on Windows, that’s not how those things are controlled. Instead it’s the Security tab that affects the real permissions of the folder. But do not, I repeat do not touch that tab – you have already proved that there is nothing wrong there by being able to create a file there yourself, and messing with it will only lead to grief unless you know precisely what you’re doing.
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Working through all this in order:
Well, that’s good news: that is what I would expect from a correct run with “-census”. So if this works with HOME set to a directory other than “My Documents”, but fails when it is set to “My Documents”, this strongly suggests a permissions problem with “My Documents”.
Well, yes, that is what I would expect. What the census run does is, primarily, generate the documentation for the extensions from the extensions themselves.
That isn’t what I meant by permissions. As Gavin said, the read-only check-box on the properties dialog doesn’t mean quite what you think it does for directories, only files. I am talking about the contents of the Security tab in the properties dialog.
That is surprising. However, you’re changing so many things at once I think it’s easy to loose track of what change has had what effect.
If you want to dig into this further, I suggest the following: install the build from inform7.com, and try running ni from the command line with -census as discussed above, with HOME set to both “My Documents” and to some other directory. Then install the beta version from github.com and try the above again. Then let me know the results.
That’s not a good idea. The version from inform7.com is a 32-bit build, so goes in “Program Files (x86)”. The new beta on github.com is 64-bit, so belongs in “Program Files”.
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Okay. I’ve done as requested re: I suggest the following: install the build from inform7.com, and try running ni from the command line with -census as discussed above, with HOME set to both “My Documents” and to some other directory. Then install the beta version from github.com and try the above again. Then let me know the results.
The version from the Inform website: (doesn’t matter what HOME is set to)
Inform 7 build 6M62 has started.
The version from github:
When HOME is set to My Documents:
Inform 7 build 6M62 has started.
Can't open debug log
Offending filename: <C:\Users\freeman\Documents\Inform\Documentation\Census\Debug log.txt>
When HOME is set to E:\Temp:
Inform 7 build 6M62 has started.
So the 32-bit version from the Inform website can do it, but the 64-bit version from GitHub cannot.
I imagine that’s pretty odd. (Both are now simultaneously installed.)
Could Avast! possibly be interfering somehow?
It is very odd: the source code is the same (for ni). Avast! certainly has a reputation for occasionally causing trouble, turning it off is worth a try.
OMG FFS GAAAHHHHHHH!!! 
aaaYEP! It’s been Avast! all this time. … GAAHHHH
Disabled it, the GitHub version works just fine.
So I added the entire install folder of the GitHub version as an exception, re-enabled Avast!, and now … no more problem.
Good grief. ALL THIS TIME! All this headache and fighting with permissions and shit, and it was simply Avast! … damned anti-virus software can really be a PITA sometimes, but you pretty much NEED need it these days.
At any rate, situation remedied. All is back to normal.
Thanks for the help.
I should’ve thought to check Avast! quite early on in this fight. D’OH!
Now back to fighting with Inform itself to figure out why my “code” isn’t working as expected LOL
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Good to hear you have it working! Problems like this have made me largely give up on AV software: I let Windows Defender (or whatever it calls itself now) run, and I’m cautious about what I install, and I hope that that is enough.
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