github / github/codeql

Windows: AccessDeniedException during `codeql database create` TRAP finalization (`pools/0` move fails)

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Description

**Title:**
**Windows: AccessDeniedException during `codeql database create` TRAP finalization (`pools/0` move fails)**

**Description:**

**❗ Summary**
On Windows 11, running `codeql database create` for a JavaScript project fails during TRAP import finalization with an `AccessDeniedException`. This occurs when attempting to move the final TRAP string pool into `pools\0`.

This happens even when:
- Using a short path (e.g. `C:\github\glob-ghas`)
- Running in an elevated PowerShell session
- Closing VS Code and other editors
- Disabling Windows Defender and indexing
- Running `codeql` from CLI (not extension)

**💻 Environment**
- OS: Windows 11 Pro (Build 26100+)
- CodeQL CLI version: 2.21.1
- Installed at: `C:\tools\codeql`
- Language: JavaScript
- Command:
`codeql database create my-db --language=javascript --source-root=. --overwrite`

**📄 Observed Output**
```
Finalizing database at C:\github\glob-ghas\my-db.
Running TRAP import for CodeQL database at C:\github\glob-ghas\my-db...
Importing TRAP files
Merging relations
A fatal error occurred: Failed to move pool from C:\github\glob-ghas\my-db\db-javascript\default\strings\0 to C:\github\glob-ghas\my-db\db-javascript\default\pools\0
(eventual cause: AccessDeniedException ...)
```

**🔄 Steps to Reproduce**
1. Create a minimal JS repo under `C:\github\glob-ghas`
2. Run the CLI command above
3. Observe failure during TRAP finalization

**✅ What I've Already Tried**
- Using short paths (`C:\github`)
- Deleting the target DB folder before each run
- Disabling antivirus and indexing services
- Running with `--no-autobuild`
- Setting TEMP to `C:\codeql-temp`
- Confirmed no VS Code or Language Server processes active

**📌 Expected Behavior**
The database should finalize cleanly without permission errors, especially in an elevated shell with a clean local path.

**🧩 Additional Help**
Happy to provide a zipped repro repo with dummy JavaScript files and a test script upon request.

Contributor guide

Open the contributing guide

Research direction

Start with the `codeql database create` command and its TRAP import finalization step, then reproduce the `pools\0` move failure on Windows 11 using the command and paths in the report. Done means the JavaScript database finalizes successfully without an AccessDeniedException.

Written by the indexing model from the issue text.

Assessment

Tech stack
javascript
Domain
cli, databases, devtools
Issue type
Bug
Difficulty
4/5
Estimated time
3-5 days
Activity status
Stale
Clarity
Needs clarification
Newbie friendliness
35/100

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