microsoft / microsoft/PowerToys
FancyZones - Error applying layout: Access to the path 'applied-layouts.json' is denied
- Dominant language
- C
- Stars
- 139k
- Forks
- 8.6k
- PR merge metrics
- PR metrics pending
Description
### Microsoft PowerToys version
Unknown (not specified in error message)
### Installation method
GitHub
### Area(s) with issue?
FancyZones
### Steps to reproduce
1. Install Microsoft PowerToys
2. Open FancyZones settings
3. Create or apply a layout in FancyZones
4. PowerToys throws an error popup with the message:
"Error applying layout: Access to the path 'C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Microsoft\PowerToys\FancyZones\applied-layouts.json' is denied"
### ✔️ Expected Behavior
FancyZones should successfully apply the selected layout and save the configuration to 'applied-layouts.json' without any errors.
### ❌ Actual Behavior
PowerToys shows an error:
"Error applying layout: Access to the path 'C:\Users\User\AppData\Local\Microsoft\PowerToys\FancyZones\applied-layouts.json' is denied"
The layout fails to apply. This is likely a file permission issue where PowerToys does not have write access to the FancyZones configuration directory.
### Upload Bug Report ZIP-file
_No response_
### Additional Information
_No response_
### Other Software
N/A
Contributor guide
Research direction
Start in FancyZones settings by reproducing the failure while creating or applying a layout, then trace how the application writes to the reported applied-layouts.json path. Done means the selected layout applies successfully and its configuration is saved without the access-denied error.
Written by the indexing model from the issue text.
Assessment
- Domain
- desktop
- Issue type
- Bug
- Difficulty
- 3/5
- Estimated time
- 1-2 days
- Activity status
- Quiet
- Clarity
- Mostly clear
- Newbie friendliness
- 48/100