Overwrite directory with shutil.rmtree and os.mkdir sometimes gives 'Access is denied' error

Question

My code:

if os.path.exists(myDir):
    shutil.rmtree(myDir)
os.mkdir(myDir)

Problem: It always work if myDir does not exist. If myDir exists, sometimes it throws error, sometimes it works.

Error log:

os.mkdir(myDir)
PermissionError: [WinError 5] Access is denied: 'myDir'

My guess: when I call os.mkdir, sometimes shutil.rmtree hasn't finished execution/ hasn't released the permission for the directory. Hence, the error.

Is there any way to ensure complete execution of shutil.rmtree before calling os.mkdir?

Answer 1

So I encountered the same issue. What I have been using is a pause after shutil.rmtree. I think that pretty much anything that causes your computer to use a clock cycle would do. All code:

import os 
import shutil 
import time

dataDir = 'C:/Data/'
if os.path.exists(TEMPDIR):
    shutil.rmtree(TEMPDIR)
time.sleep(.0000000000000001)
os.makedirs(TEMPDIR)

Answer 2

If at first you don't succeed...

if os.path.exists(report_path):
    shutil.rmtree(report_path)
while True:
    try:
        os.mkdir(report_path)
        break
    except PermissionError:
        print('Damned Win 10 PERMISSION exception, trying again')
        continue

...and if that doesn't work there is at least <ctrl> -c