How to update a tool if "The installation path is not writable" error is shown?

Another choice: when starting toolbox,run as admin.

Hi! For macOS, could you try the following workaround? Does it help?
Go to macOS System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access. And give it full access to the Toolbox App.

in settings, go to “Privacy & Security” → “App Management” 

under “allow the applications below to update or delete other applications”, check “Jetbrains Toolbox” 

This works for me on macOS Sonoma 

macOS Sonoma 14.2.1: 

1. System Settings “Privacy & Security” 
2. “App Management” 
3. “Allow the applications below to update or delete other applications.” 
4. Enable for JetBrains Toolbox

Giving access to full disk works.

What helped for me on macOS is to open IDE location in Finder, then right click “Get file Info” on the bottom right unlock the lock.

Then if it's says “Fetching…” just remove that user, if you don't see your account listed add it with “+” select Priviledge “Read & Write” and then select your user account and click “…” and select “Make <username> the owner” 

Message should be gone now

The installation directory of my IntelliJ is writable by my user but for some reason Toolbox app still says directory is not writable.

I even reinstalled toolbox and nope, stays the same.

Frustrating experience.

I only got this issue since updating to new Sonoma, also AS is installed under /Applicatiopns/Android Studio.app i have checked permission for current user and its Read&Write and i still cant update, any solutions for this on Mac?

For Windows, just set the properties of the toolbox.

1. right click on the app
2. go to properties (alt + enter)
3. go to tab “compatibility” → “setting” → check “run as administrator”
4. apply and re-run your toolbox

The first option “Reinstall the tool” worked great for me since I don't have admin rights in the corporate VM and it's really unfair using old versions when I'm paying for the Professional Edition license. NICE HACK, JetBrains!

Today (November 14th, 2023) I tried the first option “Reinstall the tool” using latest version of JetBrains Toolbox App (JetBrains Toolbox 2.1.0.18144, Windows 10, x64) 

It was able to download and install the latest stable release of PyCharm: PyCharm 2023.2.5 (Professional Edition) Build #PY-232.10227.11, built on November 13, 2023…

Always keep updated your JetBrains Toolbox App!

Standalone installators asks for elevation on Windows. Why can't Toolbox do the same? For me neither of the suggested options looks user-friendly.

Hi, thank you for Full Disk Access hotfix, but it is also security issue, will be this issue fixed in near future?

Such a simple workaround for such a frustrating issue. Worked pefectly well. 

The same issue on Linux, Ubuntu 22.04 snap, solved the issue with `sudo snap remove phpstorm --revision <revision number>` This was only happening on the previous version of PhpStorm for me, so I removed it.

the same problem with Sonoma, with read and write permission i am not able to update android studio

==============================================
Fix: JetBrains Toolbox Updates failing on MacOS
==============================================
The Problem:
If you are unable to update IntelliJ (or other JetBrains IDEs) via the Toolbox App, it is likely because our corporate Macs have the main /Applications folder set to Read-Only for security.

The specified directory is not writable. Tool updates are disabled

Toolbox tries to update the existing app in /Applications.
It fails with a "Not Writable" or "Updates Disabled" error.
You cannot uninstall the old version for the same reason.

The Solution:
You need to point Toolbox to your local user directory and install a fresh parallel copy there.
Steps:
- Open JetBrains Toolbox and click the Settings (Gear) icon in the top right.
Under Tools, find "Tools install location".
- Change the path to your user applications folder: ~/Applications 
  (This is short for /Users/<your_username>/Applications).
- Go back to the main list. Do not click the main "Update" button on the “broken” instance.
- Click the three dots (⋮) next to IntelliJ IDEA Ultimate.
- Select "Other versions" -> Choose the latest version -> Install.

Result:
You will now have a new, fully updatable version of IntelliJ installed in your user folder. You can ignore the old "frozen" corporate version.

You Installed the Toolbox as Admin, then you cannot update as user, If you did install as admin you need to run Toolbox as Admin to install updates or remove it and re-install as User, changing the permissions as suggested is actually not ideal but it will fix the issue permanently.

Hi Polak Ja. We'll investigate that in TBX-10297.

For Mac OS : 

System Settings >> Privacy & Security >> App Management >> Enable for JetBrains Toolbox

For MacOS users: Grant "App Management" Permissions

macOS has a security layer that prevents one app (Toolbox) from altering or replacing another app (like IntelliJ or WebStorm) inside your /Applications folder without explicit permission.

1. Open your Mac's System Settings.
2. Navigate to Privacy & Security in the left sidebar.
3. Scroll down on the right side and click on App Management.
4. Look for JetBrains Toolbox in the list and toggle the switch to On. (If it's already on, toggle it off, wait 5 seconds, and toggle it back on).
5. Fully close the JetBrains Toolbox app (click the gear icon in the app -> Quit) and re-open it. Try updating again.

Running as admin on windows is what worked for me. Reinstalling did nothing.

Don't follow the advice to reinstall the tool – you will probably loose all your settings

There are checkboxes in the uninstaller for clearing settings, history, etc., but they are off by default. As long as you don't enable them, all your settings will be preserved.

This worked for me:

1. Open the tool directory specified in the tool settings, e.g. C:\Program Files\JetBrains\GoLand 2023.1.3

2. Navigate to the parent directory (e.g. C:\Program Files\JetBrains) and modify its permissions so that the current user has write access.

3. Close toolbox, and then open it as admin.
 

Thanks Justinas Urbanavicius This worked for macOS Tahoe 26.2!

For anyone still facing this: make sure to grant JetBrains Toolbox access under Settings → Privacy & Security → App Management.

I can't even find the update option for the toolbox itself. It it not listed in “Tools” or “Installed Tools". Why can't it simply start the setup process and ask for permissions then? And why is there no update notification anymore as soon as the Toolbox is used? I found out there is an update available by sheer luck.

Argh, now the update can't proceed because “the tool files are in use”. Why is so broken :(

I have come from the future to tell you that JB still hasn't fixed this….

>Open "Other versions" list from the tool actions.

I don't even find that (JetBrains Toolbox 3.4.1.78303, Windows 11, x64).

Where is this hidden? Can't find that in the list of “Tools” and also not in the settings.

I updated manually now by downloading and reinstalling the current version. Still the same message:

And not, I will certainly _not_ just give the current user full write permissions for the whole IDE. This is really dangerous and should not be the suggested solution. Instead, the _Update Installer_ should just ask for admin rights when started. 

Just enable this