Software⏱️ 4 min read📅 2026-06-15

How to Fix: postgres for windows installation error at postinstall

Learn how to fix: postgres for windows installation error at postinstall.

Quick Answer: Try checking your system settings or restarting.

📋 Table of Contents

  1. ⚠️ Common Causes
  2. 🚀 How to Resolve This Issue
  3. 💡 Conclusion

The error 'child process was terminated by exception 0xC00000FD' occurs when the initdb command fails to initialize the PostgreSQL database cluster. This issue affects users who are trying to install and run PostgreSQL on Windows 10 version 1803.

This error can be frustrating as it prevents the user from setting up their PostgreSQL database, which is essential for various applications and services.

⚠️ Common Causes

  • The primary reason for this error is due to a known issue with the initdb command on Windows. The problem lies in the way the Windows operating system handles the creation of directories and files during the installation process.
  • Another possible cause could be related to the version of PostgreSQL being installed, but it seems that both Postgres 10 and Postgres 11 are experiencing this issue.

🚀 How to Resolve This Issue

Manually modifying permissions on the data directory

  1. Step 1: Open the Command Prompt as an administrator and navigate to the temp folder where the installer logs its output. The log file should be named 'rad99CE0.log'.
  2. Step 2: Locate the line that says 'fixing permissions on existing directory' and identify the specific files or directories that are being modified.
  3. Step 3: Manually change the ownership of these files and directories to the user 'postgres' using the command 'icacls /setowner postgres'. Repeat this step for each file or directory listed in the log file.
  4. Step 4: After making these changes, restart the installer and try running the initdb command again.

Using the Windows Installer

  1. Step 1: Download the latest version of the Postgres installer from the official website. Ensure that you select the 'Windows' installation option.
  2. Step 2: Follow the on-screen instructions to install PostgreSQL, and make sure to select the correct version (Postgres 10 or Postgres 11) during the installation process.
  3. Step 3: After installation is complete, navigate to the temp folder where the installer logs its output. The log file should be named 'rad99CE0.log'.
  4. Step 4: Locate the line that says 'running bootstrap script' and identify the specific files or directories that are being modified.
  5. Step 5: Manually change the ownership of these files and directories to the user 'postgres' using the command 'icacls /setowner postgres'. Repeat this step for each file or directory listed in the log file.
  6. Step 6: After making these changes, restart the installer and try running the initdb command again.

💡 Conclusion

To resolve the 'child process was terminated by exception 0xC00000FD' error when initializing a PostgreSQL database cluster on Windows 10 version 1803, it is recommended to manually modify permissions on the data directory using the Command Prompt as an administrator. This involves changing the ownership of specific files and directories to the user 'postgres'. By following these steps, users should be able to successfully initialize their PostgreSQL database cluster.

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