MATLAB: Am I unable to install the MATLAB Mobile Connector under Windows 7 or Windows Vista

Question

When installing the MATLAB Mobile Connector, I receive a permission denied message under Windows Vista or Windows 7:

Error: You do not have write permission to the MATLAB Installation folder (C:\Program Files\MATLAB\R2010a).

The MATLAB Connector Installer cannot proceed.

I have administrative rights to the computer and permission to write to the MATLAB folder. Why can't I install the Connector?

Answer 1

This issue is caused by the Windows security feature User Account Control (UAC) that prevents changes to files in system locations. Since MATLAB is installed in Program Files, UAC prevents access to changes in the MATLAB directory. To resolve this, you will need to run MATLAB with administrator permissions. To do so, right click on your shortcut to MATLAB and select "Run as Administrator". You should then be able to install the Connector in MATLAB.

NOTE: Even if you are logged in as an administrator account, UAC prevents administrator access by default.

Alternatively, you can disable UAC to allow the changes. To do so, refer to Microsoft's website for instructions to disable UAC:

For Windows 7:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/975787/guided-help-adjust-user-account-control-settings-in-windows-7-and-wind

For Windows Vista:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/922708/how-to-use-user-account-control-uac-in-windows-vista

After making the changes, restart the computer before attempting to reinstall the MATLAB Mobile Connector.