Installation failed.

Question

While installing SourceTree, the system displayed an error message:
“Installation has failed. Please re-run this installer as a normal user instead of ‘Run as Administrator.’”
However, I did not run it with administrator privileges, yet this error still occurs.

Tomislav Tobijas · Answer

@liangyilin if you manage to find the root cause and/or solution, please do write it down 🙏

Btw, thanks for sharing troubleshooting steps you've tried so far!

liangyilin · Answer

Dear Tomislav Tobijas,

I am currently trying to install Sourcetree in a Windows 11 environment and would like to share the details of what I have tried so far:

* I have restarted the computer, but the same issue persists. My colleagues are also experiencing the same problem, while my personal computer does not have this issue.
* By default, we all use non-admin accounts and do not have administrator privileges. Our company’s IT department enforces strict permission controls.
* I checked the file properties, and the option “Run this program as an administrator” is not selected.
* I also tried installing under the path AppData\Local\Sourcetree, but the same issue occurs.

I plan to check with the IT department to see if there is any policy that enforces admin installation. Thank you very much for your assistance!

Best regards,

Tomislav Tobijas · Answer

Hi @liangyilin ,

Are you trying to install Sourcetree on Windows or on Mac?

Potentially, if another program is running as admin, Sourcetree might inherit those privileges.

1️⃣ What you could also try is (for Windows):

* Restart Windows Explorer
* Reboot the whole system and try again

2️⃣ Also, if you're using a company device, try using a non-admin local user account (or check with IT if they have some kind of policy set that enforces admin installation).

3️⃣ On Windows, when you navigate to Properties (installation file) > Compatibility, there is an option "Run this program as an administrator." Make sure this is unchecked.

4️⃣ Lastly, maybe try to install this to your home directory to see if the same error occurs then, e.g., to:

C:\Users\<YourUser>\AppData\Local\Sourcetree

Cheers,
Tobi