From: Craig Ringer <craig@postnewspapers.com.au>
To: G. P. <pagomen2001@yahoo.gr>
Cc: salah jubeh <s_jubeh@yahoo.com>; pgsql-general@postgresql.org
Sent: Wed, May 18, 2011 3:52:07 AM
Subject: Re: [GENERAL] re-install postgres/postGIS without Loosing data??
On 18/05/2011 7:13 AM, G. P. wrote:
> C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\9.0\bin>pg_ctl.exe -U postgres restart
> pg_ctl: PID file "C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/9.0/data/postmaster.pid"
> */2011-05-18 02:09:26 EEST LOG: database system was shut down at
> 2011-05-17 22:45:00 EEST/*
> */2011-05-18 02:09:36 EEST LOG: could not remove cache file
> "base/32803/pg_internal.init": Permission denied/*
> */2011-05-18 02:09:36 EEST PANIC: could not open file
> "pg_xlog/000000010000000000000002" (log file 0, segment 2): Permission
> denied/*
You cannot restart postgresql using pg_ctl running under your normal user account if it was originally set up as a Windows service running as the "postgres" user. You must use runas.exe to run pg_ctl as user "postgres", or just use the service control panel (services.msc) or "net service" command to control it.
Rather than trying to reinstall, which might make the problem worse rather than better, stop trying to change things and think for a moment. Restart the computer, then check the services control panel and see if postgresql is shown as running there. If it is not, try to start it. If it does not start, examine the system event logs ("Event Viewer" in the start menu) to see if there are any error messages from the service. Also check the PostgreSQL logs, which will be in
C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/9.0/data/pg_log
to see if there are any informative error messages at the bottom of the most recent log file.
Once you've done that, you'll have some idea what's wrong and what to do next.
-- Craig Ringer
Tech-related writing at
http://soapyfrogs.blogspot.com/ 
