SeleniumHQ/selenium · error · anyhow::Error

{} can only be installed in Windows with administrator permi

Error message

{} can only be installed in Windows with administrator permissions

What it means

Error "{} can only be installed in Windows with administrator permissions" thrown in SeleniumHQ/selenium.

Source

Thrown at rust/src/lib.rs:347

                browser_version,
                browser_binary_path.display(),
                location_note
            ));
            self.set_browser_path(path_to_string(&browser_binary_path));
            let cache_path = self.get_cache_path()?;
            let mut metadata = get_metadata(self.get_logger(), &cache_path);
            update_cached_asset(
                &mut metadata.cached_assets,
                self.get_browser_name(),
                &browser_version,
            );
            write_metadata(&metadata, self.get_logger(), cache_path);
            return Ok(Some(browser_binary_path));
        }

        // Browser not available, download it
        if WINDOWS.is(self.get_os()) && self.is_edge() && !self.is_windows_admin() {
            return Err(anyhow!(format_one_arg(
                NOT_ADMIN_FOR_EDGE_INSTALLER_ERR_MSG,
                self.get_browser_name(),
            )));
        }

        let browser_path_in_cache = self.get_browser_path_in_cache()?;
        let mut lock = Lock::acquire(self.get_logger(), &browser_path_in_cache, None)?;
        // If lock file was deleted, another process held it and released (deleting the file).
        // Check if that process already downloaded the browser.
        if !lock.exists() && browser_binary_path.exists() {
            self.get_logger().debug(format!(
                "{} {} now available at {}",
                self.get_browser_name(),
                browser_version,
                browser_binary_path.display()
            ));
            self.set_browser_path(path_to_string(&browser_binary_path));
            return Ok(Some(browser_binary_path.clone()));

View on GitHub (pinned to aa36b38e69)

Solutions

1. Re-run Selenium Manager from an elevated (administrator) command prompt on Windows
2. Install Edge manually and pass --browser-path to skip the installer
3. Use a different browser that does not require an elevated installer

When it happens

Trigger: Thrown at rust/src/lib.rs:347 when the library encounters an invalid state.

Common situations: Occurs when installing a component on Windows that requires elevated rights. Re-run the command from an Administrator terminal.

AI-assisted analysis of SeleniumHQ/selenium@aa36b38e69 (2026-08-14). Data as JSON: /api/errors/53f708d60ce72320. Report an issue: GitHub.