Cannot add Plugins from Python: "Plugin is Broken"

Question

I'm using the latest version of QGIS on a Windows 7 (32 bits), and when I try to add a plugin from the option "Fetch Python Plugins", it simply cancels the installation and I can see the following error:

Couldn't load plugin 'xytools' from ['C:/PROGRA~1/Quantum GIS Lisboa/apps/qgis/./python', 'C:/Users/Proprietário/.qgis//python', 'C:/Users/Proprietário/.qgis//python/plugins', 'C:/PROGRA~1/Quantum GIS Lisboa/apps/qgis/./python/plugins', 'C:\Program Files\ArcGIS\bin', 'C:\PROGRA~1\Quantum GIS Lisboa\bin\python27.zip', 'C:\PROGRA~1\Quantum GIS Lisboa\apps\Python27\DLLs', 'C:\PROGRA~1\Quantum GIS Lisboa\apps\Python27\lib', 'C:\PROGRA~1\Quantum GIS Lisboa\apps\Python27\lib\plat-win', 'C:\PROGRA~1\Quantum GIS Lisboa\apps\Python27\lib\lib-tk', 'C:\PROGRA~1\Quantum GIS Lisboa\apps\qgis\bin', 'C:\PROGRA~1\Quantum GIS Lisboa\apps\Python27', 'C:\PROGRA~1\Quantum GIS Lisboa\apps\Python27\lib\site-packages', 'C:\PROGRA~1\Quantum GIS Lisboa\apps\Python27\lib\site-packages\PIL', 'C:\PROGRA~1\Quantum GIS Lisboa\apps\Python27\lib\site-packages\win32', 'C:\PROGRA~1\Quantum GIS Lisboa\apps\Python27\lib\site-packages\win32\lib', 'C:\PROGRA~1\Quantum GIS Lisboa\apps\Python27\lib\site-packages\Pythonwin', 'C:\PROGRA~1\Quantum GIS Lisboa\apps\Python27\lib\site-packages\wx-2.8-msw-unicode', 'C:\PROGRA~1\Quantum GIS Lisboa\apps\qgis\python\plugins\fTools\tools']

The plugin that was not successfully installed appears in red colour saying "Invalid" - and in the description field: The plugin is Broken. It happens with all plugins from the QGIS Plugin Installer.

How can I fix this problem?

Answer 1

Your Windows User name causes the breakdown:

C:/Users/Proprietário

Try another user name without non-ASCII-characters. To be sure, re-install Qgis in a folder without blanks, for example C:\QgisLisboa

Answer 2

I am not a Windows user but this looks similar to the error that you get in Linux if you the user does not have read-write permissions on the plugins folder.

Here are the steps to modify ownership and permissions of folders and files:

1.   Right-click the file or folder, click Properties, and then click the Security tab.
   

2.   Click Advanced, and then click the Owner tab.
   

3.   Click Edit, and then do one of the following:
   

· To change the owner to a user or group that is not listed, click Other users and groups and, in Enter the object name to select (examples), type the name of the user or group, and then click OK. · To change the owner to a user or group that is listed, in the Change owner to box, click the new owner. 4. If you want to take ownership of the contents of the folder, select the Replace owner on sub containers and objects check box. 5. Click OK, and then click Yes when you receive the following message: You do not have permission to read the contents of directory folder name. Do you want to replace the directory permissions with permissions granting you Full Control? All permissions will be replaced if you click Yes.

Note folder name is the name of the folder that you want to take ownership of. 6. Click OK, and then reapply the permissions and security settings that you want for the folder and its contents. Additional considerations · An administrator can take ownership of any file on the computer. · Assigning ownership of a file or a folder might require you to elevate your permissions using User Access Control.