Neo4j error: Project failed to create: Error: EISDIR: illegal operation on a directory, symlink

Neo4j Graph Platform
1

I've recently installed Neo4j Desktop on Windows 10, and I'm new to the application. When I'm trying to create a project, I get the following error:

Project failed to create: Error: Unable to create or link project: Error: EISDIR: illegal operation on a directory, symlink 'G:\Users\lenovo.Neo4JDesktop\projects\project-28207a01-0348-49e9-b784-06daf8b175cb' -> 'G:\Users\lenovo.Neo4JDesktop\relate-data\projects\project-d6f91a1f-baf6-437f-923c-7341884d2334'

Here is the image of the error:

3X_8_3_831d61dacc68f470914d24e49ee398e7e2e612ad.png
3X_8_3_831d61dacc68f470914d24e49ee398e7e2e612ad.png999×638 75.4 KB

I have 2 drives on my laptop: The main SSD where Windows is installed, and another external HDD (G:). I tried installing Neo4j on both drives, no luck. However, when I install on the C Drive, the symlink error changes from

'G:\Users\lenovo...' -> 'G:\Users\lenovo...'

to

'C:\Users\anasb...' -> 'G:\Users\lenovo...'

I reinstalled Neo4j several times, changed the location of the data path, still no luck. Is it because I'm running out of space on the C drive? Also, I notice that when I open Neo4j, it shows no projects found. However, when I installed it on another machine, there are some sample databases, e.g. Movie Database that show up.

I tried Googling for the error, but it seems no one has ever gotten such an error.

Where have I gone wrong? Would appreciate a solution ASAP.

2

Couple of steps

  1. Upgrade your java to the current version
  2. reinstall Neo4J desktop
  3. use single user to make a fresh install if previously used everyone
  4. under settings, switch the database to a drive under your username i.e. C:\Users\mark\Neo4J
  5. Now create a new project and it will eliminate your problem
3

Hello Neo4j Community,

we are fighting with a similar issue. We have installed Neo4j Desktop version 1.5.9 on a Windows 11 client (local installation). We're currently executed the following:

  • It was possible to start up the Neo4j Desktop once and we were asked to set the database directory
  • After setting a network drive as database location we got prompted with the same message as describe in the initial entry of this post (Project failed...)
  • From that on it wasn't possible to start up Neo4j Desktop again
  • Following the above mentioned solution steps didn't solve the problem (there is no prompting to set the database location anymore as the whole app isn't starting up anymore)
  • A new installation (even after cleaning up all the program fragments manually) did not solve the issue - Neo4j Desktop refuses to start up

We checked the log files and it appears that Neo4j still is looking for the network drive set during the first installation. Even after we deleted the local neo4j files and cleaned the Windows registry of neo4j entries and a fresh installation the following message shows up in the log:

App initialization error Error: EISDIR: illegal operation on a directory, symlink 'G:<network drive path>\projects\project-3a8d9382-0884-4fc0-8489-44e182a17445' -> 'G:<network drive path>Neo4j\relate-data\projects\project-d577cc4b-8aae-4d57-8115-3c5d323cf956'

Even after a fresh installation Neo4j Desktop picks up this network path somehow. Does anybody have an idea which internal entries (beside from the program files) needs to be cleared to be able to start a fresh installation on the local machine?

As mentioned we have deinstalled the Neo4j Desktop, cleaned remaining files manually and even cleaned the Windows registry where we could. Unfortunately with no luck. A new installation of Neo4j Desktop on the same machine leaves us with the same situation. No startup of the Client possible anymore.

Any help in solving this greatly appreciated

Krid