I created the pid file by hand and I get
C:\Users\administrator>"C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\15\bin\pg_ctl.exe" start
-N "postgresql-x64-15" -D "C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\15\data" -w -U TMA\pgUse
r -P ***********
pg_ctl: another server might be running; trying to start server anyway
waiting for server to start..............2023-09-22 14:31:17.752 CDT [4276] FATA
L: could not remove old lock file "postmaster.pid": Permission denied
2023-09-22 14:31:17.752 CDT [4276] HINT: The file seems accidentally left over,
but it could not be removed. Please remove the file by hand and try again.
stopped waiting
pg_ctl: could not start server
Examine the log output.
Remove the file and we are back where we started.
But a) we are looking at the right dir, and b) it looks like it might really be a permissions issue somehow.
Good guess, but no. I should have mentioned that I checked that.
There is, though, a postmaster.opts file that wasn't there earlier. It contains
C:/Program Files/PostgreSQL/15/bin/postgres.exe "-D" "C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\15\data"
Note the lack of quotes around the exe path.
I'd check if there is already "postmaster.pid" in C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\15\data, left over from a previous abend.
I'm trying to start a v15 service on a Windows 2012 R2 server where it hasn't been used for a while.
The service is set to run as pgUser.
...
If I sub 'start' for 'runservice' and try to start it from CLI, I get
C:\Users\administrator>"C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\15\bin\pg_ctl.exe" start
-N "postgresql-x64-15" -D "C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\15\data" -w
waiting for server to start....2023-09-22 12:48:05.438 CDT [4796] FATAL: could
not create lock file "postmaster.pid": Permission denied
Nick Ivanov
Solution Architect