Matlab Engine for Python Installation Error

Hey there! I am trying to install the Matlab engine for python so I can run Matlab functions in my Visual Studio software. I have tried installing it even while running as an administrator. I am using windows and the image below was the error in the command promt:

Please help! I have been trying for days to see why and I am not able to find a solution :(

[William Retnaraj]

Same issue here..

[Rebecca Ward]

I'm having the same issue and have tried the approach given in the answer below but get the same as above

Answer 1

[Gouri Chennuru]

Hi Sangaman,

As a workaround,

On Windows, you may need to run the command prompt as administrator,in order to write to the protected folders even if you have administrator access. so that you will get rid of the error.

Follow these steps in order to Install MATLAB Engine API for Python.

Step 1: Search for Command Prompt from the start and right click on it, select "Run as administrator".

Step 2: Execute these commands in the command prompt opened, to start the MATLAB engine within a Python session,

cd "matlabroot\extern\engines\python"
python setup.py install

Step 3: Open MATLAB Command Prompt and execute

cd (fullfile(matlabroot,'extern','engines','python'))
system('python setup.py install')

Step 4: Now you can start Python, import the module, and start the MATLAB engine,

import matlab.engine
eng = matlab.engine.start_matlab()

Hope this Helps!

[Muhammad Akif Qadeer]

Step 3 doesn't work if I'm using anaconda.

[Nathyane]

Step 2 doesn't work for me.

Answer 2

[Kieran Smith]

Hello, I had this issue for a long time and tried all that you have tried.

What solved it for me was installing in a non-default folder. I built it in the default folder but installed non-default as per the instructions here.

To choose an install folder, I just copied the address where my 'pip install's usually go, but so long as its a folder you have access too I think it should work.