diff --git a/Lib/distutils/file_util.py b/Lib/distutils/file_util.py
--- a/Lib/distutils/file_util.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/file_util.py
@@ -27,26 +27,26 @@ def _copy_file_contents(src, dst, buffer
     try:
         try:
             fsrc = open(src, 'rb')
-        except os.error as e:
+        except EnvironmentError as e:
             raise DistutilsFileError("could not open '%s': %s" % (src, e.strerror))
 
         if os.path.exists(dst):
             try:
                 os.unlink(dst)
-            except os.error as e:
+            except EnvironmentError as e:
                 raise DistutilsFileError(
                       "could not delete '%s': %s" % (dst, e.strerror))
 
         try:
             fdst = open(dst, 'wb')
-        except os.error as e:
+        except EnvironmentError as e:
             raise DistutilsFileError(
                   "could not create '%s': %s" % (dst, e.strerror))
 
         while True:
             try:
                 buf = fsrc.read(buffer_size)
-            except os.error as e:
+            except EnvironmentError as e:
                 raise DistutilsFileError(
                       "could not read from '%s': %s" % (src, e.strerror))
 
@@ -55,7 +55,7 @@ def _copy_file_contents(src, dst, buffer
 
             try:
                 fdst.write(buf)
-            except os.error as e:
+            except EnvironmentError as e:
                 raise DistutilsFileError(
                       "could not write to '%s': %s" % (dst, e.strerror))
     finally:
@@ -193,7 +193,7 @@ def move_file (src, dst,
     copy_it = False
     try:
         os.rename(src, dst)
-    except os.error as e:
+    except EnvironmentError as e:
         (num, msg) = e
         if num == errno.EXDEV:
             copy_it = True
@@ -205,11 +205,11 @@ def move_file (src, dst,
         copy_file(src, dst, verbose=verbose)
         try:
             os.unlink(src)
-        except os.error as e:
+        except EnvironmentError as e:
             (num, msg) = e
             try:
                 os.unlink(dst)
-            except os.error:
+            except EnvironmentError:
                 pass
             raise DistutilsFileError(
                   "couldn't move '%s' to '%s' by copy/delete: "
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_install_lib.py b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_install_lib.py
--- a/Lib/distutils/tests/test_install_lib.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/tests/test_install_lib.py
@@ -6,9 +6,10 @@ import unittest
 from distutils.command.install_lib import install_lib
 from distutils.extension import Extension
 from distutils.tests import support
-from distutils.errors import DistutilsOptionError
+from distutils.errors import DistutilsFileError, DistutilsOptionError
 from test.support import run_unittest
 
+
 class InstallLibTestCase(support.TempdirManager,
                          support.LoggingSilencer,
                          support.EnvironGuard,
@@ -95,6 +96,25 @@ class InstallLibTestCase(support.Tempdir
 
         self.assertTrue('byte-compiling is disabled' in self.logs[0][1])
 
+    def test_install_error(self):
+        project_dir, dist = self.create_dist(py_modules=['spam'])
+        os.chdir(project_dir)
+        self.write_file('spam.py', '# I want to be installed!')
+        install_dir = self.mkdtemp()
+        path = os.path.join(install_dir, 'spam.py')
+        # note: chmod on Windows only supports 0o400 and 0o600
+        os.chmod(install_dir, 0o400)
+
+        cmd = install_lib(dist)
+        cmd.install_dir = install_dir
+        cmd.ensure_finalized()
+        with self.assertRaises(DistutilsFileError) as cm:
+            cmd.run()
+        self.assertIn(path, str(cm.exception))
+        # let's hope that this test will work on all platforms
+        self.assertIn('denied', str(cm.exception))
+
+
 def test_suite():
     return unittest.makeSuite(InstallLibTestCase)