4. Using Python on Windows
**************************

This document aims to give an overview of Windows-specific behaviour
you should know about when using Python on Microsoft Windows.

Unlike most Unix systems and services, Windows does not include a
system supported installation of Python. Instead, Python can be
obtained from a number of distributors, including directly from the
CPython team. Each Python distribution will have its own benefits and
drawbacks, however, consistency with other tools you are using is
generally a worthwhile benefit. Before committing to the process
described here, we recommend investigating your existing tools to see
if they can provide Python directly.

To obtain Python from the CPython team, use the Python Install
Manager. This is a standalone tool that makes Python available as
global commands on your Windows machine, integrates with the system,
and supports updates over time. You can download the Python Install
Manager from python.org/downloads or through the Microsoft Store app.

Once you have installed the Python Install Manager, the global
"python" command can be used from any terminal to launch your current
latest version of Python. This version may change over time as you add
or remove different versions, and the "py list" command will show
which is current.

In general, we recommend that you create a virtual environment for
each project and run "<env>\Scripts\Activate" in your terminal to use
it. This provides isolation between projects, consistency over time,
and ensures that additional commands added by packages are also
available in your session. Create a virtual environment using "python
-m venv <env path>".

If the "python" or "py" commands do not seem to be working, please see
the Troubleshooting section below. There are sometimes additional
manual steps required to configure your PC.

Apart from using the Python install manager, Python can also be
obtained as NuGet packages. See The nuget.org packages below for more
information on these packages.

The embeddable distros are minimal packages of Python suitable for
embedding into larger applications. They can be installed using the
Python install manager. See The embeddable package below for more
information on these packages.


4.1. Python install manager
===========================


4.1.1. Installation
-------------------

The Python install manager can be installed from the Microsoft Store
app or downloaded and installed from python.org/downloads. The two
versions are identical.

To install through the Store, simply click "Install". After it has
completed, open a terminal and type "python" to get started.

To install the file downloaded from python.org, either double-click
and select "Install", or run "Add-AppxPackage <path to MSIX>" in
Windows Powershell.

After installation, the "python", "py", and "pymanager" commands
should be available. If you have existing installations of Python, or
you have modified your "PATH" variable, you may need to remove them or
undo the modifications. See Troubleshooting for more help with fixing
non-working commands.

When you first install a runtime, you will likely be prompted to add a
directory to your "PATH". This is optional, if you prefer to use the
"py" command, but is offered for those who prefer the full range of
aliases (such as "python3.14.exe") to be available. The directory will
be "%LocalAppData%\Python\bin" by default, but may be customized by an
administrator. Click Start and search for "Edit environment variables
for your account" for the system settings page to add the path.

Each Python runtime you install will have its own directory for
scripts. These also need to be added to "PATH" if you want to use
them.

The Python install manager will be automatically updated to new
releases. This does not affect any installs of Python runtimes.
Uninstalling the Python install manager does not uninstall any Python
runtimes.

If you are not able to install an MSIX in your context, for example,
you are using automated deployment software that does not support it,
or are targeting Windows Server 2019, please see Advanced installation
below for more information.


4.1.2. Basic use
----------------

The recommended command for launching Python is "python", which will
either launch the version requested by the script being launched, an
active virtual environment, or the default installed version, which
will be the latest stable release unless configured otherwise. If no
version is specifically requested and no runtimes are installed at
all, the current latest release will be installed automatically.

For all scenarios involving multiple runtime versions, the recommended
command is "py". This may be used anywhere in place of "python" or the
older "py.exe" launcher. By default, "py" matches the behaviour of
"python", but also allows command line options to select a specific
version as well as subcommands to manage installations. These are
detailed below.

Because the "py" command may already be taken by the previous version,
there is also an unambiguous "pymanager" command. Scripted installs
that are intending to use Python install manager should consider using
"pymanager", due to the lower chance of encountering a conflict with
existing installs. The only difference between the two commands is
when running without any arguments: "py" will launch your default
interpreter, while "pymanager" will display help ("pymanager exec ..."
provides equivalent behaviour to "py ...").

Each of these commands also has a windowed version that avoids
creating a console window. These are "pyw", "pythonw" and
"pymanagerw". A "python3" command is also included that mimics the
"python" command. It is intended to catch accidental uses of the
typical POSIX command on Windows, but is not meant to be widely used
or recommended.

To launch your default runtime, run "python" or "py" with the
arguments you want to be passed to the runtime (such as script files
or the module to launch):

   $> py
   ...
   $> python my-script.py
   ...
   $> py -m this
   ...

The default runtime can be overridden with the
"PYTHON_MANAGER_DEFAULT" environment variable, or a configuration
file. See Configuration for information about configuration settings.

To launch a specific runtime, the "py" command accepts a "-V:<TAG>"
option. This option must be specified before any others. The tag is
part or all of the identifier for the runtime; for those from the
CPython team, it looks like the version, potentially with the
platform. For compatibility, the "V:" may be omitted in cases where
the tag refers to an official release and starts with "3".

   $> py -V:3.14 ...
   $> py -V:3-arm64 ...

Runtimes from other distributors may require the *company* to be
included as well. This should be separated from the tag by a slash,
and may be a prefix. Specifying the company is optional when it is
"PythonCore", and specifying the tag is optional (but not the slash)
when you want the latest release from a specific company.

   $> py -V:Distributor\1.0 ...
   $> py -V:distrib/ ...

If no version is specified, but a script file is passed, the script
will be inspected for a *shebang line*. This is a special format for
the first line in a file that allows overriding the command. See
Shebang lines for more information. When there is no shebang line, or
it cannot be resolved, the script will be launched with the default
runtime.

If you are running in an active virtual environment, have not
requested a particular version, and there is no shebang line, the
default runtime will be that virtual environment. In this scenario,
the "python" command was likely already overridden and none of these
checks occurred. However, this behaviour ensures that the "py" command
can be used interchangeably.

When no runtimes are installed, any launch command will try to install
the requested version and launch it. However, after any version is
installed, only the "py exec ..." and "pymanager exec ..." commands
will install if the requested version is absent. Other forms of
commands will display an error and direct you to use "py install"
first.


4.1.3. Command help
-------------------

The "py help" command will display the full list of supported
commands, along with their options. Any command may be passed the "-?"
option to display its help, or its name passed to "py help".

   $> py help
   $> py help install
   $> py install /?

All commands support some common options, which will be shown by "py
help". These options must be specified after any subcommand.
Specifying "-v" or "--verbose" will increase the amount of output
shown, and "-vv" will increase it further for debugging purposes.
Passing "-q" or "--quiet" will reduce output, and "-qq" will reduce it
further.

The "--config=<PATH>" option allows specifying a configuration file to
override multiple settings at once. See Configuration below for more
information about these files.


4.1.4. Listing runtimes
-----------------------

   $> py list [-f=|--format=<FMT>] [-1|--one] [--online|-s=|--source=<URL>] [<TAG>...]

The list of installed runtimes can be seen using "py list". A filter
may be added in the form of one or more tags (with or without company
specifier), and each may include a "<", "<=", ">=" or ">" prefix to
restrict to a range.

A range of formats are supported, and can be passed as the "--
format=<FMT>" or "-f <FMT>" option. Formats include "table" (a user
friendly table view), "csv" (comma-separated table), "json" (a single
JSON blob), "jsonl" (one JSON blob per result), "exe" (just the
executable path), "prefix" (just the prefix path).

The "--one" or "-1" option only displays a single result. If the
default runtime is included, it will be the one. Otherwise, the "best"
result is shown ("best" is deliberately vaguely defined, but will
usually be the most recent version). The result shown by "py list
--one <TAG>" will match the runtime that would be launched by "py
-V:<TAG>".

The "--only-managed" option excludes results that were not installed
by the Python install manager. This is useful when determining which
runtimes may be updated or uninstalled through the "py" command.

The "--online" option is short for passing "--source=<URL>" with the
default source. Passing either of these options will search the online
index for runtimes that can be installed. The result shown by "py list
--online --one <TAG>" will match the runtime that would be installed
by "py install <TAG>".

   $> py list --online 3.14

For compatibility with the old launcher, the "--list", "--list-paths",
"-0" and "-0p" commands (e.g. "py -0p") are retained. They do not
allow additional options, and will produce legacy formatted output.


4.1.5. Installing runtimes
--------------------------

   $> py install [-s=|--source=<URL>] [-f|--force] [-u|--update] [--dry-run] [<TAG>...]

New runtime versions may be added using "py install". One or more tags
may be specified, and the special tag "default" may be used to select
the default. Ranges are not supported for installation.

The "--source=<URL>" option allows overriding the online index that is
used to obtain runtimes. This may be used with an offline index, as
shown in Offline installs.

Passing "--force" will ignore any cached files and remove any existing
install to replace it with the specified one.

Passing "--update" will replace existing installs if the new version
is newer. Otherwise, they will be left. If no tags are provided with "
--update", all installs managed by the Python install manager will be
updated if newer versions are available. Updates will remove any
modifications made to the install, including globally installed
packages, but virtual environments will continue to work.

Passing "--dry-run" will generate output and logs, but will not modify
any installs.

In addition to the above options, the "--target" option will extract
the runtime to the specified directory instead of doing a normal
install. This is useful for embedding runtimes into larger
applications. Unlike a normal install, "py" will not be aware of the
extracted runtime, and no Start menu or other shortcuts will be
created. To launch the runtime, directly execute the main executable
(typically "python.exe") in the target directory.

   $> py install ... [-t=|--target=<PATH>] <TAG>

The "py exec" command will install the requested runtime if it is not
already present. This is controlled by the "automatic_install"
configuration ("PYTHON_MANAGER_AUTOMATIC_INSTALL"), and is enabled by
default. If no runtimes are available at all, all launch commands will
do an automatic install if the configuration setting allows. This is
to ensure a good experience for new users, but should not generally be
relied on rather than using the "py exec" command or explicit install
commands.


4.1.6. Offline installs
-----------------------

To perform offline installs of Python, you will need to first create
an offline index on a machine that has network access.

   $> py install --download=<PATH> ... <TAG>...

The "--download=<PATH>" option will download the packages for the
listed tags and create a directory containing them and an "index.json"
file suitable for later installation. This entire directory can be
moved to the offline machine and used to install one or more of the
bundled runtimes:

   $> py install --source="<PATH>\index.json" <TAG>...

The Python install manager can be installed by downloading its
installer and moving it to another machine before installing.

Alternatively, the ZIP files in an offline index directory can simply
be transferred to another machine and extracted. This will not
register the install in any way, and so it must be launched by
directly referencing the executables in the extracted directory, but
it is sometimes a preferable approach in cases where installing the
Python install manager is not possible or convenient.

In this way, Python runtimes can be installed and managed on a machine
without access to the internet.


4.1.7. Uninstalling runtimes
----------------------------

   $> py uninstall [-y|--yes] <TAG>...

Runtimes may be removed using the "py uninstall" command. One or more
tags must be specified. Ranges are not supported here.

The "--yes" option bypasses the confirmation prompt before
uninstalling.

Instead of passing tags individually, the "--purge" option may be
specified. This will remove all runtimes managed by the Python install
manager, including cleaning up the Start menu, registry, and any
download caches. Runtimes that were not installed by the Python
install manager will not be impacted, and neither will manually
created configuration files.

   $> py uninstall [-y|--yes] --purge

The Python install manager can be uninstalled through the Windows
"Installed apps" settings page. This does not remove any runtimes, and
they will still be usable, though the global "python" and "py"
commands will be removed. Reinstalling the Python install manager will
allow you to manage these runtimes again. To completely clean up all
Python runtimes, run with "--purge" before uninstalling the Python
install manager.


4.1.8. Configuration
--------------------

Python install manager is configured with a hierarchy of configuration
files, environment variables, command-line options, and registry
settings. In general, configuration files have the ability to
configure everything, including the location of other configuration
files, while registry settings are administrator-only and will
override configuration files. Command-line options override all other
settings, but not every option is available.

This section will describe the defaults, but be aware that modified or
overridden installs may resolve settings differently.

A global configuration file may be configured by an administrator, and
would be read first. The user configuration file is stored at
"%AppData%\Python\pymanager.json" (note that this location is under
"Roaming", not "Local") and is read next, overwriting any settings
from earlier files. An additional configuration file may be specified
as the "PYTHON_MANAGER_CONFIG" environment variable or the "--config"
command line option (but not both). These locations may be modified by
administrative customization options listed later.

The following settings are those that are considered likely to be
modified in normal use. Later sections list those that are intended
for administrative customization.

-[ Standard configuration options ]-

+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Config Key                        | Environment Variable              | Description                       |
|===================================|===================================|===================================|
| "default_tag"                     | PYTHON_MANAGER_DEFAULT            | The preferred default version to  |
|                                   |                                   | launch or install. By default,    |
|                                   |                                   | this is interpreted as the most   |
|                                   |                                   | recent non-prerelease version     |
|                                   |                                   | from the CPython team.            |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| "default_platform"                | "PYTHON_MANAGER_DEFAULT_PLATFORM" | The preferred default platform to |
|                                   |                                   | launch or install. This is        |
|                                   |                                   | treated as a suffix to the        |
|                                   |                                   | specified tag, such that "py      |
|                                   |                                   | -V:3.14" would prefer an install  |
|                                   |                                   | for "3.14-64" if it exists (and   |
|                                   |                                   | "default_platform" is "-64"), but |
|                                   |                                   | will use "3.14" if no tagged      |
|                                   |                                   | install exists.                   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| "logs_dir"                        | "PYTHON_MANAGER_LOGS"             | The location where log files are  |
|                                   |                                   | written. By default, "%TEMP%".    |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| "automatic_install"               | PYTHON_MANAGER_AUTOMATIC_INSTALL  | True to allow automatic installs  |
|                                   |                                   | when using "py exec" to launch    |
|                                   |                                   | (or "py" when no runtimes are     |
|                                   |                                   | installed yet). Other commands    |
|                                   |                                   | will not automatically install,   |
|                                   |                                   | regardless of this setting. By    |
|                                   |                                   | default, true.                    |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| "include_unmanaged"               | "PYTHON_MANAGER_INCLUDE_UNMANAGE  | True to allow listing and         |
|                                   | D"                                | launching runtimes that were not  |
|                                   |                                   | installed by the Python install   |
|                                   |                                   | manager, or false to exclude      |
|                                   |                                   | them. By default, true.           |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| "shebang_can_run_anything"        | "PYTHON_MANAGER_SHEBANG_CAN_RUN_  | True to allow shebangs in ".py"   |
|                                   | ANYTHING"                         | files to launch applications      |
|                                   |                                   | other than Python runtimes, or    |
|                                   |                                   | false to prevent it. By default,  |
|                                   |                                   | true.                             |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| "log_level"                       | "PYMANAGER_VERBOSE",              | Set the default level of output   |
|                                   | "PYMANAGER_DEBUG"                 | (0-50). By default, 20. Lower     |
|                                   |                                   | values produce more output. The   |
|                                   |                                   | environment variables are         |
|                                   |                                   | boolean, and may produce          |
|                                   |                                   | additional output during startup  |
|                                   |                                   | that is later suppressed by other |
|                                   |                                   | configuration.                    |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| "confirm"                         | "PYTHON_MANAGER_CONFIRM"          | True to confirm certain actions   |
|                                   |                                   | before taking them (such as       |
|                                   |                                   | uninstall), or false to skip the  |
|                                   |                                   | confirmation. By default, true.   |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| "install.source"                  | "PYTHON_MANAGER_SOURCE_URL"       | Override the index feed to obtain |
|                                   |                                   | new installs from.                |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| "list.format"                     | "PYTHON_MANAGER_LIST_FORMAT"      | Specify the default format used   |
|                                   |                                   | by the "py list" command. By      |
|                                   |                                   | default, "table".                 |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| "install_dir"                     | (none)                            | Specify the root directory that   |
|                                   |                                   | runtimes will be installed into.  |
|                                   |                                   | If you change this setting,       |
|                                   |                                   | previously installed runtimes     |
|                                   |                                   | will not be usable unless you     |
|                                   |                                   | move them to the new location.    |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| "global_dir"                      | (none)                            | Specify the directory where       |
|                                   |                                   | global commands (such as          |
|                                   |                                   | "python3.14.exe") are stored.     |
|                                   |                                   | This directory should be added to |
|                                   |                                   | your "PATH" to make the commands  |
|                                   |                                   | available from your terminal.     |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| "download_dir"                    | (none)                            | Specify the directory where       |
|                                   |                                   | downloaded files are stored. This |
|                                   |                                   | directory is a temporary cache,   |
|                                   |                                   | and can be cleaned up from time   |
|                                   |                                   | to time.                          |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+

Dotted names should be nested inside JSON objects, for example,
"list.format" would be specified as "{"list": {"format": "table"}}".


4.1.9. Shebang lines
--------------------

If the first line of a script file starts with "#!", it is known as a
"shebang" line.  Linux and other Unix like operating systems have
native support for such lines and they are commonly used on such
systems to indicate how a script should be executed. The "python" and
"py" commands allow the same facilities to be used with Python scripts
on Windows.

To allow shebang lines in Python scripts to be portable between Unix
and Windows, a number of 'virtual' commands are supported to specify
which interpreter to use.  The supported virtual commands are:

* "/usr/bin/env <ALIAS>"

* "/usr/bin/env -S <ALIAS>"

* "/usr/bin/<ALIAS>"

* "/usr/local/bin/<ALIAS>"

* "<ALIAS>"

For example, if the first line of your script starts with

   #! /usr/bin/python

The default Python or an active virtual environment will be located
and used. As many Python scripts written to work on Unix will already
have this line, you should find these scripts can be used by the
launcher without modification. If you are writing a new script on
Windows which you hope will be useful on Unix, you should use one of
the shebang lines starting with "/usr".

Any of the above virtual commands can have "<ALIAS>" replaced by an
alias from an installed runtime. That is, any command generated in the
global aliases directory (which you may have added to your "PATH"
environment variable) can be used in a shebang, even if it is not on
your "PATH". This allows the use of shebangs like
"/usr/bin/python3.12" to select a particular runtime.

If no runtimes are installed, or if automatic installation is enabled,
the requested runtime will be installed if necessary. See
Configuration for information about configuration settings.

The "/usr/bin/env" form of shebang line will also search the "PATH"
environment variable for unrecognized commands. This corresponds to
the behaviour of the Unix "env" program, which performs the same
search, but prefers launching known Python commands. A warning may be
displayed when searching for arbitrary executables, and this search
may be disabled by the "shebang_can_run_anything" configuration
option.

Shebang lines that do not match any of patterns are treated as
*Windows* executable paths that are absolute or relative to the
directory containing the script file. This is a convenience for
Windows-only scripts, such as those generated by an installer, since
the behavior is not compatible with Unix-style shells. These paths may
be quoted, and may include multiple arguments, after which the path to
the script and any additional arguments will be appended. This
functionality may be disabled by the "shebang_can_run_anything"
configuration option.

Note:

  The behaviour of shebangs in the Python install manager is subtly
  different from the previous "py.exe" launcher, and the old
  configuration options no longer apply. If you are specifically
  reliant on the old behaviour or configuration, we recommend
  installing the legacy launcher. The legacy launcher's "py" command
  will override PyManager's one by default, and you will need to use
  "pymanager" commands for installing and uninstalling.


4.1.10. Advanced installation
-----------------------------

For situations where an MSIX cannot be installed, such as some older
administrative distribution platforms, there is an MSI available from
the python.org downloads page. This MSI has no user interface, and can
only perform per-machine installs to its default location in Program
Files. It will attempt to modify the system "PATH" environment
variable to include this install location, but be sure to validate
this on your configuration.

Note:

  Windows Server 2019 is the only version of Windows that CPython
  supports that does not support MSIX. For Windows Server 2019, you
  should use the MSI.

Be aware that the MSI package does not bundle any runtimes, and so is
not suitable for installs into offline environments without also
creating an offline install index. See Offline installs and
Administrative configuration for information on handling these
scenarios.

Runtimes installed by the MSI are shared with those installed by the
MSIX, and are all per-user only. The Python install manager does not
support installing runtimes per-machine. To emulate a per-machine
install, you can use "py install --target=<shared location>" as
administrator and add your own system-wide modifications to "PATH",
the registry, or the Start menu.

When the MSIX is installed, but commands are not available in the
"PATH" environment variable, they can be found under "%LocalAppData%\
Microsoft\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_3847v3x7
pw1km" or "%LocalAppData%\Microsoft\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundat
ion.PythonManager_qbz5n2kfra8p0", depending on whether it was
installed from python.org or through the Windows Store. Attempting to
run the executable directly from Program Files is not recommended.

To programmatically install the Python install manager, it is easiest
to use WinGet, which is included with all supported versions of
Windows:

   $> winget install 9NQ7512CXL7T -e --accept-package-agreements --disable-interactivity

   # Optionally run the configuration checker and accept all changes
   $> py install --configure -y

To download the Python install manager and install on another machine,
the following WinGet command will download the required files from the
Store to your Downloads directory (add "-d <location>" to customize
the output location). This also generates a YAML file that appears to
be unnecessary, as the downloaded MSIX can be installed by launching
or using the commands below.

   $> winget download 9NQ7512CXL7T -e --skip-license --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements

To programmatically install or uninstall an MSIX using only
PowerShell, the Add-AppxPackage and Remove-AppxPackage PowerShell
cmdlets are recommended:

   $> Add-AppxPackage C:\Downloads\python-manager-25.0.msix
   ...
   $> Get-AppxPackage PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager | Remove-AppxPackage

The latest release can be downloaded and installed by Windows by
passing the AppInstaller file to the Add-AppxPackage command. This
installs using the MSIX on python.org, and is only recommended for
cases where installing via the Store (interactively or using WinGet)
is not possible.

   $> Add-AppxPackage -AppInstallerFile https://www.python.org/ftp/python/pymanager/pymanager.appinstaller

Other tools and APIs may also be used to provision an MSIX package for
all users on a machine, but Python does not consider this a supported
scenario. We suggest looking into the PowerShell Add-
AppxProvisionedPackage cmdlet, the native Windows PackageManager
class, or the documentation and support for your deployment tool.

Regardless of the install method, users will still need to install
their own copies of Python itself, as there is no way to trigger those
installs without being a logged in user. When using the MSIX, the
latest version of Python will be available for all users to install
without network access.

Note that the MSIX downloadable from the Store and from the Python
website are subtly different and cannot be installed at the same time.
Wherever possible, we suggest using the above WinGet commands to
download the package from the Store to reduce the risk of setting up
conflicting installs. There are no licensing restrictions on the
Python install manager that would prevent using the Store package in
this way.


4.1.11. Administrative configuration
------------------------------------

There are a number of options that may be useful for administrators to
override configuration of the Python install manager. These can be
used to provide local caching, disable certain shortcut types,
override bundled content. All of the above configuration options may
be set, as well as those below.

Configuration options may be overridden in the registry by setting
values under "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Policies\Python\PyManager",
where the value name matches the configuration key and the value type
is "REG_SZ". Note that this key can itself be customized, but only by
modifying the core config file distributed with the Python install
manager. We recommend, however, that registry values are used only to
set "base_config" to a JSON file containing the full set of overrides.
Registry key overrides will replace any other configured setting,
while "base_config" allows users to further modify settings they may
need.

Note that most settings with environment variables support those
variables because their default setting specifies the variable. If you
override them, the environment variable will no longer work, unless
you override it with another one. For example, the default value of
"confirm" is literally "%PYTHON_MANAGER_CONFIRM%", which will resolve
the variable at load time. If you override the value to "yes", then
the environment variable will no longer be used. If you override the
value to "%CONFIRM%", then that environment variable will be used
instead.

Configuration settings that are paths are interpreted as relative to
the directory containing the configuration file that specified them.

-[ Administrative configuration options ]-

+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| Config Key                                         | Description                                        |
|====================================================|====================================================|
| "base_config"                                      | The highest priority configuration file to read.   |
|                                                    | Note that only the built-in configuration file and |
|                                                    | the registry can modify this setting.              |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "user_config"                                      | The second configuration file to read.             |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "additional_config"                                | The third configuration file to read.              |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "registry_override_key"                            | Registry location to check for overrides. Note     |
|                                                    | that only the built-in configuration file can      |
|                                                    | modify this setting.                               |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "bundled_dir"                                      | Read-only directory containing locally cached      |
|                                                    | files.                                             |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "install.fallback_source"                          | Path or URL to an index to consult when the main   |
|                                                    | index cannot be accessed.                          |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "install.enable_shortcut_kinds"                    | Comma-separated list of shortcut kinds to allow    |
|                                                    | (e.g. ""pep514,start""). Enabled shortcuts may     |
|                                                    | still be disabled by "disable_shortcut_kinds".     |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "install.disable_shortcut_kinds"                   | Comma-separated list of shortcut kinds to exclude  |
|                                                    | (e.g. ""pep514,start""). Disabled shortcuts are    |
|                                                    | not reactivated by "enable_shortcut_kinds".        |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "pep514_root"                                      | Registry location to read and write PEP 514        |
|                                                    | entries into. By default,                          |
|                                                    | "HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Python".               |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "start_folder"                                     | Start menu folder to write shortcuts into. By      |
|                                                    | default, "Python". This path is relative to the    |
|                                                    | user's Programs folder.                            |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "virtual_env"                                      | Path to the active virtual environment. By         |
|                                                    | default, this is "%VIRTUAL_ENV%", but may be set   |
|                                                    | empty to disable venv detection.                   |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "shebang_can_run_anything_silently"                | True to suppress visible warnings when a shebang   |
|                                                    | launches an application other than a Python        |
|                                                    | runtime.                                           |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+


4.1.12. Installing free-threaded binaries
-----------------------------------------

Added in version 3.13.

Pre-built distributions of the free-threaded build are available by
installing tags with the "t" suffix.

   $> py install 3.14t
   $> py install 3.14t-arm64
   $> py install 3.14t-32

This will install and register as normal. If you have no other
runtimes installed, then "python" will launch this one. Otherwise, you
will need to use "py -V:3.14t ..." or, if you have added the global
aliases directory to your "PATH" environment variable, the
"python3.14t.exe" commands.


4.1.13. Troubleshooting
-----------------------

If your Python install manager does not seem to be working correctly,
please work through these tests and fixes to see if it helps. If not,
please report an issue at our bug tracker, including any relevant log
files (written to your "%TEMP%" directory by default).

-[ Troubleshooting ]-

+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| Symptom                                            | Things to try                                      |
|====================================================|====================================================|
| "python" gives me a "command not found" error or   | Did you install the Python install manager?        |
| opens the Store app when I type it in my terminal. |                                                    |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
|                                                    | Click Start, open "Manage app execution aliases",  |
|                                                    | and check that the aliases for "Python (default)"  |
|                                                    | are enabled. If they already are, try disabling    |
|                                                    | and re-enabling to refresh the command. The        |
|                                                    | "Python (default windowed)" and "Python install    |
|                                                    | manager" commands may also need refreshing.        |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
|                                                    | Check that the "py" and "pymanager" commands work. |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
|                                                    | Ensure your "PATH" variable contains the entry for |
|                                                    | "%UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApp  |
|                                                    | s". The operating system includes this entry once  |
|                                                    | by default, after other user paths. If removed,    |
|                                                    | shortcuts will not be found.                       |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "py" gives me a "command not found" error when I   | Did you install the Python install manager?        |
| type it in my terminal.                            |                                                    |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
|                                                    | Click Start, open "Manage app execution aliases",  |
|                                                    | and check that the aliases for "Python (default)"  |
|                                                    | are enabled. If they already are, try disabling    |
|                                                    | and re-enabling to refresh the command. The        |
|                                                    | "Python (default windowed)" and "Python install    |
|                                                    | manager" commands may also need refreshing.        |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
|                                                    | Ensure your "PATH" variable contains the entry for |
|                                                    | "%UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApp  |
|                                                    | s". The operating system includes this entry once  |
|                                                    | by default, after other user paths. If removed,    |
|                                                    | shortcuts will not be found.                       |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "py" gives me a "can't open file" error when I     | This usually means you have the legacy launcher    |
| type commands in my terminal.                      | installed and it has priority over the Python      |
|                                                    | install manager. To remove, click Start, open      |
|                                                    | "Installed apps", search for "Python launcher" and |
|                                                    | uninstall it.                                      |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "python" doesn't launch the same runtime as "py"   | Click Start, open "Installed apps", look for any   |
|                                                    | existing Python runtimes, and either remove them   |
|                                                    | or Modify and disable the "PATH" options.          |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
|                                                    | Click Start, open "Manage app execution aliases",  |
|                                                    | and check that your "python.exe" alias is set to   |
|                                                    | "Python (default)"                                 |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "python" and "py" don't launch the runtime I       | Check your "PYTHON_MANAGER_DEFAULT" environment    |
| expect                                             | variable or "default_tag" configuration. The "py   |
|                                                    | list" command will show your default based on      |
|                                                    | these settings.                                    |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
|                                                    | Installs that are managed by the Python install    |
|                                                    | manager will be chosen ahead of unmanaged          |
|                                                    | installs. Use "py install" to install the runtime  |
|                                                    | you expect, or configure your default tag.         |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
|                                                    | Prerelease and experimental installs that are not  |
|                                                    | managed by the Python install manager may be       |
|                                                    | chosen ahead of stable releases. Configure your    |
|                                                    | default tag or uninstall the prerelease runtime    |
|                                                    | and reinstall it using "py install".               |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "pythonw" or "pyw" don't launch the same runtime   | Click Start, open "Manage app execution aliases",  |
| as "python" or "py"                                | and check that your "pythonw.exe" and "pyw.exe"    |
|                                                    | aliases are consistent with your others.           |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| "pip" gives me a "command not found" error when I  | Have you activated a virtual environment? Run the  |
| type it in my terminal.                            | ".venv\Scripts\activate" script in your terminal   |
|                                                    | to activate.                                       |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
|                                                    | The package may be available but missing the       |
|                                                    | generated executable. We recommend using the       |
|                                                    | "python -m pip" command instead, or alternatively  |
|                                                    | the "python -m pip install --force pip" command    |
|                                                    | will recreate the executables and show you the     |
|                                                    | path to add to "PATH". These scripts are separated |
|                                                    | for each runtime, and so you may need to add       |
|                                                    | multiple paths.                                    |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| Typing "script-name.py" in the terminal opens in a | This is a known limitation of the operating        |
| new window.                                        | system. Either specify "py" before the script      |
|                                                    | name, create a batch file containing "@py          |
|                                                    | "%~dpn0.py" %*" with the same name as the script,  |
|                                                    | or install the legacy launcher and select it as    |
|                                                    | the association for scripts.                       |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| Drag-dropping files onto a script doesn't work     | This is a known limitation of the operating        |
|                                                    | system. It is supported with the legacy launcher,  |
|                                                    | or with the Python install manager when installed  |
|                                                    | from the MSI.                                      |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| I have installed the Python install manager        | It is possible to install from the Store or        |
| multiple times.                                    | WinGet, from the MSIX on the Python website, and   |
|                                                    | from the MSI, all at once. They are all compatible |
|                                                    | and will share configuration and runtimes.         |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
|                                                    | See the earlier Advanced installation section for  |
|                                                    | ways to uninstall the install manager other than   |
|                                                    | the typical Installed Apps (Add and Remove         |
|                                                    | Programs) settings page.                           |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+
| My old "py.ini" settings no longer work.           | The new Python install manager no longer supports  |
|                                                    | this configuration file or its settings, and so it |
|                                                    | will be ignored. See Configuration for information |
|                                                    | about configuration settings.                      |
+----------------------------------------------------+----------------------------------------------------+


4.2. The embeddable package
===========================

Added in version 3.5.

The embedded distribution is a ZIP file containing a minimal Python
environment. It is intended for acting as part of another application,
rather than being directly accessed by end-users.

To install an embedded distribution, we recommend using "py install"
with the "--target" option:

   $> py install 3.14-embed --target=<directory>

When extracted, the embedded distribution is (almost) fully isolated
from the user's system, including environment variables, system
registry settings, and installed packages. The standard library is
included as pre-compiled and optimized ".pyc" files in a ZIP, and
"python3.dll", "python313.dll", "python.exe" and "pythonw.exe" are all
provided. Tcl/tk (including all dependents, such as Idle), pip and the
Python documentation are not included.

A default "._pth" file is included, which further restricts the
default search paths (as described below in Finding modules). This
file is intended for embedders to modify as necessary.

Third-party packages should be installed by the application installer
alongside the embedded distribution. Using pip to manage dependencies
as for a regular Python installation is not supported with this
distribution, though with some care it may be possible to include and
use pip for automatic updates. In general, third-party packages should
be treated as part of the application ("vendoring") so that the
developer can ensure compatibility with newer versions before
providing updates to users.

The two recommended use cases for this distribution are described
below.


4.2.1. Python application
-------------------------

An application written in Python does not necessarily require users to
be aware of that fact. The embedded distribution may be used in this
case to include a private version of Python in an install package.
Depending on how transparent it should be (or conversely, how
professional it should appear), there are two options.

Using a specialized executable as a launcher requires some coding, but
provides the most transparent experience for users. With a customized
launcher, there are no obvious indications that the program is running
on Python: icons can be customized, company and version information
can be specified, and file associations behave properly. In most
cases, a custom launcher should simply be able to call "Py_Main" with
a hard-coded command line.

The simpler approach is to provide a batch file or generated shortcut
that directly calls the "python.exe" or "pythonw.exe" with the
required command-line arguments. In this case, the application will
appear to be Python and not its actual name, and users may have
trouble distinguishing it from other running Python processes or file
associations.

With the latter approach, packages should be installed as directories
alongside the Python executable to ensure they are available on the
path. With the specialized launcher, packages can be located in other
locations as there is an opportunity to specify the search path before
launching the application.


4.2.2. Embedding Python
-----------------------

Applications written in native code often require some form of
scripting language, and the embedded Python distribution can be used
for this purpose. In general, the majority of the application is in
native code, and some part will either invoke "python.exe" or directly
use "python3.dll". For either case, extracting the embedded
distribution to a subdirectory of the application installation is
sufficient to provide a loadable Python interpreter.

As with the application use, packages can be installed to any location
as there is an opportunity to specify search paths before initializing
the interpreter. Otherwise, there is no fundamental differences
between using the embedded distribution and a regular installation.


4.3. The nuget.org packages
===========================

Added in version 3.5.2.

The nuget.org package is a reduced size Python environment intended
for use on continuous integration and build systems that do not have a
system-wide install of Python. While nuget is "the package manager for
.NET", it also works perfectly fine for packages containing build-time
tools.

Visit nuget.org for the most up-to-date information on using nuget.
What follows is a summary that is sufficient for Python developers.

The "nuget.exe" command line tool may be downloaded directly from
"https://aka.ms/nugetclidl", for example, using curl or PowerShell.
With the tool, the latest version of Python for 64-bit or 32-bit
machines is installed using:

   nuget.exe install python -ExcludeVersion -OutputDirectory .
   nuget.exe install pythonx86 -ExcludeVersion -OutputDirectory .

To select a particular version, add a "-Version 3.x.y". The output
directory may be changed from ".", and the package will be installed
into a subdirectory. By default, the subdirectory is named the same as
the package, and without the "-ExcludeVersion" option this name will
include the specific version installed. Inside the subdirectory is a
"tools" directory that contains the Python installation:

   # Without -ExcludeVersion
   > .\python.3.5.2\tools\python.exe -V
   Python 3.5.2

   # With -ExcludeVersion
   > .\python\tools\python.exe -V
   Python 3.5.2

In general, nuget packages are not upgradeable, and newer versions
should be installed side-by-side and referenced using the full path.
Alternatively, delete the package directory manually and install it
again. Many CI systems will do this automatically if they do not
preserve files between builds.

Alongside the "tools" directory is a "build\native" directory. This
contains a MSBuild properties file "python.props" that can be used in
a C++ project to reference the Python install. Including the settings
will automatically use the headers and import libraries in your build.

The package information pages on nuget.org are
www.nuget.org/packages/python for the 64-bit version,
www.nuget.org/packages/pythonx86 for the 32-bit version, and
www.nuget.org/packages/pythonarm64 for the ARM64 version


4.3.1. Free-threaded packages
-----------------------------

Added in version 3.13.

Packages containing free-threaded binaries are named python-
freethreaded for the 64-bit version, pythonx86-freethreaded for the
32-bit version, and pythonarm64-freethreaded for the ARM64 version.
These packages contain both the "python3.13t.exe" and "python.exe"
entry points, both of which run free threaded.


4.4. Alternative bundles
========================

Besides the standard CPython distribution, there are modified packages
including additional functionality.  The following is a list of
popular versions and their key features:

ActivePython
   Installer with multi-platform compatibility, documentation, PyWin32

Anaconda
   Popular scientific modules (such as numpy, scipy and pandas) and
   the "conda" package manager.

Enthought Deployment Manager
   "The Next Generation Python Environment and Package Manager".

   Previously Enthought provided Canopy, but it reached end of life in
   2016.

WinPython
   Windows-specific distribution with prebuilt scientific packages and
   tools for building packages.

Note that these packages may not include the latest versions of Python
or other libraries, and are not maintained or supported by the core
Python team.


4.5. Supported Windows versions
===============================

As specified in **PEP 11**, a Python release only supports a Windows
platform while Microsoft considers the platform under extended
support. This means that Python 3.14 supports Windows 10 and newer. If
you require Windows 7 support, please install Python 3.8. If you
require Windows 8.1 support, please install Python 3.12.


4.6. Removing the MAX_PATH limitation
=====================================

Windows historically has limited path lengths to 260 characters. This
meant that paths longer than this would not resolve and errors would
result.

In the latest versions of Windows, this limitation can be expanded to
over 32,000 characters. Your administrator will need to activate the
"Enable Win32 long paths" group policy, or set "LongPathsEnabled" to
"1" in the registry key
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem".

This allows the "open()" function, the "os" module and most other path
functionality to accept and return paths longer than 260 characters.

After changing the above option and rebooting, no further
configuration is required.


4.7. UTF-8 mode
===============

Added in version 3.7.

Windows still uses legacy encodings for the system encoding (the ANSI
Code Page).  Python uses it for the default encoding of text files
(e.g. "locale.getencoding()").

This may cause issues because UTF-8 is widely used on the internet and
most Unix systems, including WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux).

You can use the Python UTF-8 Mode to change the default text encoding
to UTF-8. You can enable the Python UTF-8 Mode via the "-X utf8"
command line option, or the "PYTHONUTF8=1" environment variable.  See
"PYTHONUTF8" for enabling UTF-8 mode, and Python install manager for
how to modify environment variables.

When the Python UTF-8 Mode is enabled, you can still use the system
encoding (the ANSI Code Page) via the "mbcs" codec.

Note that adding "PYTHONUTF8=1" to the default environment variables
will affect all Python 3.7+ applications on your system. If you have
any Python 3.7+ applications which rely on the legacy system encoding,
it is recommended to set the environment variable temporarily or use
the "-X utf8" command line option.

Note:

  Even when UTF-8 mode is disabled, Python uses UTF-8 by default on
  Windows for:

  * Console I/O including standard I/O (see **PEP 528** for details).

  * The *filesystem encoding* (see **PEP 529** for details).


4.8. Finding modules
====================

These notes supplement the description at The initialization of the
sys.path module search path with detailed Windows notes.

When no "._pth" file is found, this is how "sys.path" is populated on
Windows:

* An empty entry is added at the start, which corresponds to the
  current directory.

* If the environment variable "PYTHONPATH" exists, as described in
  Environment variables, its entries are added next.  Note that on
  Windows, paths in this variable must be separated by semicolons, to
  distinguish them from the colon used in drive identifiers ("C:\"
  etc.).

* Additional "application paths" can be added in the registry as
  subkeys of "\SOFTWARE\Python\PythonCore{version}\PythonPath" under
  both the "HKEY_CURRENT_USER" and "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" hives.
  Subkeys which have semicolon-delimited path strings as their default
  value will cause each path to be added to "sys.path".  (Note that
  all known installers only use HKLM, so HKCU is typically empty.)

* If the environment variable "PYTHONHOME" is set, it is assumed as
  "Python Home".  Otherwise, the path of the main Python executable is
  used to locate a "landmark file" (either "Lib\os.py" or
  "pythonXY.zip") to deduce the "Python Home".  If a Python home is
  found, the relevant sub-directories added to "sys.path" ("Lib",
  "plat-win", etc) are based on that folder.  Otherwise, the core
  Python path is constructed from the PythonPath stored in the
  registry.

* If the Python Home cannot be located, no "PYTHONPATH" is specified
  in the environment, and no registry entries can be found, a default
  path with relative entries is used (e.g. ".\Lib;.\plat-win", etc).

If a "pyvenv.cfg" file is found alongside the main executable or in
the directory one level above the executable, the following variations
apply:

* If "home" is an absolute path and "PYTHONHOME" is not set, this path
  is used instead of the path to the main executable when deducing the
  home location.

The end result of all this is:

* When running "python.exe", or any other .exe in the main Python
  directory (either an installed version, or directly from the PCbuild
  directory), the core path is deduced, and the core paths in the
  registry are ignored.  Other "application paths" in the registry are
  always read.

* When Python is hosted in another .exe (different directory, embedded
  via COM, etc), the "Python Home" will not be deduced, so the core
  path from the registry is used.  Other "application paths" in the
  registry are always read.

* If Python can't find its home and there are no registry value
  (frozen .exe, some very strange installation setup) you get a path
  with some default, but relative, paths.

For those who want to bundle Python into their application or
distribution, the following advice will prevent conflicts with other
installations:

* Include a "._pth" file alongside your executable containing the
  directories to include. This will ignore paths listed in the
  registry and environment variables, and also ignore "site" unless
  "import site" is listed.

* If you are loading "python3.dll" or "python37.dll" in your own
  executable, explicitly set "PyConfig.module_search_paths" before
  "Py_InitializeFromConfig()".

* Clear and/or overwrite "PYTHONPATH" and set "PYTHONHOME" before
  launching "python.exe" from your application.

* If you cannot use the previous suggestions (for example, you are a
  distribution that allows people to run "python.exe" directly),
  ensure that the landmark file ("Lib\os.py") exists in your install
  directory. (Note that it will not be detected inside a ZIP file, but
  a correctly named ZIP file will be detected instead.)

These will ensure that the files in a system-wide installation will
not take precedence over the copy of the standard library bundled with
your application. Otherwise, your users may experience problems using
your application. Note that the first suggestion is the best, as the
others may still be susceptible to non-standard paths in the registry
and user site-packages.

Changed in version 3.6: Add "._pth" file support and removes
"applocal" option from "pyvenv.cfg".

Changed in version 3.6: Add "python*XX*.zip" as a potential landmark
when directly adjacent to the executable.

Deprecated since version 3.6: Modules specified in the registry under
"Modules" (not "PythonPath") may be imported by
"importlib.machinery.WindowsRegistryFinder". This finder is enabled on
Windows in 3.6.0 and earlier, but may need to be explicitly added to
"sys.meta_path" in the future.


4.9. Additional modules
=======================

Even though Python aims to be portable among all platforms, there are
features that are unique to Windows.  A couple of modules, both in the
standard library and external, and snippets exist to use these
features.

The Windows-specific standard modules are documented in MS Windows
Specific Services.


4.9.1. PyWin32
--------------

The PyWin32 module by Mark Hammond is a collection of modules for
advanced Windows-specific support.  This includes utilities for:

* Component Object Model (COM)

* Win32 API calls

* Registry

* Event log

* Microsoft Foundation Classes (MFC) user interfaces

PythonWin is a sample MFC application shipped with PyWin32.  It is an
embeddable IDE with a built-in debugger.

See also:

  Win32 How Do I...?
     by Tim Golden

  Python and COM
     by David and Paul Boddie


4.9.2. cx_Freeze
----------------

cx_Freeze wraps Python scripts into executable Windows programs
("***.exe" files).  When you have done this, you can distribute your
application without requiring your users to install Python.


4.10. Compiling Python on Windows
=================================

If you want to compile CPython yourself, first thing you should do is
get the source. You can download either the latest release's source or
just grab a fresh checkout.

The source tree contains a build solution and project files for
Microsoft Visual Studio, which is the compiler used to build the
official Python releases. These files are in the "PCbuild" directory.

Check "PCbuild/readme.txt" for general information on the build
process.

For extension modules, consult Building C and C++ Extensions on
Windows.


4.11. The full installer (deprecated)
=====================================

Deprecated since version 3.14: This installer is deprecated since 3.14
and will not be produced for Python 3.16 or later. See Python install
manager for the modern installer.


4.11.1. Installation steps
--------------------------

Four Python 3.14 installers are available for download - two each for
the 32-bit and 64-bit versions of the interpreter. The *web installer*
is a small initial download, and it will automatically download the
required components as necessary. The *offline installer* includes the
components necessary for a default installation and only requires an
internet connection for optional features. See Installing without
downloading for other ways to avoid downloading during installation.

After starting the installer, one of two options may be selected:

[image]

If you select "Install Now":

* You will *not* need to be an administrator (unless a system update
  for the C Runtime Library is required or you install the Python
  install manager for all users)

* Python will be installed into your user directory

* The Python install manager will be installed according to the option
  at the bottom of the first page

* The standard library, test suite, launcher and pip will be installed

* If selected, the install directory will be added to your "PATH"

* Shortcuts will only be visible for the current user

Selecting "Customize installation" will allow you to select the
features to install, the installation location and other options or
post-install actions. To install debugging symbols or binaries, you
will need to use this option.

To perform an all-users installation, you should select "Customize
installation". In this case:

* You may be required to provide administrative credentials or
  approval

* Python will be installed into the Program Files directory

* The Python install manager will be installed into the Windows
  directory

* Optional features may be selected during installation

* The standard library can be pre-compiled to bytecode

* If selected, the install directory will be added to the system
  "PATH"

* Shortcuts are available for all users


4.11.2. Removing the MAX_PATH limitation
----------------------------------------

Windows historically has limited path lengths to 260 characters. This
meant that paths longer than this would not resolve and errors would
result.

In the latest versions of Windows, this limitation can be expanded to
approximately 32,000 characters. Your administrator will need to
activate the "Enable Win32 long paths" group policy, or set
"LongPathsEnabled" to "1" in the registry key
"HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem".

This allows the "open()" function, the "os" module and most other path
functionality to accept and return paths longer than 260 characters.

After changing the above option, no further configuration is required.

Changed in version 3.6: Support for long paths was enabled in Python.


4.11.3. Installing without UI
-----------------------------

All of the options available in the installer UI can also be specified
from the command line, allowing scripted installers to replicate an
installation on many machines without user interaction.  These options
may also be set without suppressing the UI in order to change some of
the defaults.

The following options (found by executing the installer with "/?") can
be passed into the installer:

+-----------------------+----------------------------------------------------------+
| Name                  | Description                                              |
|=======================|==========================================================|
| /passive              | to display progress without requiring user interaction   |
+-----------------------+----------------------------------------------------------+
| /quiet                | to install/uninstall without displaying any UI           |
+-----------------------+----------------------------------------------------------+
| /simple               | to prevent user customization                            |
+-----------------------+----------------------------------------------------------+
| /uninstall            | to remove Python (without confirmation)                  |
+-----------------------+----------------------------------------------------------+
| /layout [directory]   | to pre-download all components                           |
+-----------------------+----------------------------------------------------------+
| /log [filename]       | to specify log files location                            |
+-----------------------+----------------------------------------------------------+

All other options are passed as "name=value", where the value is
usually "0" to disable a feature, "1" to enable a feature, or a path.
The full list of available options is shown below.

+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Name                        | Description                            | Default                    |
|=============================|========================================|============================|
| InstallAllUsers             | Perform a system-wide installation.    | 0                          |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| TargetDir                   | The installation directory             | Selected based on          |
|                             |                                        | InstallAllUsers            |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| DefaultAllUsersTargetDir    | The default installation directory for | "%ProgramFiles%\Python     |
|                             | all-user installs                      | X.Y" or "%ProgramFiles(x8  |
|                             |                                        | 6)%\Python X.Y"            |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| DefaultJustForMeTargetDir   | The default install directory for      | "%LocalAppData%\Programs\  |
|                             | just-for-me installs                   | Python\PythonXY" or "%Loc  |
|                             |                                        | alAppData%\Programs\Pytho  |
|                             |                                        | n\PythonXY-32" or "%Local  |
|                             |                                        | AppData%\Programs\Python\  |
|                             |                                        | PythonXY-64"               |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| DefaultCustomTargetDir      | The default custom install directory   | (empty)                    |
|                             | displayed in the UI                    |                            |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| AssociateFiles              | Create file associations if the        | 1                          |
|                             | launcher is also installed.            |                            |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| CompileAll                  | Compile all ".py" files to ".pyc".     | 0                          |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| PrependPath                 | Prepend install and Scripts            | 0                          |
|                             | directories  to "PATH" and add ".PY"   |                            |
|                             | to "PATHEXT"                           |                            |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| AppendPath                  | Append install and Scripts directories | 0                          |
|                             | to "PATH" and add ".PY" to "PATHEXT"   |                            |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Shortcuts                   | Create shortcuts for the interpreter,  | 1                          |
|                             | documentation and IDLE if installed.   |                            |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Include_doc                 | Install Python manual                  | 1                          |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Include_debug               | Install debug binaries                 | 0                          |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Include_dev                 | Install developer headers and          | 1                          |
|                             | libraries. Omitting this may lead to   |                            |
|                             | an unusable installation.              |                            |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Include_exe                 | Install "python.exe" and related       | 1                          |
|                             | files. Omitting this may lead to an    |                            |
|                             | unusable installation.                 |                            |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Include_launcher            | Install Python install manager.        | 1                          |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| InstallLauncherAllUsers     | Installs the launcher for all users.   | 1                          |
|                             | Also requires "Include_launcher" to be |                            |
|                             | set to 1                               |                            |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Include_lib                 | Install standard library and extension | 1                          |
|                             | modules. Omitting this may lead to an  |                            |
|                             | unusable installation.                 |                            |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Include_pip                 | Install bundled pip and setuptools     | 1                          |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Include_symbols             | Install debugging symbols ("*.pdb")    | 0                          |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Include_tcltk               | Install Tcl/Tk support and IDLE        | 1                          |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Include_test                | Install standard library test suite    | 1                          |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| Include_tools               | Install utility scripts                | 1                          |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| LauncherOnly                | Only installs the launcher. This will  | 0                          |
|                             | override most other options.           |                            |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| SimpleInstall               | Disable most install UI                | 0                          |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+
| SimpleInstallDescription    | A custom message to display when the   | (empty)                    |
|                             | simplified install UI is used.         |                            |
+-----------------------------+----------------------------------------+----------------------------+

For example, to silently install a default, system-wide Python
installation, you could use the following command (from an elevated
command prompt):

   python-3.9.0.exe /quiet InstallAllUsers=1 PrependPath=1 Include_test=0

To allow users to easily install a personal copy of Python without the
test suite, you could provide a shortcut with the following command.
This will display a simplified initial page and disallow
customization:

   python-3.9.0.exe InstallAllUsers=0 Include_launcher=0 Include_test=0
       SimpleInstall=1 SimpleInstallDescription="Just for me, no test suite."

(Note that omitting the launcher also omits file associations, and is
only recommended for per-user installs when there is also a system-
wide installation that included the launcher.)

The options listed above can also be provided in a file named
"unattend.xml" alongside the executable. This file specifies a list of
options and values. When a value is provided as an attribute, it will
be converted to a number if possible. Values provided as element text
are always left as strings. This example file sets the same options as
the previous example:

   <Options>
       <Option Name="InstallAllUsers" Value="no" />
       <Option Name="Include_launcher" Value="0" />
       <Option Name="Include_test" Value="no" />
       <Option Name="SimpleInstall" Value="yes" />
       <Option Name="SimpleInstallDescription">Just for me, no test suite</Option>
   </Options>


4.11.4. Installing without downloading
--------------------------------------

As some features of Python are not included in the initial installer
download, selecting those features may require an internet connection.
To avoid this need, all possible components may be downloaded on-
demand to create a complete *layout* that will no longer require an
internet connection regardless of the selected features. Note that
this download may be bigger than required, but where a large number of
installations are going to be performed it is very useful to have a
locally cached copy.

Execute the following command from Command Prompt to download all
possible required files.  Remember to substitute "python-3.9.0.exe"
for the actual name of your installer, and to create layouts in their
own directories to avoid collisions between files with the same name.

   python-3.9.0.exe /layout [optional target directory]

You may also specify the "/quiet" option to hide the progress display.


4.11.5. Modifying an install
----------------------------

Once Python has been installed, you can add or remove features through
the Programs and Features tool that is part of Windows. Select the
Python entry and choose "Uninstall/Change" to open the installer in
maintenance mode.

"Modify" allows you to add or remove features by modifying the
checkboxes - unchanged checkboxes will not install or remove anything.
Some options cannot be changed in this mode, such as the install
directory; to modify these, you will need to remove and then reinstall
Python completely.

"Repair" will verify all the files that should be installed using the
current settings and replace any that have been removed or modified.

"Uninstall" will remove Python entirely, with the exception of the
Python install manager, which has its own entry in Programs and
Features.


4.11.6. Installing free-threaded binaries
-----------------------------------------

Added in version 3.13.

To install pre-built binaries with free-threading enabled (see **PEP
703**), you should select "Customize installation". The second page of
options includes the "Download free-threaded binaries" checkbox.

[image]

Selecting this option will download and install additional binaries to
the same location as the main Python install. The main executable is
called "python3.13t.exe", and other binaries either receive a "t"
suffix or a full ABI suffix. Python source files and bundled third-
party dependencies are shared with the main install.

The free-threaded version is registered as a regular Python install
with the tag "3.13t" (with a "-32" or "-arm64" suffix as normal for
those platforms). This allows tools to discover it, and for the Python
install manager to support "py.exe -3.13t". Note that the launcher
will interpret "py.exe -3" (or a "python3" shebang) as "the latest 3.x
install", which will prefer the free-threaded binaries over the
regular ones, while "py.exe -3.13" will not. If you use the short
style of option, you may prefer to not install the free-threaded
binaries at this time.

To specify the install option at the command line, use
"Include_freethreaded=1". See Installing without downloading for
instructions on pre-emptively downloading the additional binaries for
offline install. The options to include debug symbols and binaries
also apply to the free-threaded builds.

Free-threaded binaries are also available on nuget.org.


4.12. Python launcher for Windows (deprecated)
==============================================

Deprecated since version 3.14: The launcher and this documentation
have been superseded by the Python Install Manager described above.
This is preserved temporarily for historical interest.

Added in version 3.3.

The Python launcher for Windows is a utility which aids in locating
and executing of different Python versions.  It allows scripts (or the
command-line) to indicate a preference for a specific Python version,
and will locate and execute that version.

Unlike the "PATH" variable, the launcher will correctly select the
most appropriate version of Python. It will prefer per-user
installations over system-wide ones, and orders by language version
rather than using the most recently installed version.

The launcher was originally specified in **PEP 397**.


4.12.1. Getting started
-----------------------


4.12.1.1. From the command-line
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Changed in version 3.6.

System-wide installations of Python 3.3 and later will put the
launcher on your "PATH". The launcher is compatible with all available
versions of Python, so it does not matter which version is installed.
To check that the launcher is available, execute the following command
in Command Prompt:

   py

You should find that the latest version of Python you have installed
is started - it can be exited as normal, and any additional command-
line arguments specified will be sent directly to Python.

If you have multiple versions of Python installed (e.g., 3.7 and 3.14)
you will have noticed that Python 3.14 was started - to launch Python
3.7, try the command:

   py -3.7

If you want the latest version of Python 2 you have installed, try the
command:

   py -2

If you see the following error, you do not have the launcher
installed:

   'py' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
   operable program or batch file.

The command:

   py --list

displays the currently installed version(s) of Python.

The "-x.y" argument is the short form of the "-V:Company/Tag"
argument, which allows selecting a specific Python runtime, including
those that may have come from somewhere other than python.org. Any
runtime registered by following **PEP 514** will be discoverable. The
"--list" command lists all available runtimes using the "-V:" format.

When using the "-V:" argument, specifying the Company will limit
selection to runtimes from that provider, while specifying only the
Tag will select from all providers. Note that omitting the slash
implies a tag:

   # Select any '3.*' tagged runtime
   py -V:3

   # Select any 'PythonCore' released runtime
   py -V:PythonCore/

   # Select PythonCore's latest Python 3 runtime
   py -V:PythonCore/3

The short form of the argument ("-3") only ever selects from core
Python releases, and not other distributions. However, the longer form
("-V:3") will select from any.

The Company is matched on the full string, case-insensitive. The Tag
is matched on either the full string, or a prefix, provided the next
character is a dot or a hyphen. This allows "-V:3.1" to match
"3.1-32", but not "3.10". Tags are sorted using numerical ordering
("3.10" is newer than "3.1"), but are compared using text ("-V:3.01"
does not match "3.1").


4.12.1.2. Virtual environments
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Added in version 3.5.

If the launcher is run with no explicit Python version specification,
and a virtual environment (created with the standard library "venv"
module or the external "virtualenv" tool) active, the launcher will
run the virtual environment's interpreter rather than the global one.
To run the global interpreter, either deactivate the virtual
environment, or explicitly specify the global Python version.


4.12.1.3. From a script
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Let's create a test Python script - create a file called "hello.py"
with the following contents

   #! python
   import sys
   sys.stdout.write("hello from Python %s\n" % (sys.version,))

From the directory in which hello.py lives, execute the command:

   py hello.py

You should notice the version number of your latest Python 2.x
installation is printed.  Now try changing the first line to be:

   #! python3

Re-executing the command should now print the latest Python 3.x
information. As with the above command-line examples, you can specify
a more explicit version qualifier.  Assuming you have Python 3.7
installed, try changing the first line to "#! python3.7" and you
should find the 3.7 version information printed.

Note that unlike interactive use, a bare "python" will use the latest
version of Python 2.x that you have installed.  This is for backward
compatibility and for compatibility with Unix, where the command
"python" typically refers to Python 2.


4.12.1.4. From file associations
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

The launcher should have been associated with Python files (i.e.
".py", ".pyw", ".pyc" files) when it was installed.  This means that
when you double-click on one of these files from Windows explorer the
launcher will be used, and therefore you can use the same facilities
described above to have the script specify the version which should be
used.

The key benefit of this is that a single launcher can support multiple
Python versions at the same time depending on the contents of the
first line.


4.12.2. Shebang lines
---------------------

If the first line of a script file starts with "#!", it is known as a
"shebang" line.  Linux and other Unix like operating systems have
native support for such lines and they are commonly used on such
systems to indicate how a script should be executed.  This launcher
allows the same facilities to be used with Python scripts on Windows
and the examples above demonstrate their use.

To allow shebang lines in Python scripts to be portable between Unix
and Windows, this launcher supports a number of 'virtual' commands to
specify which interpreter to use.  The supported virtual commands are:

* "/usr/bin/env"

* "/usr/bin/python"

* "/usr/local/bin/python"

* "python"

For example, if the first line of your script starts with

   #! /usr/bin/python

The default Python or an active virtual environment will be located
and used. As many Python scripts written to work on Unix will already
have this line, you should find these scripts can be used by the
launcher without modification. If you are writing a new script on
Windows which you hope will be useful on Unix, you should use one of
the shebang lines starting with "/usr".

Any of the above virtual commands can be suffixed with an explicit
version (either just the major version, or the major and minor
version). Furthermore the 32-bit version can be requested by adding
"-32" after the minor version. I.e. "/usr/bin/python3.7-32" will
request usage of the 32-bit Python 3.7. If a virtual environment is
active, the version will be ignored and the environment will be used.

Added in version 3.7: Beginning with python launcher 3.7 it is
possible to request 64-bit version by the "-64" suffix. Furthermore it
is possible to specify a major and architecture without minor (i.e.
"/usr/bin/python3-64").

Changed in version 3.11: The "-64" suffix is deprecated, and now
implies "any architecture that is not provably i386/32-bit". To
request a specific environment, use the new "-V:*TAG*" argument with
the complete tag.

Changed in version 3.13: Virtual commands referencing "python" now
prefer an active virtual environment rather than searching "PATH".
This handles cases where the shebang specifies "/usr/bin/env python3"
but "python3.exe" is not present in the active environment.

The "/usr/bin/env" form of shebang line has one further special
property. Before looking for installed Python interpreters, this form
will search the executable "PATH" for a Python executable matching the
name provided as the first argument. This corresponds to the behaviour
of the Unix "env" program, which performs a "PATH" search. If an
executable matching the first argument after the "env" command cannot
be found, but the argument starts with "python", it will be handled as
described for the other virtual commands. The environment variable
"PYLAUNCHER_NO_SEARCH_PATH" may be set (to any value) to skip this
search of "PATH".

Shebang lines that do not match any of these patterns are looked up in
the "[commands]" section of the launcher's .INI file. This may be used
to handle certain commands in a way that makes sense for your system.
The name of the command must be a single argument (no spaces in the
shebang executable), and the value substituted is the full path to the
executable (additional arguments specified in the .INI will be quoted
as part of the filename).

   [commands]
   /bin/xpython=C:\Program Files\XPython\python.exe

Any commands not found in the .INI file are treated as **Windows**
executable paths that are absolute or relative to the directory
containing the script file. This is a convenience for Windows-only
scripts, such as those generated by an installer, since the behavior
is not compatible with Unix-style shells. These paths may be quoted,
and may include multiple arguments, after which the path to the script
and any additional arguments will be appended.


4.12.3. Arguments in shebang lines
----------------------------------

The shebang lines can also specify additional options to be passed to
the Python interpreter.  For example, if you have a shebang line:

   #! /usr/bin/python -v

Then Python will be started with the "-v" option


4.12.4. Customization
---------------------


4.12.4.1. Customization via INI files
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two .ini files will be searched by the launcher - "py.ini" in the
current user's application data directory ("%LOCALAPPDATA%" or
"$env:LocalAppData") and "py.ini" in the same directory as the
launcher. The same .ini files are used for both the 'console' version
of the launcher (i.e. py.exe) and for the 'windows' version (i.e.
pyw.exe).

Customization specified in the "application directory" will have
precedence over the one next to the executable, so a user, who may not
have write access to the .ini file next to the launcher, can override
commands in that global .ini file.


4.12.4.2. Customizing default Python versions
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

In some cases, a version qualifier can be included in a command to
dictate which version of Python will be used by the command. A version
qualifier starts with a major version number and can optionally be
followed by a period ('.') and a minor version specifier. Furthermore
it is possible to specify if a 32 or 64 bit implementation shall be
requested by adding "-32" or "-64".

For example, a shebang line of "#!python" has no version qualifier,
while "#!python3" has a version qualifier which specifies only a major
version.

If no version qualifiers are found in a command, the environment
variable "PY_PYTHON" can be set to specify the default version
qualifier. If it is not set, the default is "3". The variable can
specify any value that may be passed on the command line, such as "3",
"3.7", "3.7-32" or "3.7-64". (Note that the "-64" option is only
available with the launcher included with Python 3.7 or newer.)

If no minor version qualifiers are found, the environment variable
"PY_PYTHON{major}" (where "{major}" is the current major version
qualifier as determined above) can be set to specify the full version.
If no such option is found, the launcher will enumerate the installed
Python versions and use the latest minor release found for the major
version, which is likely, although not guaranteed, to be the most
recently installed version in that family.

On 64-bit Windows with both 32-bit and 64-bit implementations of the
same (major.minor) Python version installed, the 64-bit version will
always be preferred. This will be true for both 32-bit and 64-bit
implementations of the launcher - a 32-bit launcher will prefer to
execute a 64-bit Python installation of the specified version if
available. This is so the behavior of the launcher can be predicted
knowing only what versions are installed on the PC and without regard
to the order in which they were installed (i.e., without knowing
whether a 32 or 64-bit version of Python and corresponding launcher
was installed last). As noted above, an optional "-32" or "-64" suffix
can be used on a version specifier to change this behaviour.

Examples:

* If no relevant options are set, the commands "python" and "python2"
  will use the latest Python 2.x version installed and the command
  "python3" will use the latest Python 3.x installed.

* The command "python3.7" will not consult any options at all as the
  versions are fully specified.

* If "PY_PYTHON=3", the commands "python" and "python3" will both use
  the latest installed Python 3 version.

* If "PY_PYTHON=3.7-32", the command "python" will use the 32-bit
  implementation of 3.7 whereas the command "python3" will use the
  latest installed Python (PY_PYTHON was not considered at all as a
  major version was specified.)

* If "PY_PYTHON=3" and "PY_PYTHON3=3.7", the commands "python" and
  "python3" will both use specifically 3.7

In addition to environment variables, the same settings can be
configured in the .INI file used by the launcher.  The section in the
INI file is called "[defaults]" and the key name will be the same as
the environment variables without the leading "PY_" prefix (and note
that the key names in the INI file are case insensitive.)  The
contents of an environment variable will override things specified in
the INI file.

For example:

* Setting "PY_PYTHON=3.7" is equivalent to the INI file containing:

   [defaults]
   python=3.7

* Setting "PY_PYTHON=3" and "PY_PYTHON3=3.7" is equivalent to the INI
  file containing:

   [defaults]
   python=3
   python3=3.7


4.12.5. Diagnostics
-------------------

If an environment variable "PYLAUNCHER_DEBUG" is set (to any value),
the launcher will print diagnostic information to stderr (i.e. to the
console). While this information manages to be simultaneously verbose
*and* terse, it should allow you to see what versions of Python were
located, why a particular version was chosen and the exact command-
line used to execute the target Python. It is primarily intended for
testing and debugging.


4.12.6. Dry run
---------------

If an environment variable "PYLAUNCHER_DRYRUN" is set (to any value),
the launcher will output the command it would have run, but will not
actually launch Python. This may be useful for tools that want to use
the launcher to detect and then launch Python directly. Note that the
command written to standard output is always encoded using UTF-8, and
may not render correctly in the console.


4.12.7. Install on demand
-------------------------

If an environment variable "PYLAUNCHER_ALLOW_INSTALL" is set (to any
value), and the requested Python version is not installed but is
available on the Microsoft Store, the launcher will attempt to install
it. This may require user interaction to complete, and you may need to
run the command again.

An additional "PYLAUNCHER_ALWAYS_INSTALL" variable causes the launcher
to always try to install Python, even if it is detected. This is
mainly intended for testing (and should be used with
"PYLAUNCHER_DRYRUN").


4.12.8. Return codes
--------------------

The following exit codes may be returned by the Python launcher.
Unfortunately, there is no way to distinguish these from the exit code
of Python itself.

The names of codes are as used in the sources, and are only for
reference. There is no way to access or resolve them apart from
reading this page. Entries are listed in alphabetical order of names.

+---------------------+---------+-------------------------------------------------+
| Name                | Value   | Description                                     |
|=====================|=========|=================================================|
| RC_BAD_VENV_CFG     | 107     | A "pyvenv.cfg" was found but is corrupt.        |
+---------------------+---------+-------------------------------------------------+
| RC_CREATE_PROCESS   | 101     | Failed to launch Python.                        |
+---------------------+---------+-------------------------------------------------+
| RC_INSTALLING       | 111     | An install was started, but the command will    |
|                     |         | need to be re-run after it completes.           |
+---------------------+---------+-------------------------------------------------+
| RC_INTERNAL_ERROR   | 109     | Unexpected error. Please report a bug.          |
+---------------------+---------+-------------------------------------------------+
| RC_NO_COMMANDLINE   | 108     | Unable to obtain command line from the          |
|                     |         | operating system.                               |
+---------------------+---------+-------------------------------------------------+
| RC_NO_PYTHON        | 103     | Unable to locate the requested version.         |
+---------------------+---------+-------------------------------------------------+
| RC_NO_VENV_CFG      | 106     | A "pyvenv.cfg" was required but not found.      |
+---------------------+---------+-------------------------------------------------+
