I want to be able to run Python commands from the Windows CMD. However, if I don't specify Python's full path for each command, I get an error saying 'Python is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.'
Add Python3 to the Path Environment varible: First Download Python from Welcome to Python.org.After Downloading Install it. Right click to the shortcut of Python3 and open file location.copy the programme directory.
How do I add Python to the Windows PATH permanently?
davewisedavewise
migrated from stackoverflow.comMay 19 '10 at 22:01
This question came from our site for professional and enthusiast programmers.
5 Answers
For Windows 10/8/7:
- Open
System Properties
(Right clickComputer
in the start menu, or use the keyboard shortcut Win+Pause) - Click
Advanced system settings
in the sidebar. - Click
Environment Variables...
- Select
PATH
in theSystem variables
section - Click
Edit
- Add Python's path to the end of the list (the paths are separated by semicolons). For example:
For Windows XP:
- Open
System Properties
(Type it in the start menu, or use the keyboard shortcut Win+Pause) - Switch to the
Advanced
tab - Click
Environment Variables...
- Select
PATH
in theSystem variables
section - Click
Edit
- Add Python's path to the end of the list (the paths are separated by semicolons). For example:
- Test on a new terminal window or if using an integrated terminal within a text editor, close and restart your editor or the changes won't be applied.
Michael MrozekMichael Mrozek
For anyone trying to achieve this with Python 3.3+, the Windows installer now includes an option to add python.exe to the system search path. Read more in the docs.
Andreas BergströmAndreas Bergström
As seen in the Python documentation:
Windows has a built-in dialog for changing environment variables (following guide applies to XP classical view): Right-click the icon for your machine (usually located on your Desktop and called “My Computer”) and choose Properties there. Then, open the Advanced tab and click the Environment Variables button.
In short, your path is:
My Computer ‣ Properties ‣ Advanced ‣ Environment Variables In this dialog, you can add or modify User and System variables. To change System variables, you need non-restricted access to your machine (i.e. Administrator rights).
vitorbalvitorbal
- Click on the windows button to start a search
- type in 'system env' and click on the 'edit system environment variables'
- Now click on the advanced tab on the top
- At the bottom click the button that says 'environment variables'
- Now on the 'user variables'your user name' box at the top of the windows click on path then edit
- This should lead to another window where you want to click 'new' and type in the commands: 'C:Python27' and 'C:Python27scripts'
- Python should now work on command prompt
Just A Regular GuyJust A Regular Guy
Right-click on My Computer, choose Properties. Then find the Environment Variables button (on Win7, it's under the Advanced tab; I forget where it is on other versions of Windows). Click that, and under System variables, edit the Path one.
AmberAmber
Not the answer you're looking for? Browse other questions tagged windowspythonpath or ask your own question.
Python doesn’t come prepackaged with Windows, but that doesn’t mean Windows users won’t find the flexible programming language useful. It’s not quite a simple as installing the newest version however, so let’s make sure you get the right tools for the task at hand.
First released in 1991, Python is a popular high-level programming language used for general purpose programming. Thanks to a design philosophy that emphasizes readability it has long been a favorite of hobby coders and serious programmers alike. Not only is it an easy language (comparatively speaking, that is) to pick up but you’ll find thousands of projects online that require you have Python installed to use the program.
Which Version Do You Need?
Unfortunately, there was a significant update to Python several years ago that created a big split between Python versions. This can make things a bit confusing to newcomers, but don’t worry. We’ll walk you through installing both major versions
When you visit the Python for Windows download page, you’ll immediately see the division. Right at the top, square and center, the repository asks if you want the latest release of Python 2 or Python 3 (2.7.13 and 3.6.1, respectively, as of this tutorial).
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Newer is better, right? Maybe so, maybe not. The version you want depends on your end goal. Let’s say, for example, that you read our article about expanding your Minecraft world with MCDungeon and are excited to add cool stuff to your worlds. That project is coded in Python and requires Python 2.7—you can’t run the MCDungeon project with Python 3.6. In fact, if you’re exploring hobby projects like MCDungeon, you’ll find that nearly all of them use 2.7. If your goal is to get some project that ends in a “.py” extension up and running, then there’s a very, very good chance you’ll need 2.7 for it.
On the other hand, if you’re looking to actually learn Python, we recommend installing both versions side by side (which you can do with zero risk and only a tiny bit of setup hassle). This lets you work with the newest version of the language, but also run older Python scripts (and test backwards compatibility for newer projects). Comparing the two versions is an article unto itself, though, so we’ll defer to the Python project wiki where you can read their well written overview of the differences.
You can download just Python 2 or Python 3 if you’re sure you only need a particular version. We’re going the distance today and will be installing both of them, so we recommend you download both versions and do the same. Under the main entry for both versions you’ll see an “x86-64” installer, as seen below.
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![Python Python](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125631069/665475252.png)
This installer will install the appropriate 32-bit or 64-bit version on your computer automatically (here’s some further reading if you want to know more about the differences between the two).
How to Install Python 2
Installing Python 2 is a snap, and unlike in years past, the installer will even set the path variable for you (something we’ll be getting into a bit later). Download and run the installer, select “Install for all users,” and then click “Next.”
On the directory selection screen, leave the directory as “Python27” and click “Next.”
![Windows Windows](/uploads/1/2/5/6/125631069/117032147.png)
On the customization screen, scroll down, click “Add python.exe to Path,” and then select “Will be installed on local hard drive.” When you’re done, click “Next.”
You don’t have to make any more decisions after this point. Just click through the wizard to complete the installation. When the installation is finished, you can confirm the installation by opening up Command Prompt and typing the following command:
Success! If all you need is Python 2.7 for some project or another, you can stop right here. It’s installed, the path variable is set, and you’re off to the races.
How to Install Python 3
If you want to learn the newest version of Python, you’ll need to install Python 3. You can install it alongside Python 2.7 with no problems, so go ahead and download and run the installer now.
On the first screen, enable the “Add Python 3.6 to PATH” option and then click “Install Now.”
Next, you have a decision to make. Clicking the “Disable path length limit” option removes the limitation on the MAX_PATH variable. This change won’t break anything, but will allow Python to use long path names. Since many Python programmers are working in Linux and other *nix systems where path name length isn’t an issue, turning this on in advance can help smooth over any path-related issues you might have while working in Windows.
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We recommend go ahead and selecting this option. If you know you don’t want to disable the path length limit, you can just click “Close” to finish the installation. And, if you want to read more about the issue before committing to the change, read up here.
If you’re only installing Python 3, you can use the same command line trick of typing
python -v
that we used above to check that it is installed correctly and the path variable is set. If you’re installing both versions, however, you need to make the quick tweak found in the following section.Adjust System Variables So You Can Access Both Python Versions From the Command Line
This section of the tutorial is completely optional, but will allow you to quickly access both versions of Python from the command line. After installing both versions of Python, you may have noticed a little quirk. Even though we enabled the system path for both Python installations, typing “python” at the command prompt only points you to Python 2.7.
The reason for this is simple: the variable (whether automatically adjusted by an installer or manually tweaked) simply points at a directory, and every executable in that directory becomes a command line command. If there are two directories listed and both have a “python.exe” file in them, whichever directory is higher in the list of variables gets used. And, if there is a variable set for the system and the user, the system path takes precedence over the user path.
The latter is exactly what’s happening in this case: the Python 2 installer edited the system wide variable and the Python 3 installer added a user level variable—and we can confirm this by looking at the Windows’ environment variables.
Hit Start, type “advanced system settings,” and then select the “View advanced system settings” option. In the “System Properties” window that opens, on the “Advanced” tab, click the “Environment Variables” button.
Here, you can see Python 3 listed in the “User variables” section and Python 2 listed in the “System variables” section.
There are a few ways you can remedy this situation. The simplest (albeit the one with the least functionality) is to just remove the entry for the version of Python you plan on using the least. While that’s simple, it’s also not very much fun. Instead we can make another change that will give us access to “python” for Python 2 and “python3” for Python 3.
To do this, fire up File Manager and head to the folder where you installed Python 3 (
C:Users[username]AppDataLocalProgramsPythonPython36
by default). Make a copy of the “python.exe” file, and rename that copy (not the original) to “python3.exe”.Open a new command prompt (the environmental variables refresh with each new command prompt you open), and type “python3 –version”.
Boom! You can now use the “python” command at the Command Prompt when you want to use Python 2.7 and the “python3” command when you want to use Python 3.
RELATED:How to Edit Your System PATH for Easy Command Line Access in Windows
If, for whatever reason, you don’t find this a satisfactory solution, you can always reorder the environmental variables. Be sure to brush up with our tutorial first if you’re not comfortable editing those variables.
Please note, however, that regardless of which method you use it is important to leave the original python.exe intact as the applications in the /scripts/ subdirectory for both versions of Python rely on that filename and will fail if it is missing.
After a little installing and a little tweaking, you have both versions installed and you’re ready for whatever Python project you want to tackle.
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