try opening up cmd and simply:
where python
By default, this searches your PATH for matches. More precisely:
Description: Displays the location of files that match the search pattern. By default, the search is done along the current directory and in the paths specified by the PATH environment variable.
Most windows python installers modify your PATH so this should find what doing python at the CLI will call.
try opening up cmd and simply:
where python
By default, this searches your PATH for matches. More precisely:
Description: Displays the location of files that match the search pattern. By default, the search is done along the current directory and in the paths specified by the PATH environment variable.
Most windows python installers modify your PATH so this should find what doing python at the CLI will call.
Cross-platform solution using sys.executable
python -c "import sys; print(sys.executable)"
sys.executable
A string giving the absolute path of the executable binary for the Python interpreter, on systems where this makes sense.
Quick Question: How do I view Python's location in command prompt?
Python Installation
Python not found by command prompt
Python and the PATH variable in Windows 10
Videos
In your Python interpreter, type the following commands:
>>> import os, sys
>>> os.path.dirname(sys.executable)
'C:\\Python25'
Also, you can club all these and use a single line command. Open cmd and enter following command
python -c "import os, sys; print(os.path.dirname(sys.executable))"
If you have Python in your environment variable then you can use the following command in cmd or powershell:
where python
or for Unix enviroment
which python
command line image :
So I've been having trouble with Python and I want to know which installation I'm using (I have two user profiles on Windows, my old one and the one I made explicitly to code in, and they both have Python installed).
I tried looking it up, but it only led to this madness you see below:
Microsoft Windows [Version 10.0.19043.1348]
(c) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.
C:\Users\willi>!type python
'!type' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.
C:\Users\willi>type python
The system cannot find the file specified.
C:\Users\willi>type Python
The system cannot find the file specified.
C:\Users\willi>Python type
Python: can't open file 'C:\Users\willi\type': [Errno 2] No such file or directory
C:\Users\willi>Python
Python 3.9.6 (tags/v3.9.6:db3ff76, Jun 28 2021, 15:26:21) [MSC v.1929 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> python
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
NameError: name 'python' is not defined
>>> .quit
File "<stdin>", line 1
.quit
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
>>> quit
Use quit() or Ctrl-Z plus Return to exit
>>> quit()
C:\Users\willi>python
Python 3.9.6 (tags/v3.9.6:db3ff76, Jun 28 2021, 15:26:21) [MSC v.1929 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>> !type Python
File "<stdin>", line 1
!type Python
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
>>> type
<class 'type'>
>>> type python
File "<stdin>", line 1
type python
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
>>> type Python
File "<stdin>", line 1
type Python
^
SyntaxError: invalid syntax
>>> type(Python)
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
NameError: name 'Python' is not defined
>>>How do I view Python's location in command prompt?
For Windows 10/8/7:
- Open
System Properties(Right clickComputerin the start menu, or use the keyboard shortcut Win+Pause) - Click
Advanced system settingsin the sidebar. - Click
Environment Variables... - Select
PATHin theSystem variablessection - Click
Edit Add Python's path to the end of the list (the paths are separated by semicolons). For example:
C:\Windows;C:\Windows\System32;C:\Python27
For Windows XP:
- Open
System Properties(Type it in the start menu, or use the keyboard shortcut Win+Pause) - Switch to the
Advancedtab - Click
Environment Variables... - Select
PATHin theSystem variablessection - Click
Edit Add Python's path to the end of the list (the paths are separated by semicolons). For example:
C:\Windows;C:\Windows\System32;C:\Python27Test 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.
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.
Do you remember checking the box in the image shown below to add your Python installation to PATH in Windows 10?
Adding Python to PATHWell, I was curious! What if someone accidentally forgot to check that little radio button? What would be the possible recovery steps?
So I spent my evening yesterday uninstalling Python and re-installing to figure out a way to add Python to the PATH post-installation.
If you forget to add Python to the PATH variable, you won't be able to run Python in your command line.
You will get a message saying,
‘python' is not recognized as an internal or external command.
Here are the steps I used to add Python to the PATH variable in Windows 10.
-
Copy the directory to which Python is being installed.
-
Search for System Properties in the Search Bar.
-
Click on the "Environment Variables" button in System Properties.
-
Click on the "Path" variable and then click on "Edit".
-
Now here's the deal. Paste the directory path from Step 1 at the top of the list. You can use the "Move up" button to get it to the top. Now click on "Ok".
I found out that if you paste the path at the end, it still doesn't work. Can someone tell me why?
Anyways, if the steps are not clear to anyone, here is a visual guide containing images of every step, on my blog for achieving the above objective. If you are interested, do take a look.
You know what has worked for me really well on windows.
My Computer > Properties > Advanced System Settings > Environment Variables >
Just add the path as C:\Python27 (or wherever you installed python)
OR
Then under system variables I create a new Variable called PythonPath. In this variable I have C:\Python27\Lib;C:\Python27\DLLs;C:\Python27\Lib\lib-tk;C:\other-folders-on-the-path
This is the best way that has worked for me which I hadn't found in any of the docs offered.
EDIT: For those who are not able to get it, Please add
C:\Python27;
along with it. Else it will never work.
Windows 7 Professional I Modified @mongoose_za's answer to make it easier to change the python version:
- [Right Click]Computer > Properties >Advanced System Settings > Environment Variables
- Click [New] under "System Variable"
- Variable Name: PY_HOME, Variable Value:C:\path\to\python\version
- Click [OK]
- Locate the "Path" System variable and click [Edit]
Add the following to the existing variable:
%PY_HOME%;%PY_HOME%\Lib;%PY_HOME%\DLLs;%PY_HOME%\Lib\lib-tk;
Click [OK] to close all of the windows.
As a final sanity check open a command prompt and enter python. You should see
>python [whatever version you are using]
If you need to switch between versions, you only need to modify the PY_HOME variable to point to the proper directory. This is bit easier to manage if you need multiple python versions installed.