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.

Answer from darren on Stack Overflow
🌐
Stack Overflow
stackoverflow.com › questions › 3701646 › how-to-add-to-the-pythonpath-in-windows-so-it-finds-my-modules-packages
python - How to add to the PYTHONPATH in Windows, so it finds my modules/packages? - Stack Overflow
Top answer
1 of 16
492

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.

2 of 16
140

Windows 7 Professional I Modified @mongoose_za's answer to make it easier to change the python version:

  1. [Right Click]Computer > Properties >Advanced System Settings > Environment Variables
  2. Click [New] under "System Variable"
  3. Variable Name: PY_HOME, Variable Value:C:\path\to\python\version
  4. Click [OK]
  5. Locate the "Path" System variable and click [Edit]

  6. Add the following to the existing variable:

    %PY_HOME%;%PY_HOME%\Lib;%PY_HOME%\DLLs;%PY_HOME%\Lib\lib-tk;

  7. 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.

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For Windows 10/8/7:

  1. Open System Properties (Right click Computer in the start menu, or use the keyboard shortcut Win+Pause)
  2. Click Advanced system settings in the sidebar.
  3. Click Environment Variables...
  4. Select PATH in the System variables section
  5. Click Edit

  6. 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:

  1. Open System Properties (Type it in the start menu, or use the keyboard shortcut Win+Pause)
  2. Switch to the Advanced tab
  3. Click Environment Variables...
  4. Select PATH in the System variables section
  5. Click Edit

  6. 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

  7. 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.

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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.

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  1. Hold Win and press Pause.
  2. Click Advanced System Settings.
  3. Click Environment Variables.
  4. Append ;C:\python27 to the Path variable.
  5. Restart Command Prompt.
2 of 16
115

When setting Environmental Variables in Windows, I have gone wrong on many, many occasions. I thought I should share a few of my past mistakes here hoping that it might help someone. (These apply to all Environmental Variables, not just when setting Python Path)

Watch out for these possible mistakes:

  1. Kill and reopen your shell window: Once you make a change to the ENVIRONMENTAL Variables, you have to restart the window you are testing it on.
  2. NO SPACES when setting the Variables. Make sure that you are adding the ;C:\Python27 WITHOUT any spaces. (It is common to try C:\SomeOther; C:\Python27 That space (␣) after the semicolon is not okay.)
  3. USE A BACKWARD SLASH when spelling out your full path. You will see forward slashes when you try echo $PATH but only backward slashes have worked for me.
  4. DO NOT ADD a final backslash. Only C:\Python27 NOT C:\Python27\
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