Newsletter Archives

• Python programmers: Watch out for Win10 version 1903

  Posted on November 14, 2019 at 07:07 CST by woody • Comment in the Forums

  We had a report a few hours ago from MartinPurvis that performing an in-place upgrade from Win10 version 1803 to version 1903 clobbered Python:

  Turns out that a user path variable is added to the top of the environment variable list which gives priority to a 0kb python.exe inside the Windows Apps AppData instead of using the user defined python directory before the in-place upgrade.

  Looking around the web, I see that’s a common complaint. Poster Ac3_DeXt3R on SuperUser says:

  On typing “python” from search, opens the Python 2.7 prompt but when I type from command prompt window, it triggers the Microsoft Store.

  Poster ecool on the Microsoft Answers forum said, back in May:

  Windows 10 is using the System Environment variables over my User Environment. So just ordering the Python location to the top of the System Environment Path variable worked to remove the annoyance of trying to run python and it opening to the Windows Store.

  Back on the SuperUser site, Ramhound says:

  This was intended behavior. Microsoft added this behavior with 1903 because they recognized developers struggle getting Python installed. I read about this change but I don’t recall where I read it.

  I can’t find the original description Ramhound describes. Can anybody out there point me to it?

  Windows 10 Releases Environmental variables, Python, Win10 1903

• Environment variables in Windows 8.1

  Posted on May 15, 2016 at 18:18 CDT by woody • Comment in the Forums

  Just got this question from RJ:

  On previous windows versions I have been able to go through the control panel to set both personal and system environment variables–specifically so the commands from installed programs can be executed by entering them.  I have found a way to SET the PATH to include appropriate libraries to search, but the change is inoperative; as in goes away after being set.  does one need a special set of privileges to accomplish this, or must it be done through some other mechanism than: Control Panel–>Advanced–>environment variables–>system–> PATH edit.

  Other Environmental variables