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Unable to run Python distribution by running python or python3 #371

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Unable to run Python distribution by running python or python3#371

Description

@adrianghc
adrianghc
opened on Jun 17, 2026

Install source and version

  • Installed from the Windows Store
  • Installed with the MSIX from python.org
  • Installed with the MSI from python.org
  • Installed with winget install 9NQ7512CXL7T

Version: 26.2

Describe the bug
I am unable to run my default Python version by running python, python.exe, python3 or python3.exe. Only the exact version works, e.g., python3.14. No other Python versions are installed.

Unable to run == the following error appears:

********************************************************************************
The signature for https://www.python.org/ftp/python/index-windows.json was successfully verified.
Python 3.14.6 is already installed.
To see all available commands, run 'py help'
********************************************************************************
[ERROR] No runtimes are installed. Try running "py install default" first.

This is the output of py list:

Tag           Name           Managed By  Version  Alias
3.14[-64]     Python 3.14.6  PythonCore  3.14.6   python3[-64].exe, python3.14[-64].exe

It does not matter whether I installed pymanager via the Store, WinGet, the MSIX or the MSI; the error is always the same. It also does not matter whether %LOCALAPPDATA%\Python\bin is in PATH or not.

To Reproduce
Steps to reproduce the behavior:

  1. Install pymanager from any source.
  2. Open pymanager on a terminal and run setup.
  3. Run python, python.exe, python3 or python3.exe in the same or a new terminal.

Expected behavior
The Python distribution that was just installed should be invokable via python, python.exe, python3 or python3.exe.

Additional context
These are my contents of %LOCALAPPDATA%\Python\bin:

Image

These are my app alias settings:

Image Image

Activity

  1. zooba commented on Jun 17, 2026

    @zooba
    zooba
    on Jun 17, 2026
    Member

    Intriguing.

    Could you please set $env:PYMANAGER_DEBUG = 11 and try again? It should print a lot more output that can help us figure out what's going on here.

    My best guess without that would be that you've set the default version to something other than 3.14 (or 3), which is why when you py list it doesn't mark the entry as a default, and since you've got a version installed we fail to launch rather than installing the one that's been requested (people wanted a failure in this case). The debug output should confirm this, but you could also try doing py exec instead of just py, which will enable auto-install and show us what it's trying to run.

    Footnotes

    1. I assume you're in Powershell, but however you prefer to set that environment variable should be fine. ↩

  2. adrianghc commented on Jun 18, 2026

    @adrianghc
    adrianghc
    on Jun 18, 2026
    Author

    I believe I did have a different default version at one point as I originally installed pymanager when it was still in preview. But I have reinstalled it many times since (when trying to fix this issue), as well as all the Python distributions. Here is my output of py exec after setting $env:PYMANAGER_DEBUG = 1 (I can see there is a frequent mention of a tag or default tag of 3.13, sounds like that might be a pointer in the direction you suspected?

    Loading configuration from C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\pymanager.json
# Setting config install to {'fallback_source': 'file:///C:/Program Files/WindowsApps/PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0/bundled/fallback-index.json', 'default_install_tag': '3'}
# Setting config list to {}
# Setting config registry_override_key to 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Policies\\Python\\PyManager'
# Setting config shebang_can_run_anything_silently to False
# Setting config install_dir to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python
# Setting config download_dir to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python\_cache
# Setting config global_dir to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python\bin
# Setting config bundled_dir to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\bundled
# Setting config user_config to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Roaming\Python\PyManager.json
# Setting config pep514_root to 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Python'
# Setting config start_folder to 'Python'
# Setting config launcher_exe to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\templates\launcher.exe
# Setting config launcherw_exe to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\templates\launcherw.exe
# Setting config welcome_on_update to True
# Setting config source_settings to {'https://www.python.org/ftp/python/index-windows.json': {'requires_signature': True, 'required_root_subject': 'CN=Microsoft Identity Verification Root Certificate Authority 2020, O=Microsoft Corporation, C=US', 'required_publisher_subject': 'CN=Python Software Foundation, O=Python Software Foundation, L=Beaverton, S=Oregon, C=US', 'required_publisher_eku': '1.3.6.1.4.1.311.97.608394634.79987812.305991749.578777327'}, 'https://www.python.org/ftp/python/index-windows-recent.json': {'requires_signature': True, 'required_root_subject': 'CN=Microsoft Identity Verification Root Certificate Authority 2020, O=Microsoft Corporation, C=US', 'required_publisher_subject': 'CN=Python Software Foundation, O=Python Software Foundation, L=Beaverton, S=Oregon, C=US', 'required_publisher_eku': '1.3.6.1.4.1.311.97.608394634.79987812.305991749.578777327'}, 'https://www.python.org/ftp/python/index-windows-legacy.json': {'requires_signature': True, 'required_root_subject': 'CN=Microsoft Identity Verification Root Certificate Authority 2020, O=Microsoft Corporation, C=US', 'required_publisher_subject': 'CN=Python Software Foundation, O=Python Software Foundation, L=Beaverton, S=Oregon, C=US', 'required_publisher_eku': '1.3.6.1.4.1.311.97.608394634.79987812.305991749.578777327'}}
# Setting config _config_files to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\pymanager.json
Loading configuration from C:\Users\adria\AppData\Roaming\Python\PyManager.json
# Setting config default_tag to '3.13'
# Updating config _config_files from C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\pymanager.json to [C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\pymanager.json, C:\Users\adria\AppData\Roaming\Python\PyManager.json]
# Get CPU architecture, its prefix is -64
# Finished processing options for __no_command
# Finding runtime for '' or ''
# Reading installs from C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python
# Found 1 install
# Reading unmanaged installs
# Found 0 installs
# Filtering installs by tag = 3.13
# Filter did not include pythoncore-3.14-64
# tag '3.13' matched 0 installs
# windowed = False matched 0 installs
# default_platform '-64' matched 0 installs
# Reusing unfiltered list
Loading configuration from C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\pymanager.json
# Setting config install to {'fallback_source': 'file:///C:/Program Files/WindowsApps/PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0/bundled/fallback-index.json', 'default_install_tag': '3'}
# Setting config list to {}
# Setting config registry_override_key to 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Policies\\Python\\PyManager'
# Setting config shebang_can_run_anything_silently to False
# Setting config install_dir to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python
# Setting config download_dir to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python\_cache
# Setting config global_dir to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python\bin
# Setting config bundled_dir to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\bundled
# Setting config user_config to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Roaming\Python\PyManager.json
# Setting config pep514_root to 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Python'
# Setting config start_folder to 'Python'
# Setting config launcher_exe to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\templates\launcher.exe
# Setting config launcherw_exe to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\templates\launcherw.exe
# Setting config welcome_on_update to True
# Setting config source_settings to {'https://www.python.org/ftp/python/index-windows.json': {'requires_signature': True, 'required_root_subject': 'CN=Microsoft Identity Verification Root Certificate Authority 2020, O=Microsoft Corporation, C=US', 'required_publisher_subject': 'CN=Python Software Foundation, O=Python Software Foundation, L=Beaverton, S=Oregon, C=US', 'required_publisher_eku': '1.3.6.1.4.1.311.97.608394634.79987812.305991749.578777327'}, 'https://www.python.org/ftp/python/index-windows-recent.json': {'requires_signature': True, 'required_root_subject': 'CN=Microsoft Identity Verification Root Certificate Authority 2020, O=Microsoft Corporation, C=US', 'required_publisher_subject': 'CN=Python Software Foundation, O=Python Software Foundation, L=Beaverton, S=Oregon, C=US', 'required_publisher_eku': '1.3.6.1.4.1.311.97.608394634.79987812.305991749.578777327'}, 'https://www.python.org/ftp/python/index-windows-legacy.json': {'requires_signature': True, 'required_root_subject': 'CN=Microsoft Identity Verification Root Certificate Authority 2020, O=Microsoft Corporation, C=US', 'required_publisher_subject': 'CN=Python Software Foundation, O=Python Software Foundation, L=Beaverton, S=Oregon, C=US', 'required_publisher_eku': '1.3.6.1.4.1.311.97.608394634.79987812.305991749.578777327'}}
# Setting config _config_files to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\pymanager.json
Loading configuration from C:\Users\adria\AppData\Roaming\Python\PyManager.json
# Setting config default_tag to '3.13'
# Updating config _config_files from C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\pymanager.json to [C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\pymanager.json, C:\Users\adria\AppData\Roaming\Python\PyManager.json]
# Get CPU architecture, its prefix is -64
# Overriding command option fallback_source with 'file:///C:/Program Files/WindowsApps/PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0/bundled/fallback-index.json'
# Overriding command option default_install_tag with '3'
# Finished processing options for install
Writing logs to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Temp\python_install_20260618092151_34904.log
Python installation manager 26.2
Copyright (c) Python Software Foundation. All Rights Reserved.

# BEGIN install_command.execute: []
********************************************************************************
# Reading installs from C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python
# Found 1 install
# Calculating default install
# Filtering installs by tag = 3.13
# Filter did not include pythoncore-3.14-64
# tag '3.13' matched 0 installs
# default_platform '-64' matched 0 installs
# Reusing unfiltered list
# Searching https://www.python.org/ftp/python/index-windows.json
Searching for Python matching 3
# Selecting package with tag=3 and platform=-64
# Fetching: https://www.python.org/ftp/python/index-windows.json
# winhttp_urlopen: https://www.python.org/ftp/python/index-windows.json
# winhttp_urlopen: https://www.python.org/ftp/python/index-windows.json.cat
The signature for https://www.python.org/ftp/python/index-windows.json was successfully verified.
# Finding ['3-64'] to install
Python 3.14.6 is already installed.
# Updating global shortcuts
# Reading installs from C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python
# Found 1 install
# Calculating default install
# Filtering installs by tag = 3.13
# Filter did not include pythoncore-3.14-64
# tag '3.13' matched 0 installs
# default_platform '-64' matched 0 installs
# Reusing unfiltered list
# Calculating aliases for pythoncore-3.14-64
# Found 1 entry_points.txt files in 1 dist-info in pythoncore-3.14-64\Lib\site-packages
# Creating aliases
# Create python3.14.exe for pythoncore-3.14-64\python.exe using C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\templates\launcher-64.exe, chosen by platform tag
# Create python3.14-64.exe for pythoncore-3.14-64\python.exe using C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\templates\launcher-64.exe, chosen by platform tag
# Create python3.exe for pythoncore-3.14-64\python.exe using C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\templates\launcher-64.exe, chosen by platform tag
# Create python3-64.exe for pythoncore-3.14-64\python.exe using C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\templates\launcher-64.exe, chosen by platform tag
# Create pythonw3.14.exe for pythoncore-3.14-64\pythonw.exe using C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\templates\launcherw-64.exe, chosen by platform tag
# Create pythonw3.14-64.exe for pythoncore-3.14-64\pythonw.exe using C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\templates\launcherw-64.exe, chosen by platform tag
# Create pythonw3.exe for pythoncore-3.14-64\pythonw.exe using C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\templates\launcherw-64.exe, chosen by platform tag
# Create pythonw3-64.exe for pythoncore-3.14-64\pythonw.exe using C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\templates\launcherw-64.exe, chosen by platform tag
# Create pip for pythoncore-3.14-64\python.exe using C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\templates\launcher-64.exe, chosen by platform tag
# Create pip3 for pythoncore-3.14-64\python.exe using C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\templates\launcher-64.exe, chosen by platform tag
# Cleaning up aliases
# Retaining 10 aliases
# Creating/updating HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Python\PythonCore\3.14
# Creating shortcut Python 3.14.lnk to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python\pythoncore-3.14-64\python.exe
# Creating shortcut Python 3.14 Online Documentation.lnk to https://docs.python.org/3.14/
# Creating shortcut IDLE (Python 3.14).lnk to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python\pythoncore-3.14-64\pythonw.exe
# Creating shortcut PyDoc (Python 3.14).lnk to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python\pythoncore-3.14-64\python.exe
# Creating shortcut Python 3.14 Manuals.lnk to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python\pythoncore-3.14-64\Doc\html\index.html
# Creating ARP entry for pymanager-pythoncore-3.14-64
# Searching C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps for pymanager.exe for ARP entries
# Checking C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_qbz5n2kfra8p0\pymanager.exe
# Cleaning up registry entries
# Skipping HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Python\PythonCore\3.14
# Cleaning up Start menu shortcuts
# Except: Python 3.14\PyDoc (Python 3.14)
# Except: Python 3.14\Python 3.14 Manuals
# Except: Python 3.14\Python 3.14
# Except: Python 3.14\IDLE (Python 3.14)
# Except: Python 3.14
# Except: Python 3.14\Python 3.14 Online Documentation
To see all available commands, run 'py help'
********************************************************************************
# END install_command.execute
Loading configuration from C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\pymanager.json
# Setting config install to {'fallback_source': 'file:///C:/Program Files/WindowsApps/PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0/bundled/fallback-index.json', 'default_install_tag': '3'}
# Setting config list to {}
# Setting config registry_override_key to 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\\Software\\Policies\\Python\\PyManager'
# Setting config shebang_can_run_anything_silently to False
# Setting config install_dir to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python
# Setting config download_dir to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python\_cache
# Setting config global_dir to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python\bin
# Setting config bundled_dir to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\bundled
# Setting config user_config to C:\Users\adria\AppData\Roaming\Python\PyManager.json
# Setting config pep514_root to 'HKEY_CURRENT_USER\\Software\\Python'
# Setting config start_folder to 'Python'
# Setting config launcher_exe to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\templates\launcher.exe
# Setting config launcherw_exe to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\templates\launcherw.exe
# Setting config welcome_on_update to True
# Setting config source_settings to {'https://www.python.org/ftp/python/index-windows.json': {'requires_signature': True, 'required_root_subject': 'CN=Microsoft Identity Verification Root Certificate Authority 2020, O=Microsoft Corporation, C=US', 'required_publisher_subject': 'CN=Python Software Foundation, O=Python Software Foundation, L=Beaverton, S=Oregon, C=US', 'required_publisher_eku': '1.3.6.1.4.1.311.97.608394634.79987812.305991749.578777327'}, 'https://www.python.org/ftp/python/index-windows-recent.json': {'requires_signature': True, 'required_root_subject': 'CN=Microsoft Identity Verification Root Certificate Authority 2020, O=Microsoft Corporation, C=US', 'required_publisher_subject': 'CN=Python Software Foundation, O=Python Software Foundation, L=Beaverton, S=Oregon, C=US', 'required_publisher_eku': '1.3.6.1.4.1.311.97.608394634.79987812.305991749.578777327'}, 'https://www.python.org/ftp/python/index-windows-legacy.json': {'requires_signature': True, 'required_root_subject': 'CN=Microsoft Identity Verification Root Certificate Authority 2020, O=Microsoft Corporation, C=US', 'required_publisher_subject': 'CN=Python Software Foundation, O=Python Software Foundation, L=Beaverton, S=Oregon, C=US', 'required_publisher_eku': '1.3.6.1.4.1.311.97.608394634.79987812.305991749.578777327'}}
# Setting config _config_files to C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\pymanager.json
Loading configuration from C:\Users\adria\AppData\Roaming\Python\PyManager.json
# Setting config default_tag to '3.13'
# Updating config _config_files from C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\pymanager.json to [C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.PythonManager_26.2.240.0_x64__qbz5n2kfra8p0\pymanager.json, C:\Users\adria\AppData\Roaming\Python\PyManager.json]
# Get CPU architecture, its prefix is -64
# Finished processing options for __no_command
# Finding runtime for '' or ''
# Reading installs from C:\Users\adria\AppData\Local\Python
# Found 1 install
# Reading unmanaged installs
# Found 0 installs
# Filtering installs by tag = 3.13
# Filter did not include pythoncore-3.14-64
# tag '3.13' matched 0 installs
# windowed = False matched 0 installs
# default_platform '-64' matched 0 installs
# Reusing unfiltered list
[ERROR] No runtimes are installed. Try running "py install default" first.
# TRACEBACK:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "manage\__init__.py", line 94, in find_one
  File "manage\commands.py", line 680, in get_install_to_run
  File "manage\installs.py", line 360, in get_install_to_run
manage.exceptions.NoInstallsError: No runtimes are installed. Try running "py install default" first.

  3. zooba commented on Jun 18, 2026

    @zooba
    zooba
    on Jun 18, 2026
    Member

    Yeah, check this file out:

    Loading configuration from C:\Users\adria\AppData\Roaming\Python\PyManager.json
# Setting config default_tag to '3.13'

    That'll be one that you created at some point, probably for testing during beta (thank you!), or perhaps to work around a brief period where our default of 3 was choosing prerelease 3.14 installs. That shouldn't be necessary anymore, so just removing the override in that config file ought to be enough.

  4. zooba commented on Jun 18, 2026

    @zooba
    zooba
    on Jun 18, 2026
    Member

    Though I do see another annoying issue here, in that py install default is probably not going to install 3.13, since there's a separate default for which one to install by default (since some people wanted it to be different). That's really confusing here, because py install 3 is going to find the 3.14 install and say there's nothing to do. It's supposed to match the default_tag value unless it's overridden, but we override it in the default configuration. I'll create a new issue to figure out how to deal with this properly, since clearly it's not ideal right now.

  5. adrianghc commented on Jun 18, 2026

    @adrianghc
    adrianghc
    on Jun 18, 2026
    Author

    Yes, clearing that file was indeed the solution. I created that file when PyManager beta came out and forgot about it. I was very happy when PyManager came out, but then I switched my job and now I work with Linux, so I could only use PyManager at home and forgot about this file due to lack of frequent usage. 🙃 Thank you very much for your help figuring this out.

  6. adrianghc
    closed this as completedon Jun 18, 2026
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