Python 3 has become an important language nowadays.

So if you haven’t installed it yet on your Windows 10 operating system, it’s time (it should work as well on Windows 11).

We are going to setup a complete installation in order to be ready using it later.

Let’s see that in this Python 3 setting up tutorial.

First of all

We are going to set up our computer in order to use the following software:

Setting up Python

Downloading and installing Python

During the Python setup, choose Customize installation and select everything as follows:

  • Install launcher for all users
  • Add Python 3.7 to PATH
  • Documentation
  • pip
  • tcl/tk and IDLE
  • Python test suite
  • py launcher (for all users)
  • Install for all users
  • Associate files with Python (requires for the py launcher)
  • Create shortcuts for installed applications
  • Add Python to environment variables
  • Precompile standard library
  • Donwload debugging symbols
  • Download debug binaries (requires VS 2015 or later)

We’ll install Python 3.7.5 in the following location:

  • C:\soft\python37

At the end of the setup, select Disable path length limit.

Then close the Python setup.

Environment variables for Python

You can now see that if you open your Windows Environment variables > Sytem variables > Path, you have 2 new lines:

  • C:\soft\python37\Scripts
  • C:\soft\python37

We’ve to add 5 other lines either in your User variablesor in your System variables (up to you):

The 4 lines for the libraries:

  • C:\soft\python37\DLLs****
  • C:\soft\python37\Lib****
  • C:\soft\python37\libs****
  • C:\soft\python37\tcl****

The one for the includes:

  • C:\soft\python37\include****

So to sum up, in your Environment variables you have now added the 7 followings paths:

  • C:\soft\python37\Scripts
  • C:\soft\python37
  • C:\soft\python37\DLLs
  • C:\soft\python37\Lib****
  • C:\soft\python37\libs****
  • C:\soft\python37\tcl****
  • C:\soft\python37\include****

Testing if Python 3 is really installed on Windows 10

From any directory, open a console then type:

py

Your console will become a Python interpreter.

And you should see for example something like this appears:

PS C:\dev\c++\py\badprog> py
Python 3.7.5 (tags/v3.7.5:5c02a39a0b, Oct 15 2019, 00:11:34) [MSC v.1916 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.

If yes, good news, you are in the Python console.

Conclusion

This Python 3 wasn’t so complex to install.

Good job, you did it.