How to Install Python in Windows 10

To install Python in Windows 10, open the Microsoft Store, find Python Install Manager, and select Install. Then open PowerShell and type python. If no copy of Python is on the PC yet, the install manager downloads the latest stable release and starts it. You can also get the same tool from python.org or install Python with one winget command.

Applies to: Windows 10 (Python 3.14 and 3.15, which the Python documentation lists as supporting Windows 10 and newer).

What changed since older Python guides were written

Windows 10 does not come with Python. Most older tutorials tell you to download a setup file from python.org, tick a box that adds Python to PATH, and select Install Now. That installer still exists, but it has been deprecated since Python 3.14 and will not be produced for Python 3.16 or later.

Its replacement is the Python install manager, a small tool from the team that makes Python. It installs Python for you, keeps track of every version on the PC, and gives you three commands:

• python starts your default version, which is the latest stable release unless you configure something else.
• py does the same job and is the recommended command when more than one version is installed. It also installs, lists, and removes versions.
• pymanager is an unambiguous name for the same tool, meant for scripts and for PCs where an older py command is still present.

The copy in the Microsoft Store and the copy on python.org are identical. The install manager updates itself automatically, and that does not change the Python versions you have installed.

Before you start

• Windows 10 is still supported by Python. Python 3.14 and Python 3.15 both support Windows 10 and newer. Microsoft ended support for Windows 10 Home and Pro on October 14, 2025, with version 22H2 as the final version, so the PC itself no longer gets regular security updates unless it is covered by a separate program. If your PC runs the newer system, the steps to install Python on Windows 11 apply instead.
• An internet connection. The install manager downloads Python the first time you run it.
• No administrator rights in most cases. You will not need to be an administrator unless a system update for the C Runtime Library is required or you install the manager for all users.
• A terminal. You type the commands in this guide into PowerShell. To open it, open the Start menu, type Windows PowerShell, and select Windows PowerShell.
• Know whether Python was installed before. An older copy of Python, or its separate Python launcher, can take priority over the new commands. The troubleshooting section below explains how to deal with that.

Install Python from the Microsoft Store

1. Open the Microsoft Store and search for Python Install Manager. You can also go straight to its Microsoft Store page. The listing is free. Check that the app name matches before you continue.
2. Select Install. Windows downloads and installs the manager. Python itself arrives in the next steps.
3. Open PowerShell. Open the Start menu, type Windows PowerShell, and select it. A window with a command line appears.
4. Type python and press Enter. When no Python version is installed, the manager installs the current latest release and then launches it. Python prints a short message with its version number, followed by the >>> prompt. That prompt means Python is running and waiting for code.
5. Answer the PATH prompt if you see one. When you first install a Python version, you will likely be asked whether to add a folder to your PATH. PATH is the list of folders Windows searches when you type a command. This step is optional if you are happy using the py command. Accepting it makes extra version-specific command names available, such as python3.14.exe.
6. Try one line of code. At the >>> prompt, type print(“Hello”) and press Enter. Python prints Hello on the next line.
7. Leave Python. Type quit() and press Enter to return to the normal command line.

Install Python from python.org instead

Use this route if the Microsoft Store is blocked or missing on your PC, or if you prefer to download a file. The result is the same install manager.

1. Go to the Windows downloads page on python.org.
2. Next to the Python install manager entry, select Installer (MSIX). The page also lists an MSI package. That one is for situations where an MSIX file cannot be installed, such as some older deployment tools and Windows Server 2019. It has no user interface, so home users should choose the MSIX.
3. Double-click the downloaded file and select Install.
4. Open PowerShell, type python, and press Enter. From here the steps match the Microsoft Store method.

Install Python with winget

WinGet is Microsoft’s command-line package manager. It is supported on Windows 10 version 1809 (build 17763) or later and is delivered as part of an app named App Installer, which the Microsoft Store keeps up to date. It suits people who would rather type one command than click through a store page.

1. Open PowerShell.
2. Enter winget install Python.Python.3.14. This installs that Python version directly.
3. If this is the first time winget has run on the PC, it asks you to accept its source agreements. Accept them to continue.
4. Close PowerShell and open it again so it picks up the new command.
5. Enter python –version to confirm the install.

To install the Python install manager with winget instead, use this command: winget install 9NQ7512CXL7T -e –accept-package-agreements –disable-interactivity. The install manager is the recommended route, and it makes later updates and extra versions easier to handle.

If PowerShell reports that winget is not recognized, App Installer is missing or out of date. Get or update App Installer from the Microsoft Store, then open a new PowerShell window and try again.

Use the older python.org installer

Choose this only when a course, a book, or a workplace instruction is written around the traditional setup wizard. The python.org Windows downloads page still lists it for current releases, with files labeled Windows installer (64-bit), Windows installer (32-bit), and Windows installer (ARM64).

1. Check which file your PC needs. Select Start, then Settings > System > About, and read System type under Device specifications. Most Windows 10 PCs are 64-bit. Unlike Windows 11, Windows 10 was also sold in a 32-bit edition, so this check matters more here.
2. Download the matching installer from the python.org Windows downloads page and double-click the file.
3. Turn on the PATH option on the first page. The first page of the installer has an option that adds Python’s folder to your PATH. Turn it on if you want the python command to work in PowerShell and Command Prompt. This is the step people most often miss.
4. Select Install Now. This choice needs no administrator rights in most cases, installs Python into your user folder together with the standard library, pip, and the launcher, and creates shortcuts for your account only.
5. Or select Customize installation. Use this instead of Install Now when you need to pick features, change the install location, or install for all users. An all-users install places Python in the Program Files folder and may ask for administrator approval.
6. Open a new PowerShell window and enter python –version.

To change this kind of installation later, search for and open Control Panel, select Programs > Programs and Features, select the Python entry, and choose Uninstall/Change. The installer reopens with three choices. Modify adds or removes features, Repair checks the installed files and replaces any that are missing or altered, and Uninstall removes Python.

Because this installer is deprecated, new setups are better served by the install manager. Avoid mixing the two on one PC unless you need to, since that mix causes most of the problems listed below.

Which method should you pick?

Your situation	Best route
Home PC, first time installing Python	Python Install Manager from the Microsoft Store
Microsoft Store is blocked or unavailable	Installer (MSIX) from python.org
You are comfortable with commands or setting up several PCs	winget
A course or employer requires the classic setup wizard, or you need a 32-bit build chosen by hand	Older python.org installer

Confirm that Python is installed

Open a new PowerShell window and run these checks:

• python –version prints the version of your default Python.
• py list shows every Python version the install manager knows about on this PC.
• py help shows the full list of commands the manager supports.

If you installed with winget install Python.Python.3.14 or the older installer and did not add the install manager, only the first check applies. A version number in the reply means the installation worked.

Install another version, update, or uninstall

With the install manager, every version lives side by side and one tool controls all of them. Some older projects and libraries need an older Python, so this comes up sooner than most beginners expect.

What you want	Command
Install a specific version	py install 3.14
See which versions are available to download	py list –online
Run a specific installed version	py -V:3.14
Update every installed version that has a newer release	py install –update
Remove one version	py uninstall 3.14
Remove every version the manager installed	py uninstall –purge

Replace 3.14 with the version you need. The –purge option also cleans up the Start menu entries, registry entries, and download caches the manager created. It leaves alone any Python that was installed another way.

The install manager itself is removed from the apps list in Windows Settings, like any other Store app. Uninstalling the manager does not uninstall the Python versions it installed, although the global python and py commands stop working. For a complete cleanup, run py uninstall –purge first and then remove the manager. A copy of Python installed with the older installer is removed through Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features.

Install packages with pip and a virtual environment

Most Python projects depend on add-on packages, which you install with a tool named pip. Installing every package into one shared place eventually causes conflicts, because two projects can need different versions of the same package. A virtual environment avoids that. It is a self-contained folder holding a copy of Python plus the packages for one project.

1. In PowerShell, move to your project folder. For example: cd Documents\my-project
2. Create the environment: python -m venv .venv. A new folder named .venv appears inside the project. The name is a common convention.
3. Activate it. In PowerShell, enter .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1. In Command Prompt, enter .venv\Scripts\activate.bat.
4. Install a package: python -m pip install requests. Replace requests with the package you need.
5. When you are finished working, enter deactivate.

If PowerShell refuses to run the activation script, this fix allows scripts for your user account only: Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser. On a work or school PC, ask your IT administrator before changing that policy.

A few other pip commands are worth knowing. python -m pip list shows what is installed, python -m pip install –upgrade requests updates a package, and python -m pip freeze > requirements.txt saves the package list so another PC can rebuild the same setup with python -m pip install -r requirements.txt.

Set up an editor

You can write Python in any text editor. For a full editor, Visual Studio Code with its Python extension adds language support, debugging, and linting. The extension does not include Python, so install Python first using one of the methods above. After you install the extension, press Ctrl+Shift+P, run Python: Select Interpreter, and choose the version you installed. Open a .py file and select Run Python File in the top-right side of the editor to run it.

Python also has its own simple editor named IDLE. If you prefer it, you can install Python IDLE in Windows 10.

Troubleshooting

Typing python opens the Microsoft Store

Windows includes placeholder shortcuts named python and python3 that open the Store when no real Python is present. Microsoft added them to help new users find Python, and the behavior normally stops once Python is installed. If you still see the Store, select Start, open Manage app execution aliases, and check that the aliases for Python (default) are turned on. If they already are, turn them off and on again to refresh the command. The Python (default windowed) and Python install manager entries may need the same refresh. Then close PowerShell and open a new window.

“python is not recognized” or “command not found”

Windows cannot find Python in any folder on your PATH. What to do depends on how you installed it:

• Install manager: check the Manage app execution aliases page as described above. Then make sure your PATH still contains the entry %UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps. Windows includes it by default, and the shortcuts are not found if it has been removed. To look, select Start and search for Edit environment variables for your account.
• Older installer: the PATH option was probably left off. Open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features, select the Python entry, choose Uninstall/Change, and use Modify to turn the PATH option on.
• Any method: close every open PowerShell or Command Prompt window and open a new one. A window that was open during the install does not see the new command.

The py command is not found, or reports that it cannot open a file

If py is not found, check the app execution aliases and the WindowsApps PATH entry described above. If py runs but reports that it cannot open a file, this usually means the legacy launcher from an older Python installation is still present and has priority over the install manager. Find the entry named Python launcher in your list of installed apps and uninstall it.

python and py start different versions

An older Python is ahead of the install manager on your PATH. Look for existing Python entries in Programs and Features and either remove them or use Modify to turn off their PATH setting. Then enter py list to see which versions the install manager controls.

pip is not found

Use python -m pip instead of pip on its own. The Python tutorial uses that form, and it makes clear which Python the package goes into. If you meant to work inside a virtual environment, activate it first.

pip install fails with a permission or compiler error

A common cause is trying to install into a location you do not have permission to change. Create a virtual environment and install there. Some packages contain native code and need a C or C++ compiler. Those may work after you install Build Tools for Visual Studio with the C++ option, but in some cases the fix has to come from the package’s developer.

Errors about very long file paths

Windows has historically limited paths to 260 characters, and deeply nested package folders can exceed that. An administrator can lift the limit by turning on the Enable Win32 long paths group policy, or by setting LongPathsEnabled to 1 in the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem, and then restarting the PC. Do not edit the registry on a work PC without your administrator’s approval.

The Microsoft Store or app installs are blocked on a work or school PC

Organizations often restrict the Store and app installs. Try the MSIX download from python.org, and if that is blocked too, ask your IT administrator. The MSI package on python.org exists for managed deployment, and the install manager also supports preparing an offline download on another PC with py install –download.

Frequently asked questions

Is Python free to install on Windows 10?

Yes. Python is free from the Microsoft Store and from python.org. Download it only from those two places or through winget. There is no reason to use a third-party download site.

Can I still install new Python versions now that Windows 10 support has ended?

Yes, for now. Both Python 3.14 and 3.15 support Windows 10 and newer. Python’s policy ties support to Microsoft’s own support period for each Windows version, so a future Python release may stop supporting Windows 10. Releases that already support it keep doing so through their bug fix updates.

Which Python version should a beginner install?

The latest stable release, which is what the install manager picks by default. Install an older version alongside it only when a class, library, or project asks for one. Use py install followed by the version number.

Do I need to add Python to PATH?

Not with the install manager. The python and py commands work through Windows app execution aliases as soon as the manager is installed, and the PATH prompt you may see only adds extra version-specific command names. The older installer is different: there you must turn on its PATH option for the python command to work.

Should I download the 32-bit or 64-bit installer?

Match your Windows edition. Check System type in Settings > System > About. Most Windows 10 PCs are 64-bit and should use the 64-bit file. The question only comes up with the older installer, where you pick the file yourself.

Can I have more than one Python version on the same PC?

Yes. Each version installs separately. Run py list to see them and py -V: followed by the version number to start a particular one. Keep each project’s packages apart with a virtual environment.

What is the difference between python and py?

Both start Python. The python command launches the version a script asks for, an active virtual environment, or your default version. The py command does the same and adds management subcommands such as install, list, and uninstall. Use py whenever several versions are involved.

How do I update Python?

With the install manager, run py install –update. It replaces installed versions that have a newer release available. If you used the older installer, get the newer release from the python.org Windows downloads page.

With Python installed and a virtual environment ready, the next step is the official Python tutorial, which starts from the same >>> prompt you just opened. The full install manager reference is Using Python on Windows.

Related: checking if Windows 10 is 32-bit or 64-bit, installing Anaconda in Windows 10, and installing Docker in Windows 10.