To install Python on Windows 11, open the Microsoft Store, find Python Install Manager, and select Install. Then open a terminal 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 do not need an administrator account for this route.
Applies to: Windows 11 (Python 3.14 and later, which also support Windows 10). Checked against the Python Software Foundation documentation at docs.python.org and Microsoft Learn on October 6, 2026.
What changed: the Python install manager
Windows 11 does not come with Python. For years the usual advice was to download an installer file from python.org, tick a box that added Python to PATH, and click through a setup wizard. That installer still exists, but the Python documentation now marks it as deprecated: 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 the default version, which is the latest stable release unless you configure something else.
- py does the same job and is the recommended command when you have more than one version installed. It also installs, lists, and removes versions.
- pymanager is an unambiguous name for the same tool, meant for scripts.
The install manager updates itself automatically, and that does not change the Python versions you have installed. The copy in the Microsoft Store and the copy on python.org are identical, so pick whichever is easier to reach.
Before you start
- A supported Windows version. Python 3.14 supports Windows 10 and newer, so every Windows 11 PC qualifies. If your PC still runs the older system, see how to install Python in Windows 10.
- An internet connection. The install manager downloads Python the first time you run it.
- No administrator rights in most cases. The Python documentation says 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 or Command Prompt. If you have not used one before, see our guide on how to open Command Prompt in Windows 11.
- Check for older copies of Python. If Python was installed on this PC in the past, the new commands may not work until the old copy is removed or its PATH options are turned off. The troubleshooting section below covers this.
Install Python from the Microsoft Store
- Open the Microsoft Store and search for Python Install Manager. You can also go straight to its Microsoft Store page. Confirm the app name matches before you continue.
- Select Install. Windows downloads and installs the manager. Python itself comes in the next steps.
- Open a terminal. Select Start, type PowerShell, and open it. A window with a command line appears.
- Type python and press Enter. When no Python version is installed, the manager installs the current latest release automatically and then launches it. Python prints a welcome message with its version number, followed by the >>> prompt. That prompt means Python is running and waiting for code.
- 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.
- Try one line of code. At the >>> prompt, type print(“Hello”) and press Enter. Python prints Hello on the next line.
- 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 you prefer to download a file. The result is the same install manager.
- Go to the Windows downloads page on python.org.
- Next to the Python install manager, select the Installer (MSIX) download. 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.
- Double-click the downloaded file and select Install.
- Open a terminal, type python, and press Enter. From here the steps match the Microsoft Store method.
Install Python with winget
WinGet is the command-line package manager included with all supported versions of Windows. It suits people who are setting up several PCs or who would rather type one command than click through a store page.
- Open PowerShell.
- To install the Python install manager, enter: winget install 9NQ7512CXL7T -e –accept-package-agreements –disable-interactivity
- Close PowerShell and open it again so it picks up the new commands.
- Enter python –version to confirm the install.
Microsoft’s own beginner page for Python on Windows uses a different winget command, winget install Python.Python.3.14, which installs that specific Python version directly. Either works. The install manager route is the one the Python documentation recommends, and it makes later updates and extra versions easier to handle.
Confirm that Python is installed
Open a new terminal window and run these checks:
- python –version prints the version of your default Python, for example Python 3.14 followed by a patch number.
- 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 all three respond without an error, the installation is complete.
Install another version, update, or uninstall
One advantage of the install manager is that 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. To remove the install manager itself, select Start > Settings > Apps > Installed apps, find it in the list, and select More > Uninstall. 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 uninstall the manager.
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.
- In a terminal, move to your project folder. For example: cd Documents\my-project
- Create the environment: python -m venv .venv. A new folder named .venv appears inside the project. The name is a common convention.
- Activate it. In PowerShell, enter .venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1. In Command Prompt, enter .venv\Scripts\activate.bat.
- Install a package: python -m pip install requests. Replace requests with the package you need.
- When you are finished working, enter deactivate.
If PowerShell refuses to run the activation script, the Python documentation gives this fix, which 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. Microsoft recommends Visual Studio Code with its Python extension, which adds language support and debugging. 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 corner of the editor to run it.
The older python.org installer
The python.org download page still lists the traditional setup files for Python 3.14, labeled Windows installer (64-bit), Windows installer (32-bit), and Windows installer (ARM64). Many older tutorials are written around this installer, so you may be following one that expects it. Most PCs need the 64-bit file. The ARM64 file is for Windows devices with ARM processors.
The installer’s first page offers two choices. Install Now needs no administrator rights, installs Python into your user folder with the standard library and pip, and creates shortcuts for your account only. Customize installation lets you choose features and the install location, and it is the option for installing for all users, which can require administrator approval. The first page also has an option for adding Python to PATH. Turn it on if you want the python command to work in a terminal.
To change this kind of installation later, open Control Panel > Programs > Programs and Features, select the Python entry, and choose Uninstall/Change. The installer reopens with Modify, Repair, and Uninstall options.
Because this installer is deprecated and ends with Python 3.15, new setups are better served by the install manager. Avoid mixing the two on one PC unless you need to, since that mix is the main cause of the problems below.
Troubleshooting
Typing python opens the Microsoft Store or says the command is not found
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. If you still see the Store after installing, select Start, open Manage app execution aliases, and check that the alias for Python (default) is turned on. If it is already on, turn it off and on again to refresh the command. The Python documentation says the Python (default windowed) and Python install manager entries may need the same refresh. Then close the terminal and open a new one.
The py command is not found
Check the same Manage app execution aliases page first. If the aliases are on, your PATH may be missing the folder that holds them. It should contain the entry %UserProfile%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps. To look, select Start and search for Edit environment variables for your account.
py reports that it cannot open a file
This usually means the legacy launcher from an older Python installation is still present and is taking priority over the install manager. Select Start, open Installed apps, search for Python launcher, and uninstall it.
python and py start different versions
An older Python is ahead of the install manager on your PATH. In Installed apps, look for existing Python entries and either remove them or use their Modify option to turn off the PATH setting. Then confirm in Manage app execution aliases that the python.exe alias is set to Python (default).
pip is not found
Use python -m pip instead of pip on its own. The Python documentation recommends that form, and it has the side benefit of making clear which Python the package goes into. If you meant to work inside a virtual environment, activate it first.
A package installed, but its command is not found
New packages do not automatically get global shortcuts from the install manager. Activate your virtual environment, or run py install –refresh to update the global shortcuts for installed packages.
pip install fails with a permission or compiler error
Microsoft notes that 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 many 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 with the Enable Win32 long paths policy. Our guide on how to enable long paths in Windows 11 walks through it.
The Microsoft Store is 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 exists for managed deployment.
Frequently asked questions
Is Python free to install on Windows 11?
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.
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. 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.
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 course, library, or project asks for one. Use py install followed by the version number.
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.
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. The Python documentation recommends py whenever several versions are involved.
Why does python3 work on Windows?
The install manager includes a python3 command that behaves like python. It exists to catch the command name used on Linux and macOS. The Python documentation says it is not meant to be widely used on Windows.
How do I update Python?
Run py install –update. It replaces installed versions that have a newer release available. The install manager itself updates automatically.
Should I install Python in Windows or in WSL?
Install it in Windows if you are learning Python or writing scripts for your own PC. If you are following Linux-based tutorials or building web projects that will run on Linux servers, Windows Subsystem for Linux may fit better. See how to install WSL on Windows 11.
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. For the full reference on the install manager, see Using Python on Windows in the Python documentation.
Related: How to install npm on Windows 11.
Related: How to install Python IDLE in Windows 10.
Matt Jacobs has been working as an IT consultant for small businesses since receiving his Master’s degree in 2003. While he still does some consulting work, his primary focus now is on creating technology support content for SupportYourTech.com.
His work can be found on many websites and focuses on topics such as Microsoft Office, Apple devices, Android devices, Photoshop, and more.