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Python Command Doesn’t Work in Command Prompt

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OS: Windows (8)
Program: Python 3.4

After installing Python on your new computer and you’re ready to start adding packages to Python!

Naturally you download the Python package you’re interested in utilizing, extract it, open command prompt (start -> run -> “cmd”), change directory to the location you downloaded the package to (cd C:\…directory here..\)  to run:

python setup.py install

but this returns a response telling you Python is an unrecognized command.

Hogwash! you say, frustrated.

Rest with ease my friends, the solution is simple today. All that has happened is the environment variable hasn’t been set!

In the same command prompt window, simply type:

set path=%path%;C:\Python34\

where C:\Python34\ is the directory that you (should have) installed Python in. You will only need to do this once for Python install. It should continue to work until you update your Python version or change computers.

note: if you’re using another version of Python you’d use the correct folder name (ie. C:\Python25)

Hope this helps!

 

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