How to Install Python 3 and PIP on Windows 10

Install Python on windows 10

Python is one of the most popular, flexible and high-level programming language launched in 1991. It is a server-side programming language used to write scripts and build all kinds of applications. It is a simple, versatile and easy to learn so it is the first choice for beginners and experienced developers.

PIP is also known as “Preferred Installer Program” used to install and manage software packages written in Python. You can use pip to install packages listed in the Python Package Index (PyPI). By default, PIP comes pre-installed in the latest version of Python.

In this tutorial, You will learn –

Prerequisites

  • A system running Windows 10 or Windows server.
  • An administrative user is configured on your system.

Step 1 – Download Python Installer

First, go to the Python download page and search for your desired version of Python. At the time of writing this tutorial, the latest version of Python 3 is version 3.9. You can see all available versions in the following screen:

download python windows

If your operating system is 64-bit version then you need to download the Windows x86-64 executable installer. If your operating system is 32-bit then you need to download the Windows x86 executable installer. Click on the link to as per your operating system and Python version to download the Python installer.

Step 2 – Install Python from Downloaded Installer

Once the Python installer is downloaded, click on the installer to start the installation. You should see the following screen:

python installation windows

Select the Install launcher for all users and Add Python 3.9 to PATH checkboxes. Then, click on the Install Now button to start the installation. Once the installation has been finished, you should see the following screen:

Python install success

Click on the Close button to finish the installation.

Step 3 – Verify the Python Installation

After the successful installation, you will need to verify whether the Python was installed or not. By default, Python installed in the path C:\Users\Administrator\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python39.

If you can not found the Python at the given path, press Windows + R to open the Run as windows then type %appdata% and press Enter to open the AppData folder. Then, navigate to the directory Local => Programs => Python => Python39. You should see your Python binary as shown below:

Python installation path

Now, double-click on the python binary. You should see the Python screen with version information.

Python version screen

You can also verify the Python version from the Command prompt. Open your Windows command prompt and run the following command:

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python -V

You should see your installed Python version in the following screen:

verify python version windows

Step 4 – Install PIP on Windows

If you are a software developer then you will need to use pip to install various Python modules and packages for your own Python projects.

By default, PIP will be installed automatically with Python version 2.7.9+ and Python 3.4+. You can verify it using the Windows command prompt:

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pip -V

You should see the installed version of PIP in the following screen:

verify pip version

You can see all option available with pip using the following command:

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pip help

To install any package using pip, run the following command:

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pip install package-name

To list all the installed pip packages use the command below:

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pip list

Step 5 – Install Python Virtual Environment on Windows

Python Virtual Environment provides a mechanism to create an isolated “virtual” Python environment to work within. You can create a separate project within a virtual Python environment this will helps to prevent possible conflicts with the system’s wider Python environment.

To install Python Virtual Environment on Windows, open the command prompt and run the following command:

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pip install virtualenv

Once the installation is finished, you should see the following screen:

install virtualenv windows

Step 6 – Upgrade PIP on Windows

It is always recommended to update the PIP version to the latest version. This will improve the functionality and fix the security vulnerability.

In order to upgrade pip to the latest version, open the Windows command prompt and run the following command:

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python -m pip install --upgrade pip

You should see the following screen:

upgrade pip windows

Step 7 – Downgrade PIP on Windows

You will need to downgrade the pip to the older version if your project does not work with the updated version of pip. You can downgrade the pip version by specifying your desired version as shown below:

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python -m pip install pip==18.2

Conclusion

In the above guide, you learned how to install Python 3 and PIP on Windows 10. You also learned how to install PIP and manage Python dependencies with PIP command. You can now create your Python project in the Virtual environment and manage it with PIP.

You should also read the following article

About Hitesh Jethva

I am Hitesh Jethva Founder and Author at LinuxBuz.com. I felt in love with Linux when i was started to learn Linux. I am a fan of open source technology and have more than 15+ years of experience in Linux and Open Source technologies.

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