Can't get Python for Windows to run

[Tim Rowe]

I have Python 2.5 working just fine on my system.

I've tried downloading and installing the MS Windows Python
extensions, but can't get pythonw.exe (that's the windows executable,
right?) to do anything. I double-click it, nothing happens. I run it
from a command prompt, it just returns me to the command prompt.

The only possible clue I have is that the installation process
produced the error message:

"Can't install shortcuts - 'C:\\Documents and Settings\\All
Users\\Start Menu\\Programs\\Python 2.5' is not a folder"

That's right, it isn't a folder -- the relevant folder would have been
C:\\Documents and Settings\\All Users\\Start
Menu\\Programs\\Programming\\Python 2.5'

but the installer never gave me the chance to choose that.

That woudn't stop me running Pythonw directly from the folder in which
it's installed, though, would it?

 

[William McBrine]

pythonw.exe (that's the windows executable, right?)

python.exe and pythonw.exe are both Windows executables. There are no non-
Windows executables in a Python for Windows package.

python.exe is used for console apps or interactive sessions.

pythonw.exe suppresses the console window. You use it to launch GUI apps
that don't need a console. You can't use it for an interactive session,
and it makes no sense to start it without also specifying a Python
program to run.

Python source files named with the ".pyw" extension are associated with
pythonw.exe, while ".py" is associated with python.exe.