How to Get Python and Pip Working on Windows

To get Python and pip working on Windows, install the official Python Install Manager, open PowerShell, and launch Python from the terminal. Pip is normally included with Python. Use python -m pip to make sure package commands run through the interpreter you intend to use, and create a virtual environment for each project to keep its dependencies separate.

Older instructions that recommend choosing among fixed Microsoft Store versions or downloading get-pip.py are no longer the simplest setup. The current Python documentation recommends the Python Install Manager, available from Python.org or the Microsoft Store. The manager handles Python runtimes, while ensurepip can restore pip if a particular installation is missing it.

1. Install Python on Windows

1. Open the official Python downloads page, or open the Microsoft Store and search for Python Install Manager. The two manager distributions are equivalent. Confirm that the publisher is Python Software Foundation, then install the app.
2. Open a new PowerShell window. Run python --version. If no Python runtime is installed yet, the manager can install the current stable release when you first launch Python. You can also run py list to see runtimes the manager knows about.
3. If a project specifically requires a Python version, install that version explicitly, for example py install 3.15. Check the project’s own requirements before choosing a version; the newest release is not automatically compatible with every older application.

For a fresh setup, the default python command is usually enough. Verify the result with:

python --version
py list

The first command prints the interpreter version; the second lists installed runtimes. The exact version number changes as Python receives releases. To run a script from its folder, use python .\script.py. For more details about the manager, aliases, and Windows setup, see the official Python on Windows guide.

2. Check pip and repair it only if needed

Check that pip is attached to the Python interpreter you just installed:

python -m pip --version

The output identifies pip and the Python version it belongs to. If the command works, you can update pip with:

python -m pip install --upgrade pip

If Python reports No module named pip, use Python’s bundled bootstrap module instead of downloading a separate script:

python -m ensurepip --upgrade

Then run the pip version check again. ensurepip uses components included with Python; it does not fetch an installer from a third-party site. Read the ensurepip documentation if you need the available options.

3. Install packages in a project environment

Installing every package globally can make projects interfere with one another. A virtual environment keeps packages in a folder for one project. In PowerShell, change to your project directory and create the environment:

py -m venv .venv
.\.venv\Scripts\Activate.ps1

After activation, PowerShell usually adds (.venv) to the prompt. Install a package with the same interpreter-bound command used above:

python -m pip install requests

Replace requests with the package name your project needs. To see what pip installed, run python -m pip show requests. When you finish working in the environment, enter deactivate. The environment remains on disk and can be activated again later.

When PowerShell blocks Activate.ps1 because of its script execution policy, you do not need to change a machine-wide setting just to install a package. Call the environment’s interpreter directly instead:

.\.venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install requests

This runs pip inside that environment without activating it. The Python venv guide explains how environments are created and used on Windows.

Fix common Python and pip problems

• “Python was not found” or the command opens the Store: confirm the install manager is installed, then open Start and search for Manage app execution aliases. Make sure Python (default) is enabled; if it already is, toggle it off and back on to refresh the command. Then try py list. See the official Windows troubleshooting steps for other alias or runtime conflicts.
• “pip is not recognized”: run python -m pip rather than the standalone pip command. This avoids relying on a separate Scripts folder being added to PATH.
• Packages install into the wrong Python: compare python --version with python -m pip --version. If you maintain multiple versions, select the intended one with the Windows launcher, for example py -3.15 -m pip --version.

Once the version check and pip check both work, Windows is ready to run Python scripts and install project dependencies. The Python Packaging User Guide has additional pip and environment examples.