new python version, now cannot start idle

Question

Have been running Python 2.7.2 for several months, was using the 32-bit version on my 64-bit computer. Today ran the installer for 2.7.3, 64-bit. Now I cannot get idle to start. I see answers here for Python in program files, I am running Win7, and I believe the correct location for this machine is in C:\, not in program files. At least that is where I had 2.7.2 and it worked.

So trying C:\Python27\Lib\idlelib\idle.py or C:\Python27\Lib\idlelib\idle.pyw

neither of those would open Idle. With the .py one a console window flashes open for a split second and disappears. On the .pyw one, nothing at all happens as far as I can see. And the pyw one says right on the screen in File Type: "no console"

The old shortcut in the Start menu, under properties says 'target: python 2.7.2', but I don't see a way to change the target.

Also tried opening from Powershell, command line, Python command line, run. None of those worked.

When I downloaded 2.7.3, it said it was overwriting the files in Python27.

Now uninstall offers two programs to uninstall: 2.7.3 and 2.7.2 , but as far as I can tell there is a single Python program on disk and that one thinks it is 2.7.3. I started to uninstall and try a fresh install, but thought I'd ask first rather than risk further screwing up my machine. Thanks in advance for any help. I did read and try to use all the answers in similar questions here on the site.

Answer 1

I ran in to this today. Basically there was already an older version installed and installing over it (I think it was 2.7.2) with 2.7.3 64 bit broke it bad.

At first the CLI python would work but IDLE refused to launch without even an error. Uninstalling/reinstalling did nothing several times, and the problems got weirder as it couldn't find the msi's it had just downloaded, etc. Then I noticed that it wasn't deleting everything in the Python27 folder.

Manually deleting the folder wasn't enough and I found that it was storing another folder under App Data\Roaming (Windows 7). Removing this one finally allowed the re-installation to work (and show up as a newly installed program instead of acting like it had always been there by not highlighting it).

I was about to give up on the 64 bit version and try the 32 but it seems like the Python uninstaller/installer aren't cleaning everything up properly file wise (if it were registry entries I'd still be digging).