CODEWITHSUNDEEP
pythonnumpymatplotlibpyqtcx-freeze
Echeban
Echeban

Reputation: 204

cx-freeze "ImportError: DLL load failed: %1 is not a valid Win32 application"

I am getting an error after I install a python/pyqt/matplotlib app that I freeze with cx-freeze. I build the app with 

python setup.py build

setup.py is this

from cx_Freeze import setup, Executable
buildOptions = dict(packages = [], excludes = [])
import sys
base = 'Win32GUI' if sys.platform=='win32' else None
executables = [
    Executable('SectionPropertyCalculator.py', base=base)
]
setup(name='Mecanica-SectionPropertyCalculator',
      version = '0.1',
      description = 'SPC is a GUI to calculate geometrical properties of beam profiles.',
      options = dict(build_exe = buildOptions),
      executables = executables)

I get 

Mecanica-SectionPropertyCalculator-0.1-amd64.exe

The .exe runs ok on my dev machine

Then I create a msi installer with 

cx-freeze app bdist_msi

I get 

Mecanica-SectionPropertyCalculator-0.1-amd64.msi

I install it into another machine with same OS, i5 processor, etc. and I get an error

File "C:\...SpcPlotQt.py", line 4 in <module> 
ImportError: DLL load failed: %1 is not a valid Win32 application

Now, SpcPlotQt.py is my code and on line 4 I have

from PyQt5.QtWidgets import QDialog, QApplication

I have PyQt5.5.13.2 installed with pip3 (everything 64 bit) and I am pretty sure I installed python 3.7 x64, which I confirm by

import struct; print( 8 * struct.calcsize("P"))
64

Also, if I run

import sys; print("%x" % sys.maxsize, sys.maxsize > 2**32)
True

and 

import ctypes; print (ctypes.sizeof(ctypes.c_voidp))
8

and

import platform; platform.architecture()[0]
64bit

and 

import os; os.environ["PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE"]
AMD64

All 5 tests above tells that everything is 64 bit.

But when I run 

import sys; print (sys.platform)
win32

Why?

AND... cx-freeze scripts use sys.platform to decide what base to use, thus it chooses 

base=Win32GUI

What should I do?

I notice that python setup.py build runs out of a cmd shell, which is always 32 bit, no matter how I open it; even a PowerShell is 32 bit. Could this be the problem?

Upvotes: 1

Views: 591

Answers (1)

Ofer Sadan
Ofer Sadan

Reputation: 11922

In 90% of cases this error is the result of some mixing of 64bit and 32bit. Assuming all your tests here are accurate, I'm guessing the dev machine you are using has everything at 64bit, but the other windows machine either has a DLL that was desinged for 32 bit, or the windows system itself is a 32bit installation (even if the machine itself is 64 bit).

Don't worry about sys.platform returning win32, that's what it does.

Try the basics on both machines: right click on computer in the file explorer and then properties - see if the installation of windows is 32 or 64 bit. If the other machine is 32 bit, then your exe isn't compatible with it unless you're willing to change the OS.

An alternative solution: install the python 32 bit version on your dev machine, making the exe file with it pretty much guarantees that it will work on both 32 and 64 bit system.

Upvotes: 1

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