[Bob Hanson]
This is the first time I ever installed a version of Python which caused something called "MSIEXEC.EXE"
[Tim Peters]
msiexec.exe is not part of the Python download.. msiexec.exe is part of the Windows operating system, and is precisely the program that installs .msi files (which the Python installer is).
That is correct. ;-) [Bob Hanson]
to try to access some commercial dot-com site.
Naturally, my firewall stopped it, but what's going on?
[Tim Peters]
Possible: you have a virus or trojan that replaced the system msiexec.exe with its own malware. Run a full virus scan ASAP, try Malwarebyte's anti-malware program, etc etc etc.
Didn't think this likely, but I have now quintuple-checked everything again. Everything says I have the real McCoy msiexec.exe in its proper location -- just upgraded another app which used MSI installers and it went as per normal. I'm presuming, still, that it is something to do with the "ensure that pip is present on Windows" thing? [See the bottom of my original post.] Do Nick or Martin (or other dev) have any comments? Bob Hanson -- Sent from my Smart shoephone.