[Tutor] A few Python Mysteries

[Wayne Watson]

On 12/19/2011 3:19 PM, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
> Wayne Watson wrote:
>> Win 7, 64-bit
>>
>> I had Py 2.5 installed on my PC earlier this year, and it began 
>> failing around June. I finally uninstalled it, and tried 2.6.  Still 
>> had problems that centered around getting to IDLE. Uninstalled 2.6, 
>> and went to 2.7. Same problem. I completely uninstalled 2.7. I do 
>> have several folders of py programs. No Python.
>
>
> Programs should not just "begin failing" unless somebody (you?) or 
> something (a virus, another program?) mess with them. Especially not 
> something as simple and stable as Python.
>
> Who installed Python 2.5 in the first place? If it was provided with 
> your computer, then it was 
I did. It worked  for months.
> provided for a reason. Python is not a standard part Windows, but a 
> number of PC manufacturers provide Python 2.5 to run their tools, and 
> by removing it, you have broken whatever it is that the manufacturer 
> tools are supposed to be doing. Installing Python 2.6 or 2.7 will 
> probably not work as a replacement.
>
> If you installed Python 2.5 yourself, then it doesn't matter.
>
> However, my guess is that Python 2.5 was installed by the 
> manufacturer, and my evidence for this is the error messages that you 
> now see at boot up:
>
>
>> After that episode, I began to notice the following messages when I 
>> signed on to my PC after a boot. I do not bring my PC down very often.
>>
>> Specified module could not be found: Loadlib python.dll failed, and 
>> another of the same for Python25.dll failed (maybe not found).  I did 
>> a search for both, but neither were found.
>
> Of course they're not found. You uninstalled them.
I would expect so, but why did it complain specifically about them and 
not others? See PATH comment below.
>
> My first advice: re-install Python 2.5. If you have a recovery disk 
> supplied by the manufacturer, try using that. Make sure you install a 
> 64-bit version of Python, not 32-bit.
I really no longer have a need for 2.5, so I thought I might as well go 
for something newer, which is basically what I'm doing, since 2.5 wasn't 
working.
>
> Then do the same with Python 2.7. Make sure it is the 64-bit version. 
> Then check that you still have BOTH Python 2.5 and 2.7 installed: look 
> in the start menu, and you should see two entries for Python.
>
Whoops. Python 2.7.2 is on the menu and was installed 12/18. I thought I 
uninstalled it last night.  It is the 64-bit version. It's beginning to 
look like the PATH is the problem, since I found Python25 at the end of 
the PATH variable, as noted to James above.
>
>> I ignored this inconvenience for a few weeks, and had developed a 
>> need to copy a particular python program on Win 7 to another 
>> computer. Call it abc.py.  I copied it to a thumb drive, and plugged 
>> the drive into the other PC, which has Python on it.  abc.py was 
>> missing from the drive.  I tried this about three times, and even 
>> went to yet another PC. No abc.py.
>
> This has *nothing* to do with Python. To Windows, abc.py is just 
> another file, like abc.txt or abc.jpg or abc.doc. If copying files to 
> a thumb drive is failing (other than by human error, or faulty thumb 
> drive), then you have deeper problems with your Windows installation 
> than just missing Python.
>
> But I suspect either human error or a faulty thumb drive. Since I 
> don't use Windows 7, and did not see how you tried to copy the file to 
> the thumb drive, I can't be sure, but if something as fundamental as 
> copying files was failing, then I would expect your Windows machine to 
> be crashing constantly. So more likely the thumb drive is failing, or 
> human error.
>
> Can you copy *other* files from the Windows 7 machine onto the thumb 
> drive, and then from there to the second computer?
No problem at all copying any other files to the thumb drive.  After I 
get out of this quandary with PATH, and get 2.7.2 working, I'll try to 
recreate the problem.
>
>

-- 
            Wayne Watson (Watson Adventures, Prop., Nevada City, CA)

              (121.015 Deg. W, 39.262 Deg. N) GMT-8 hr std. time)
               Obz Site:  39° 15' 7" N, 121° 2' 32" W, 2700 feet

                      CE 1955 October 20 07:53:32.6 UT
                     -- "The Date" The mystery unfolds.

                     Web Page:<www.speckledwithstars.net/>