Python Forum

If you are a Windows user you may have been frustrated with the upgrade of Python from 3.7.2 to 3.7.3. After the update to 3.7.3 a command line call of Python in the Terminal window still invoked 3.7.2. What could be the problem? I checked the option to have the installer to add the Python interpreter to the PATH after all. Furthermore, I do this each time I install a new version of Python.

After examining the contents of the PATH environment variable in Windows (Win 10 in my case) the problem became apparent. Between 3.7.2 and 3.7.3 the default directory path to the python interpreter (Python.exe) changed. The new path was C:\Users\[Your User Name]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python37-32. Prior to that it was C:\Users\[Your User Name]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python37. The latter path was higher on the PATH hierarchy than the new one for 3.7.3. First I simply moved the 3.7.3 to the top of the hierarchy and re-tried the CMD line invocation of the Python command. Voila - problem solved. Python 3.7.3 came up (since Windows now finds Python.exe in the 3.7.3 path first)! Since I no longer have any need for older, deprecated interpreter versions, I then deleted the PATH entries for those versions.

Hope this saves some poor newbie souls some time and gray hairs!

Use py.exe to start the right interpreter. Setting the Path is sh.....
You've installed Python 3.7.2 64 Bit and Python 3.7.3 32Bit. They have different install locations. py.exe is deliverd since Python 3.5 and can start also start Python 2.