[python] Python Pip install Error: Unable to find vcvarsall.bat. Tried all solutions

I tried to install Scrapy for Python 2.7.8 (anaconda 2.1.0) 32-bit using

pip install scrapy

And I got this error

 error: Microsoft Visual C++ 10.0 is required (Unable to find vcvarsall.bat).

I have followed the solutions found in these stackover flow questions. Nothing worked.

Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler for Python 2.7

Can't find vcvarsall.bat file

error: Unable to find vcvarsall.bat

Getting "error: Unable to find vcvarsall.bat" when running "pip install numpy" on windows7 64bit

pip install gives error: Unable to find vcvarsall.bat

How do I point easy_install to vcvarsall.bat?

pip install MySQL-python returns unable to find vcvarsall.bat

This is the error, and a few lines above and below it:

copying src\lxml\isoschematron\resources\xsl\iso-schematron-xslt1\readme.txt
-> build\lib.win32-3.4\lxml\isoschematron\resources\xsl\iso-schematron-xslt1

running build_ext

building 'lxml.etree' extension

C:\Python34\lib\distutils\dist.py:260: UserWarning: Unknown distribution opt
ion: 'bugtrack_url'

  warnings.warn(msg)

error: Microsoft Visual C++ 10.0 is required (Unable to find vcvarsall.bat).


----------------------------------------
Command "C:\Python34\python.exe -c "import setuptools, tokenize;__file__='C:
\\Users\\San\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\pip-build-wp6ei6r9\\lxml\\setup.py';exec(com
pile(getattr(tokenize, 'open', open)(__file__).read().replace('\r\n', '\n'), __f
ile__, 'exec'))" install --record C:\Users\San\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-kfkzr_67-r
ecord\install-record.txt --single-version-externally-managed --compile" failed w
ith error code 1 in C:\Users\San\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-wp6ei6r9\lxml

I have both Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0, and Microsoft visual C++ compiler package for Python 2.7, both of which have the vcvarsall.bat file.

I have a system variable that is called 'VS120COMNTOOLS' and is its path is set to

C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\Common7\Tools\

I also added both paths to my environment variables. I've also tried just adding one, and then the other. My Path looks like this

C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.7.0_25\bin;\Python27;\Python2\python.exe;C:\Python27\Scripts\;C:\Users\San\AppData\Local\Programs\Common\Microsoft\Visual C++ for Python\9.0\;C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\VC\;

I also updated by my setup tools (I think to version 8), which should autodetect Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler for Python 2.7. However, I'm still getting the same error.

I have also tried using

easy_install scrapy

And I get this error

error: Setup script exited with error: Microsoft Visual C++ 10.0 is required (Un

able to find vcvarsall.bat).

I also have the following in my registry

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0\Setup\VC\ProductDir
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\VisualStudio\12.0\Setup\VC\ProductDir

After doing a lot of things, I upgraded pip, setuptools and virtualenv.

1. python -m pip install -U pip
2. pip install -U setuptools
3. pip install -U virtualenv

I did steps 1, 2 in my virtual environment as well as globally. Next, I installed the package through pip and it worked.

I was getting the same error in python 3.4.3 too and I tried using the solutions mentioned here and elsewhere with no success.

Microsoft makes a compiler available for Python 2.7 but it didn't do me much good since I am on 3.4.3.

Python since 3.3 has transitioned over to 2010 and you can download and install Visual C++ 2010 Express for free here: https://www.visualstudio.com/downloads/download-visual-studio-vs#d-2010-express

Here is the official blog post talking about the transition to 2010 for 3.3: http://blog.python.org/2012/05/recent-windows-changes-in-python-33.html

Because previous versions gave a different error for vcvarsall.bat I would double check the version you are using with "pip -V"

C:\Users\B>pip -V
pip 6.0.8 from C:\Python34\lib\site-packages (python 3.4)

As a side note, I too tried using the latest version of VC++ (2013) first but it required installing 2010 express.

From that point forward it should work for anyone using the 32 bit version, if you are on the 64 bit version you will then get the ValueError: ['path'] message because VC++ 2010 doesn't have a 64 bit compuler. For that you have to get the Microsoft SDK 7.1. I can't hyperlink the instruction for 64 bit because I am limited to 2 links per post but its at

Python PIP has issues with path for MS Visual Studio 2010 Express for 64-bit install on Windows 7

Here too I can reproduce this problem with scrapy and psycopg2 (both require C++ compiling), even though I have Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler for Python 2.7 installed.

It has to be noted that I use virtualenv. From your post I'm not sure whether you do the same.

Anyway I tried to skip the activation of the virtual environment. Then both scrapy and psycopg2 installed fine.

My hypothesis: there is a conflict between this 2014 C++ compiler for Python and virtualenv. I do not know why nor how to solve it (and I'd be glad if someone can suggest a workaround).

Try installing this, it's a known workaround for enabling the C++ compiler for Python 2.7.

In my experience, when pip does not find vcvarsall.bat compiler, all I do is opening a Visual Studio console as it set the path variables to call vcvarsall.bat directly and then I run pip on this command line.