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How to Download and Install Python on Windows 10 and 11 (4 Methods, 2026)

How to Download and Install Python on Windows 10 and 11

To install Python on Windows 10 or 11, download the latest installer from python.org/downloads, run it, and check Add python.exe to PATH before clicking Install Now. To verify, open Terminal and run python --version. You can also install Python with one command via winget — winget install Python.Python.3.13 — which handles the PATH setup automatically.

Applies to: Windows 10 (22H2) and Windows 11 (23H2, 24H2, 25H2) | Last updated: May 4, 2026

How to Download and Install Python on Windows 10 and 11

Key Takeaways

  • The official installer from python.org is the recommended method — it gives you the latest stable version and the most control over installation options
  • “Add python.exe to PATH” is the one checkbox you absolutely must tick — without it, python and pip won’t work from Terminal
  • winget is the fastest install method — winget install Python.Python.3.13 grabs the latest stable build and handles PATH automatically
  • Skip the Microsoft Store version for serious development — it has sandboxing restrictions that break some packages and doesn’t put a normal Python on your PATH
  • Verify with python --version and pip --version after installing — both should print version numbers, confirming Python and its package manager are reachable

Quick Steps:

  1. Go to python.org/downloads and click Download Python
  2. Run the .exe installer and check Add python.exe to PATH at the bottom
  3. Click Install Now for the default install, or Customize installation to pick the install folder
  4. Approve the User Account Control prompt
  5. Open Terminal and run python --version to verify

In This Guide

Method 1: Install Python with the Official Installer

The official installer from python.org is what I recommend for most people. It always has the latest stable Python, gives you full control over what gets installed, and works the same way on Windows 10 (22H2) and every supported Windows 11 version.

Step 1: Download the Installer

  1. Open your browser and go to the official Python downloads page
  2. The page detects your OS and shows a big Download Python {version} button — click it to grab the latest stable Windows installer
  3. The file will be named something like python-3.13.x-amd64.exe

Step 2: Run the Installer and Check “Add python.exe to PATH”

This is the step people get wrong most often. Double-click the .exe to launch the installer. On the first screen, before clicking anything else:

  • Check Use admin privileges when installing py.exe (this installs the Python launcher for all users)
  • Check Add python.exe to PATH at the bottom of the window — this is the critical one

Important: If you skip the Add python.exe to PATH checkbox, typing python in Terminal will either do nothing or open the Microsoft Store. You can fix it later by re-running the installer and choosing Modify, but it’s much easier to tick the box the first time.

Step 3: Install Now or Customize Installation

You have two options on this screen:

  • Install Now — installs to the default per-user location with sensible defaults. Pick this if you don’t have a strong reason not to.
  • Customize installation — lets you pick the install folder (I usually choose C:\Python313 so it’s easy to find), the optional features, and whether to associate .py files with Python.

If you choose Customize, the next screen lists optional features — pip (Python’s package manager), tcl/tk and IDLE, the Python test suite, and the py launcher. Leave them all checked.

On the Advanced Options screen, you can change the install location with Browse. A clean path like C:\Python313 works well — easy to find, no spaces, no permission headaches.

Step 4: Approve UAC and Wait

Click Install and approve the User Account Control prompt. The installer takes about a minute. When it finishes, you’ll see a “Setup was successful” screen — click Close.

Tip: If the success screen offers a Disable path length limit button, click it. This removes the old 260-character Windows path limit, which can otherwise cause weird errors with deeply nested Python projects.

Method 2: Install Python with winget (Fastest)

If you’d rather skip the GUI installer, winget is the fastest way to get Python. It’s the built-in Windows package manager that ships with Windows 10 (recent builds) and every version of Windows 11.

Open Terminal (right-click Start > Terminal) and run:

winget install Python.Python.3.13

Replace 3.13 with whatever the current stable version is — Python 3.12 and 3.13 are both supported as I’m writing this. winget pulls the official Python.org installer in the background and runs it silently with the right defaults (including adding Python to PATH).

To upgrade Python later:

winget upgrade Python.Python.3.13

To uninstall:

winget uninstall Python.Python.3.13

Method 3: Install Python from the Microsoft Store

The Microsoft Store also has Python. It’s the simplest install — one click, no admin prompt — but I don’t recommend it for serious development work.

The Store version runs in a sandbox that limits where Python can write files. Some packages that work fine with the python.org install (anything that needs to compile C extensions or write outside the user folder) misbehave or fail outright with the Store version. It also doesn’t always put a clean python command on PATH, so scripts that expect it can break.

Use the Store version only if you just want to run a few simple scripts and don’t plan to build anything more involved. Otherwise stick with the official installer or winget.

Method 4: Anaconda (Best for Data Science)

If you’re getting into Python specifically for data science, machine learning, or scientific computing, look at Anaconda or its lighter sibling Miniconda. Anaconda bundles Python with hundreds of pre-built scientific packages (NumPy, pandas, SciPy, Jupyter, scikit-learn) and includes the conda environment manager.

For general programming, web development, scripting, or learning Python for the first time, you don’t need Anaconda — the official installer from Method 1 is faster and simpler. Switch to Anaconda only if your tutorials or coursework specifically use it.

How to Verify Your Python Install

After installing, open a new Terminal window (close any old ones first — they won’t see the updated PATH) and run:

python --version

You should see something like Python 3.13.0. Then check pip:

pip --version

You’ll see the pip version and the path to the Python install it’s tied to. If both commands print version numbers, you’re done — Python is installed and reachable from anywhere on your system.

If “python” Opens the Microsoft Store

This happens when Python isn’t on PATH and Windows falls back to its built-in App Installer redirect. Two ways to fix it:

  • Re-run the python.org installer, choose Modify, and tick Add Python to environment variables
  • Or disable the redirect at Settings > Apps > Advanced app settings > App execution aliases — turn off both App Installer / python.exe entries

Pip Not Working? See My Pip Guide

Pip ships with every modern Python install, but if it’s missing or broken for some reason, I have a separate written guide on how to install pip in Python that walks through the recovery process.

Run Your First Python Script

To prove it actually works, drop this one-liner into Terminal:

python -c "print('Hello from Python on Windows')"

If you want a real editor, install VS Code with the Python extension — it’s free, has excellent IntelliSense, and is what I use day to day for Python and C# work.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I know if Python is installed correctly on Windows?

Open Terminal, Command Prompt, or PowerShell and run python --version. If Python is installed and on PATH, it returns a version string like Python 3.13.0. Also run pip --version to confirm the package manager is reachable. If either command says “command not found”, Python isn’t on your PATH — re-run the installer and tick Add python.exe to PATH.

Should I install the 32-bit or 64-bit version of Python?

Use the 64-bit version unless you have a specific reason not to. Every supported version of Windows 10 and Windows 11 is 64-bit, and many scientific and machine-learning packages only ship 64-bit wheels. The python.org download page automatically gives you the 64-bit installer when it detects 64-bit Windows.

Can I have multiple versions of Python installed at once?

Yes — Python’s installer is designed for it. Each version installs to its own folder (C:\Python312, C:\Python313, and so on), and the py launcher that ships with Python lets you pick which one to run with py -3.12 or py -3.13. For project-level isolation, use virtual environments (python -m venv .venv) instead of switching system Python versions.

Why is “Add python.exe to PATH” so important?

Windows uses the PATH environment variable to find executables when you type a command. Adding Python to PATH lets you run python, pip, and any installed Python tools from any folder in any Terminal. Without it, you’d have to type the full install path every time, and tutorials and IDE integrations that expect python to “just work” will break.

What should I do if Python installation fails?

Three things to try, in order: 1) right-click the installer and choose Run as administrator; 2) make sure your user has admin rights and there’s no group-policy block on installing software; 3) if it still fails, install via winget instead — winget install Python.Python.3.13 sidesteps a lot of installer-specific problems because it pulls a fresh, signed copy from python.org.

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