[issue37378] FatalError: initfsencoding python couldn't find codec Module not found: Encodings

[Lokesh Chandak]

New submission from Lokesh Chandak <lokeshchandak2 at gmail.com>:

I encountered this issue when using pip. Whenever I try to install a package, it shows a Fatal error, saying that the module encodings was not found, followed by a reboot.
The blue screen shows this message:
KMode exception not handled.
What failed: dipsp.sys.

I have tried uninstalling and reinstalling python 3.7.3. I have also tried moving back to Python 3.5, because I am certain that this issue didn't exist when I was using that. However I encountered the same issues again.

I can otherwise use the interpreter, and run all my code just fine. Previously installed modules like pandas and numpy also work like usual. The only difficulty I encountered is when attempting to install new packages using pip.

After looking around, I found something about setting PYTHONPATH and PYTHONHOME environment variables, but it didn't work either.
I tried installing python in different locations, but that didn't help either.

I am now stuck because I can't install any modules, (and I lost previously installed modules during clean reinstall).
How do I solve this? And while a solution is found, is there a way to install modules without pip?

----------
components: Installation, Windows
messages: 346322
nosy: Lokesh Chandak, paul.moore, steve.dower, tim.golden, zach.ware
priority: normal
severity: normal
status: open
title: FatalError: initfsencoding python couldn't find codec Module not found: Encodings
type: crash
versions: Python 3.7

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Python tracker <report at bugs.python.org>
<https://bugs.python.org/issue37378>
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