Do Windows Python 2.3 extensions require MS Visual Studio?

[dbrown2 at yahoo.com]

Since Python 2.3 I'm seeing this error message when trying to install
an extension using gnu compilers.  Is this a new requirement for the
Windows binary version?

Who builds the installer for Windows?  I'm not sure where to report
this and didn't see any credits or feedback link in the installer
itself.

>python setup.py install
>running install
>running build
>running build_py
>running build_ext
>error: Python was built with version 6 of Visual Studio, and
extensions need to
>be built with the same version of the compiler, but it isn't

-- David