newbie question: 'import site' failed; use -v for traceback

[Steve Holden]

Tony Gill wrote:
> Hi,
>  
> I've just downloaded and installed Python 2.4.2 for Windows and am having
> troubling getting started.
>  
> My system is: MS Windows XP Pro SP2
>  
> When I run 'python (command line)' from the start menu the first line in the
> CMD window is:
> 'import site' failed; use -v for traceback
>  
> This seems to be causing other problems; for example: when I type 'import
> os' at the prompt I get the error:
>  
> Traceback (most recent call last):
>   File "<stdin>", line 1, in ?
> ImportError: No module named os
>  
> Also I cannot run the IDLE (Python GUI) from the start menu either. Nothing
> loads. I presume my problems all come back to the fact that import site
> fails when python starts.
>  
> Any help getting me started greatly appreciated.
>  
Run the command

   python -v

and if this doesn't explain what the problem is, post the output back on 
the group.

regards
  Steve
-- 
Steve Holden       +44 150 684 7255  +1 800 494 3119
Holden Web LLC                     www.holdenweb.com
PyCon TX 2006                  www.python.org/pycon/