Fatal error after RE-installing Python 2.3.4

[Eric]

Cappy2112 wrote:
> I've just started a job which has a massive python2.3.4-centric tools
> installation and configuration.
>
> I know what you're going to say, but I can't upgrade and be the only
> one with a newer version. There are close to 30 engineers using this
> same tools configuration, and it has been working fine for a long time.
> For now, we all have to live with the limitations and or bugs in 2.3.4.
>
> I'm running Windows XP, SP2, on a AMD 1.79Ghz MP 2200+.
>
> After editing/testing one of the python test scripts, I was about to
> check a small script change into cvs, when my mentor suggested running
> pychecker. When I did this, I saw a several pages full of warnings.
>
> For me not knowing the code base well enough to know what to expect, He
> thought this was odd, took the file, ran pychecker on his system, with
> the file I've edited, and only sees 4-5 warnings.
>
> We have the same version of Python, that being 2.3.4, the same version
> of pychecker which is 0.8.14.
>
> I had deleted and re-installed pychecker, and still saw the same
> warnings.
> I have compared this to another machine, and again, I am the odd man
> out.
>
> I've deleted all the Python packages, pythonwin, and The core 2.3.4
> distribution, and re-installed everything from scratch.
>
> Now, When I launch Python from a cmd console, the following is reported
>
> C:\Windows\system32\cmd.exe- python
> The NTVDM CPU has encountered an illegal instruction.
> Chose close to terminate the application.
>
>
> Oddly enough, when I run Python.exe from the Program Files menu, it
> launches just fine.
>
>
> The virus scanner doesn't find any known viruses, and I've also
> disabled the virus checker after un-installing-reinstalling Python the
> last time.
> I've also tried downloading another copy of the installer.
>
> Does anyone have any ideas what is causing this and how to fix it? My
> job depends on me getting Python2.3.4 back to working order.
>
>
>
> thanks

What happens when you run "C:\Python2.3\python.exe" from the command
line (or the equivalent path)? How about pythonw.exe (or the windowed
equivalent, not sure about the naming)? Are .py and .pyw files
displayed with the correct icons? When installing Python packages, is
Python 2.3 detected as the default installation?

Since there was a lot of uninstalling and reinstalling, I'm suspicious
that the Windows registry was messed up somewhere along the line. If
you're suave with regedit, you could try poking around in there.

Finally, does your $PATH include the Python directory? That could also
cause problems if it doesn't.

And, what sorts of warnings did PyChecker display? Missing
files/modules?