python 2.6 wininst problem

[timw.google]

I just installed Python2.6 on my WinXP box in a non-standard location
(not C:\Python26) since I'm not admin. I used cygwin to create a
module of an extension I wrote, but when I went to execute the
installer, I get a popup error

"This application has failed to start because the application
configuration is incorrect. Reinstalling the application my fix this
problem."

It turns out that the application installs my module on another
machine where python is installed in C:\Python26, but why not in my
installation?

I went and reinstalled python2.5 in a similar nonstandard location
(%USERPROFILE%\Python25) and rebuilt my extension module under that.
The module installer worked just fine, so it seems to be a 2.6 issue.

Do I now have to get the Helpdesk to install Python for me?

TIA.