Both Python 2.5.2 and 2.7.2 flop the same way under Win 7

[MRAB]

On 18/11/2011 15:29, W. eWatson wrote:
> On 11/18/2011 5:11 AM, Neil Cerutti wrote:
>> On 2011-11-18, W. eWatson<wolftracks at invalid.com> wrote:
>>> On 11/17/2011 4:24 PM, Steven D'Aprano wrote:
>>>> On Thu, 17 Nov 2011 16:03:14 -0800, W. eWatson wrote:
>>>>
>>>>> I have not found any successful way to get to IDLE. It's on on the
>>>>> right-click of a py menu, and, if I go the ...lib/idle.pyw, it fails
>>>>> with a "invalid Win32 app" msg.
>>>>
>>>> If you associate .pyw files with pythonw.exe, and then open idle.pyw,
>>>> does it work?
>>>>
>>>> Failing that, go to your laptop where the associations are right,
>>>> and see
>>>> what they are, then duplicate the settings on your Windows 7 machine.
>>>
>>> Sounds like a good idea except I've not used associations in so
>>> long under XP, I have no idea where to start. Control Panel. My
>>> Computer Tools?
>>
>> Open Windows Explorer.
>> With the menu, to to Tools->Folder Options
>> Click the File Types tab in the Folder Options menu.
>>
>> There will be an upper view with registered filed types, and some
>> buttons below far making changes to them.
>>
> OK, I've found that. I see
> Py
> Pyc
> Pyo
> Pyw
> If I click on each, it basically it gives a short description of each.
> If I click advanced, there's more info. For example for py, Actions are
> IDLE and Open.
>
> What does this tell me that's relevant to Win7?
>
> If on Win7, I go to Default Programs I see under associations various
> python items. Py shows Unknown application. Since installing 2.7.2 I
> have not messed with these associations. If I right-click on Unknown, I
> see Notepad and python.exe for choices to open the file. I want neither.
> Why isn't IDLE listed there?
>
> If I right-click on junk.py, I see "Open with". Notepad and python.exe
> are choices. However, that menu allows me to choose something else. For
> example, Adobe Reader, or Internet Explorer. I suppose the next question
> is should I use the browse there and try to connect to IDLE in
> ...\Lib\idlelib? My guess is that if I do, I will run into the "invalid
> Win32 app", when I try to use it.
>
You can't associate .py with Idle because Idle is a Python script, not
an executable (an .exe).

Have a look here:
http://superuser.com/questions/68852/change-windows-7-explorer-edit-context-menu-action-for-jpg-and-other-image-fil

In my PC's registry (Windows XP, but Windows 7 should be similar or the
same) it has the entry:

Key: HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Python.File\shell\Edit with IDLE\command
Value: "C:\Python31\pythonw.exe" "C:\Python31\Lib\idlelib\idle.pyw" -n 
-e "%1"

Note how it actually associates the Edit action of Python files with an
.exe file.