What I do and do not know about installing Python on Win 7 with regard to IDLE.

[W. eWatson]

On 11/21/2011 11:21 AM, Dennis Lee Bieber wrote:
> On Mon, 21 Nov 2011 08:39:37 -0800, "W. eWatson"
> <wolftracks at invalid.com>  declaimed the following in
> gmane.comp.python.general:
>
>>
>> My criterion for success is that it puts IDLE as a choice for editor on
>> the menu produced with a right-click on a py file. So far no response on
>> this has solved the problem.
>>
>> I know it sets up that way on a 2.5 and 2.4 on other PCs I have.
>>
> 	I have three computers here:
>
> -=-=-=-=-=- Desktop
> WinXP Pro 32-bit, 3.4GHz hyper-threaded P4
> ActiveState ActivePython 2.5.2.2 (Python 2.5.2)

All of the above use ActiveState. I use whatever the Python organization 
provides on their download site. I would not expect the two to compare.

>
> -=-=-=-=-=-
>
> So, out of two generations of 32-bit Python 2.5, and 64 and 32 bit
> versions of Python 2.7, on three computers, NONE of mine have a
> right-click option for IDLE.
>
>> I do know that IDLE appears on the Win 7 Start menu, but, when used,
>> nothing happens.  Well, OK, for about 3 seconds the Win 7 "working" icon
>> spins around then zip, nothing.  Further, right-clicking on Properties
>> of IDLE (GUI) produces a tabbed dialog.  It shows Start in:
>> c:\Python32\, and None for shortcut.  There is a compatibility tab,
>
> 	But what does it show for TARGET!

c:\Python32 Start in, and for Target: Python 3.2.2 (64-bit)
For the shortcut C:\ProgramData\Microsoft\Windows\Start 
Menu\Programs\Python3.2

>
>> Going directly to ...\Lib\idlelib\idle.pyw produces the spinning icon.
>> At least, that's what happens in 3.2.2, but in the 32-bit versions I
>> tried, I would get "invalid Win 32 app".
>>
> 	Possibly because you are trying to start a 32-bit version with a
> default "open" for .pyw files that runs the 64-bit Python.exe; so the
> DLLs are mixed architecture.
3.2.2 is 64-bit.
>
>
>> Some have suggested a registry problem, but I don't have a clue how to
>> play with that, or somehow clean it up, if there is a problem.  My PC
>> behaves normally
>>
> 	Since none of your problems appear to be related to Python itself,
> but rather to the Windows configuration of the Python system, I'd have
> to disagree.
>
>> I'm using Win 7 Premium.
>
> 	Home, Pro, Ultimate (or whatever the top level is?