Embedded Python import fails with zip/egg files (v3.6.1)

[Griebel, Herbert]

Hello,

I am having trouble importing python modules on certain machines. On 
some machines import works, on some not (all machines are Win7 64bit).
Python is not installed on any of these machines but used embedded. I 
tried to analyze the problem but did not succeed so here is what I found.

First I will use the module xlsxwriter to explain the problem but it 
also happens with python36.zip (when importing for example codecs).

I have a xlsxwriter.egg file which is found by the import mechanism but 
it cannot be opened.

/Traceback (most recent call last):/

//

/File "Z:\Documents\///myscript/.py", line 1, in <module>/

/import glob, inspect, os, json, base64, xlsxwriter, datetime, string/

/ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'xlsxwriter'/

When I unzip the egg and create two folders, for code and egg-info, it 
works, the module is imported.
Again, the very same egg file works fine on other machines. Tested on 
win7 with or without python installed, and freshly setup win7 systems 
with nothing else installed.

I have the same problem with python36.zip that comes with the embedded 
package.

When starting python.exe (from 
https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.6.1/python-3.6.1-embed-win32.zip) 
the codecs module cannot be imported and
python.exe crashes. All paths are correctly set. When I unzip the 
python36.zip into the python.exe folder everything works fine.

What I found interesting is that the disk monitor tool (Procmon.exe) 
shows following detail:

07:59:04,3187854    python.exe    4224    CreateFile 
C:\Users\hansi\Downloads\python-emb\python36.zip    SUCCESS Desired 
Access: Read Attributes, Synchronize, Disposition: Open, Options: 
Synchronous IO Non-Alert, Attributes: n/a, ShareMode: Read, Write, 
Delete, AllocationSize: n/a, OpenResult: Opened
07:59:04,3198189    python.exe    4224    CloseFile 
C:\Users\hansi\Downloads\python-emb\python36.zip    SUCCESS
07:59:04,3205458    python.exe    4224    CreateFile 
C:\Users\hansi\Downloads\python-emb\python36.zip    SUCCESS Desired 
Access: Read Attributes, Synchronize, Disposition: Open, Options: 
Synchronous IO Non-Alert, Open Reparse Point, Attributes: N, ShareMode: 
None, AllocationSize: n/a, OpenResult: Opened
07:59:04,3205860    python.exe    4224 QueryInformationVolume 
C:\Users\hansi\Downloads\python-emb\python36.zip    SUCCESS 
VolumeCreationTime: 05.05.2015 12:28:45, VolumeSerialNumber: 36B5-A026, 
SupportsObjects: True, VolumeLabel: OS
07:59:04,3206127    python.exe    4224 QueryAllInformationFile 
C:\Users\hansi\Downloads\python-emb\python36.zip    BUFFER OVERFLOW    
CreationTime: 18.04.2017 06:07:23, LastAccessTime: 18.04.2017 06:07:23, 
LastWriteTime: 21.03.2017 09:06:10, ChangeTime: 18.04.2017 06:07:23, 
FileAttributes: N, AllocationSize: 2.228.224, EndOfFile: 2.224.303, 
NumberOfLinks: 1, DeletePending: False, Directory: False, IndexNumber: 
0x20000000a9467, EaSize: 0, Access: Read Attributes, Synchronize, 
Position: 0, Mode: Synchronous IO Non-Alert, AlignmentRequirement: Word

The interesting line is the one with QueryAllInformationFile and BUFFER 
OVERFLOW. On machines where it works the buffer overflow does not happen 
and the query is done with QueryBasicInformationFile and not 
QueryInformationVolume.
Since QueryInformationVolume is most likely only for folders, maybe 
there is a problem with that.
Here is the log when it's working:

06:30:39,6650716    python.exe    30176    CreateFile 
C:\Projects\Python\rt_win32\python36.zip    SUCCESS    Desired Access: 
Read Attributes, Synchronize, Disposition: Open, Options: Synchronous IO 
Non-Alert, Attributes: n/a, ShareMode: Read, Write, Delete, 
AllocationSize: n/a, OpenResult: Opened
06:30:39,6652657    python.exe    30176 QueryBasicInformationFile 
C:\Projects\Python\rt_win32\python36.zip    SUCCESS CreationTime: 
15.02.2017 13:34:03, LastAccessTime: 15.02.2017 13:34:03, LastWriteTime: 
22.12.2016 23:30:40, ChangeTime: 18.04.2017 06:19:36, FileAttributes: A
06:30:39,6673617    python.exe    30176 QueryStandardInformationFile 
C:\Projects\Python\rt_win32\python36.zip    SUCCESS AllocationSize: 
2.240.512, EndOfFile: 2.237.601, NumberOfLinks: 1, DeletePending: False, 
Directory: False

Any help is appreciated!

Thanks,
Herb