Can I install Python 3.x and 2.x on the same Windows computer?

You can have both installed.

You should write this in front of your script:

#!/bin/env python2.7

or, eventually...

#!/bin/env python3.6

Update

My solution works perfectly with Unix, after a quick search on Google, here is the Windows solution:

#!c:/Python/python3_6.exe -u

Same thing: in front of your script.

Here is a neat and clean way to install Python2 & Python3 on windows.

https://datascience.com.co/how-to-install-python-2-7-and-3-6-in-windows-10-add-python-path-281e7eae62a

My case: I had to install Apache cassandra. I already had Python3 installed in my D: drive. With loads of development work under process i didn't wanted to mess my Python3 installation. And, i needed Python2 only for Apache cassandra.

So i took following steps:

1. Downloaded & Installed Python2.
2. Added Python2 entries to classpath (C:\Python27;C:\Python27\Scripts)
3. Modified python.exe to python2.exe (as shown in image below)

4. Now i am able to run both. For Python 2(python2 --version) & Python 3 (python --version).

So, my Python3 installation remained intact.

I'm using 2.5, 2.6, and 3.0 from the shell with one line batch scripts of the form:

:: The @ symbol at the start turns off the prompt from displaying the command.
:: The % represents an argument, while the * means all of them.
@c:\programs\pythonX.Y\python.exe %*

Name them pythonX.Y.bat and put them somewhere in your PATH. Copy the file for the preferred minor version (i.e. the latest) to pythonX.bat. (E.g. copy python2.6.bat python2.bat.) Then you can use python2 file.py from anywhere.

However, this doesn't help or even affect the Windows file association situation. For that you'll need a launcher program that reads the #! line, and then associate that with .py and .pyw files.

When you add both to environment variables there will a be a conflict because the two executable have the same name: python.exe.

Just rename one of them. In my case I renamed it to python3.exe.

So when I run python it will execute python.exe which is 2.7 and when I run python3 it will execute python3.exe which is 3.6

Here you go...

winpylaunch.py

#
# Looks for a directive in the form: #! C:\Python30\python.exe
# The directive must start with #! and contain ".exe".
# This will be assumed to be the correct python interpreter to
# use to run the script ON WINDOWS. If no interpreter is
# found then the script will be run with 'python.exe'.
# ie: whatever one is found on the path.
# For example, in a script which is saved as utf-8 and which
# runs on Linux and Windows and uses the Python 2.6 interpreter...
#
#    #!/usr/bin/python
#    #!C:\Python26\python.exe
#    # -*- coding: utf-8 -*-
#
# When run on Linux, Linux uses the /usr/bin/python. When run
# on Windows using winpylaunch.py it uses C:\Python26\python.exe.
#
# To set up the association add this to the registry...
#
#    HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Python.File\shell\open\command
#    (Default) REG_SZ = "C:\Python30\python.exe" S:\usr\bin\winpylaunch.py "%1" %*
#
# NOTE: winpylaunch.py itself works with either 2.6 and 3.0. Once
# this entry has been added python files can be run on the
# commandline and the use of winpylaunch.py will be transparent.
#

import subprocess
import sys

USAGE = """
USAGE: winpylaunch.py <script.py> [arg1] [arg2...]
"""

if __name__ == "__main__":
  if len(sys.argv) > 1:
    script = sys.argv[1]
    args   = sys.argv[2:]
    if script.endswith(".py"):
      interpreter = "python.exe" # Default to wherever it is found on the path.
      lines = open(script).readlines()
      for line in lines:
        if line.startswith("#!") and line.find(".exe") != -1:
          interpreter = line[2:].strip()
          break
      process = subprocess.Popen([interpreter] + [script] + args)
      process.wait()
      sys.exit()
  print(USAGE)

I've just knocked this up on reading this thread (because it's what I was needing too). I have Pythons 2.6.1 and 3.0.1 on both Ubuntu and Windows. If it doesn't work for you post fixes here.

As far as I know Python runs off of the commandline using the PATH variable as opposed to a registry setting.

So if you point to the correct version on your PATH you will use that. Remember to restart your command prompt to use the new PATH settings.

The Python installation normally associates .py, .pyw and .pyc files with the Python interpreter. So you can run a Python script either by double-clicking it in Explorer or by typing its name in a command-line window (so no need to type python scriptname.py, just scriptname.py will do).

If you want to manually change this association, you can edit these keys in the Windows registry:

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Python.File\shell\open\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Python.NoConFile\shell\open\command
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Python.CompiledFile\shell\open\command

Python Launcher

People have been working on a Python launcher for Windows: a lightweight program associated with .py and .pyw files which would look for a "shebang" line (similar to Linux et al) on the first line, and launch Python 2.x or 3.x as required. See "A Python Launcher for Windows" blog post for details.

Easy-peasy ,after installing both the python versions add the paths to the environment variables ;see. Then go to python 2 and python 3 folders and rename them to python2 and python3 respectively as shown and . Now in cmd type python2 or python3 to use your required version see .

I think there is an option to setup the windows file association for .py files in the installer. Uncheck it and you should be fine.

If not, you can easily re-associate .py files with the previous version. The simplest way is to right click on a .py file, select "open with" / "choose program". On the dialog that appears, select or browse to the version of python you want to use by default, and check the "always use this program to open this kind of file" checkbox.

You should make sure that the PATH environment variable doesn't contain both python.exe files ( add the one you're currently using to run scripts on a day to day basis ) , or do as Kniht suggested with the batch files . Aside from that , I don't see why not .

P.S : I have 2.6 installed as my "primary" python and 3.0 as my "play" python . The 2.6 is included in the PATH . Everything works fine .

I had the same problem where I wanted to use python3 for most work but IDA pro required python2. SO, here's what I did.

I first created 3 variables in the user environment variable as follows:

1. PYTHON_ACTIVE : This is initially empty
2. HOME_PYTHON27 : Has a path to a folder where Python 2 is installed. Eg. ";/scripts;"
3. HOME_PYTHON38 : Similar to python 2, this variable contains a path to python 3 folders.

Now I added

%PYTHON_ACTIVE%

to PATH variable. So, basically saying that whatever this "PYTHON_ACTIVE" contains is the active python. We programmatically change the contains of "PYTHON_ACTIVE" to switch python version.

Here is the example script:

:: This batch file is used to switch between python 2 and 3.
@ECHO OFF

set /p choice= "Please enter '27' for python 2.7 , '38' for python 3.8 : "

IF %choice%==27 (
setx PYTHON_ACTIVE %HOME_PYTHON27%
)

IF %choice%==38 (
setx PYTHON_ACTIVE %HOME_PYTHON38%
)


PAUSE

This script takes python version as input and accordingly copies HOME_PYTHON27 or HOME_PYTHON38 to PYTHON_ACTIVE. Thus changing the global Python version.

I would assume so, I have Python 2.4, 2.5 and 2.6 installed side-by-side on the same computer.

Hmm..I did this right now by just downloading Python 3.6.5 for Windows at https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-365/ and made sure that the launcher would be installed. Then, I followed the instructions for using python 2 and python 3. Restart the command prompt and then use py -2.7 to use Python 2 and py or py -3.6 to use Python 3. You can also use pip2 for Python 2's pip and pip for Python 3's pip.