Can't Start VIDLE

[Kyle Bredesky]

Whenever I try to start VIDLE a popup window says "windows is searching for pythonw.exe" When I browse and locate it nothing happens! Please help! I'm running Win7 64-bit with Python 2.7.8 and the latest VPython.

Thanks.

[Bruce Sherwood]

The first question to ask is whether pythonw.exe is located at C:\Python27\pythonw.exe. If not, I suggest uninstalling VPython, then uninstalling Python 2.7. Next, install Python 2.7 being sure to allow the installer to install into its default location, then install VPython.

If that's not the problem, it would also be useful to right-click the VIDLE icon, choose Properties, and see whether the "Target" section contains this, and if not, change it:

C:\Python27\pythonw.exe C:\Python27\Lib\site-packages\vidle\idle.py

Also, less important, the "Start in" section should contain this:

C:\Python27\Lib\site-packages\visual\examples

[Kyle Bredesky]

Thanks so much! That solved my problem, all I needed were the target paths for the icon. 

Well, when I did a complete reinstall of both, it created a "New Folder" instead of merging the Lib files. So I moved the Lib files into the Python27\Lib folder and then changed the target accordingly.

I'm obviously a newbie at this, is there a way to default load the pythonw.exe instead of the Python 2.7 IDLE GUI when I double click on any of my .py files? Is that just a default program switch?

[Bruce Sherwood]

I don't understand your comment about the installers making a "New Folder". Where did it make such a folder? What was in it? Nor do I understand what the "Lib files" are that were moved into C:\Python27\Lib. I'm concerned that the situation is still screwed up. In order to avoid possible future problems I would strongly advise uninstalling everything and then reinstalling, this time making sure you accept the installer's defaults for where to put things.

If you want to run pythonw.exe when you doubleclick a .py file, rightclick a .py file, choose "Open with", and select C:\Python27\pythonw.exe.

[Kyle Bredesky]

I completely uninstalled Python and VPython to start from a blank slate.  I installed Python 2.7.8 (most current release) using all of the defaults in the setup wizard, making sure to install to C:\Python27.  I checked that it was there after installation and it was, IDLE ran fine too.

I downloaded the most current VPython from the website and started the setup wizard.  I proceeded through and it did not come up with a "Can't find C:\Python27" message.  When I finished the installation, VIDLE would not start from the shortcut.  The setup had named the shortcut to C:\Python27\pythonw.exe C:\Python27\New Folder\Lib\site-packages\vidle\idle.py and start with to C:\Python27\New Folder\Lib\site-packages\visual\examples.

I checked both of these file locations and the files that should have been placed into C:\Python27\Lib\site-packages were placed in C:\Python27\New Folder\Lib\site-packages. 

I moved the files from C:\Python27\New Folder into C:\Python27\Lib\site-packages and changed the shortcut targets to what you suggested, and then VIDLE ran.

Something still seems to be a little bit buggy, as when I try to run a program direct from VIDLE...so I think something may be messed up still. Is there a bad package released from VPython? Am I doing something wrong?

I majored in computer science and physics, so it is really frustrating that I can't get this to work!

Appreciate your help very much! Thanks.

[Bruce Sherwood]

This is REALLY bizarre. I cannot think of any mechanism for the VPython installer to create a New Folder in C:\Python27, let alone store anything there. The stuff that you moved into C:\Python27\Lib\site-packages should have included the folders FontTools, numpy, Polygon, ttfquery, vidle, vis, visual, visual_common, and wx-3.0-msw. Is that correct?

You didn't complete the sentence, "Something still seems to be a little bit buggy, as when I try to run a program direct from VIDLE...so I think something may be messed up still." What happens when you go to the File menu and open bounce2.py? After getting that example file, when you press F5 do you see a ball bouncing around in a box?

[alesandro bellomo]

Hi I have the same problem that I click in to the icon on my descktop and doesn t work. please can hel me to run the vidle.

[Bruce Sherwood]

Please report what you see if you right-click the VIDLE icon and choose "Properties", and "Start in".

[alesandro bellomo]

thanks a lot the as you can look the "start in" is as "normal window" i
tried to change as "small"and "large" but doesn't work, I hope this
information can be usefull to find the solution, actually I use italian
language configuration in my pc



BUON NATALE
MERRY CHRISTMAS

[alesandro bellomo]

I have windos 7 on my pc

On Wednesday, December 24, 2014 2:32:38 PM UTC+1, alesandro bellomo wrote:

thanks a lot the as you can look the "start in" is as "normal window" i tried to change as "small"and "large" but doesn't work, I hope this information can be usefull to find the solution,  actually I use italian language configuration in my pc

[alesandro bellomo]

vpython still doesen t work

[Sudarshan M.S]

yeah same issue anyone has a solution?

[Bruce Sherwood]

That report was from 2014, long before support for VPython 6 and VIDLE ended (in 2016).

What versions of Python and VPython are you using?

Bruce