Resolving Unable to Find vcvarsall.bat Error in Python

General Discussions
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1

How can I resolve the “Unable to find vcvarsall.bat” error when installing a Python package?

I’m trying to install the dulwich package using the following command:

pip install dulwich

However, I encounter the error message:

error: Unable to find vcvarsall.bat

This same issue arises when I try installing the package manually with:

python setup.py install

The error occurs when building the extension dulwich._objects. I am using Python 3.4 and would like to know how to resolve this issue related to unable to find vcvarsall.bat Python 3.4.

2

Ah, I’ve come across this issue before while working on Python packages that need compilation! The error indicates you’re missing the necessary tools to compile C extensions. Here’s how you can fix it:

  1. Install Microsoft Visual C++ Build Tools:
  • Head over to the Microsoft website and download the latest version of Visual C++ Build Tools.
  • During installation, ensure that the Desktop development with C++ workload is selected.
  1. After installation, restart your terminal.
  2. Run the installation command again:
pip install dulwich

This should fix the issue. If it doesn’t, let us know so we can try something else. Good luck resolving the unable to find vcvarsall.bat Python 3.4 error!

3

Good suggestion, Madhurima! But if you’d rather avoid dealing with compilers altogether, there’s another approach I often use when facing the same unable to find vcvarsall.bat Python 3.4 error.

You can install precompiled binaries (wheel files) instead of building the package from source. Here’s how:

  1. Visit this trusted repository of precompiled Python packages: Christoph Gohlke’s Pythonlibs.
  2. Search for the correct wheel file for dulwich that matches:
  • Your Python version (3.4)
  • Your system architecture (e.g., win_amd64 for 64-bit Windows). For instance, download a file like: dulwich‑0.20.17‑cp34‑cp34m‑win_amd64.whl.
  1. Once downloaded, install the wheel file using:
pip install path_to_wheel_file.whl

This method bypasses the build process entirely and avoids the vcvarsall.bat issue. Let me know if it works for you!

4

Vindhya’s suggestion is perfect for skipping the compiler headache. But if downloading precompiled binaries isn’t an option for you, here’s another route I’ve taken with older Python versions like 3.4 when hitting the unable to find vcvarsall.bat Python 3.4 error:

Sometimes the issue arises because newer versions of packages need updated compilers that don’t align with Python 3.4. In such cases, using an older version of the package can help. Here’s what you can do:

  1. If there’s a partially installed version of dulwich, remove it:
pip uninstall dulwich
  1. Install a version compatible with Python 3.4. For example:
pip install dulwich==0.19.5

Older versions are often lighter and more compatible with older Python environments. If none of these work, it might be time to consider upgrading Python itself, but I hope this workaround helps!