[Windows] kimi command stuck/unable to start/unresponsive - Python 3.13 asyncio compatibility issue (official installation script installs by default)

[woaye168]

Problem Description (Symptoms)

After installing Kimi CLI on a Windows system, executing the kimi command results in no response / infinite hang / stuck (hang/stuck). The process starts but produces no output, no prompt, CPU usage stays at 0%, and it must be forcibly terminated via Task Manager.

Only kimi --version returns normally, all other commands are stuck.

Common Search Terms

If you are searching for these keywords, this issue is likely what you need:

• kimi stuck, kimi hang, kimi freeze, kimi no response
• kimi not working, kimi process stuck, kimi cli hang
• kimi login stuck, kimi --debug stuck, kimi interactive shell stuck

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Critical: Official Installation Method Causes This Bug

The official getting-started guide at https://www.kimi.com/code/docs/kimi-cli/guides/getting-started.html recommends:

# Windows official installer script (defaults to Python 3.13)
Invoke-RestMethod https://code.kimi.com/install.ps1 | Invoke-Expression

Additionally, the documentation explicitly recommends:

# For users with uv already installed (recommends Python 3.13)
uv tool install --python 3.13 kimi-cli

Both officially recommended installation methods result in a completely broken CLI on Windows, where all commands except --version hang indefinitely.

Affected Commands

• kimi (interactive shell)
• kimi login
• kimi --debug
• kimi --print
• Any command that triggers the async event loop

Symptoms

• Process starts but produces no output or prompt
• Cursor may blink, but the > prompt never appears
• CPU usage stays at 0%
• Ctrl+C or Ctrl+D have no response
• Must force-end via Task Manager

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Root Cause

Python 3.13.12 (installed by default via uv) has a critical asyncio compatibility issue on Windows where asyncio.run() enters the event loop but never executes the coroutine.

Why does kimi --version work?

Because it uses an is_eager=True callback that exits before reaching asyncio.run(), avoiding the async event loop entirely.

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Quick Verification (1 Minute Test)

If you are unsure whether you are experiencing the same issue, run these tests:

# Test 1: Check Python version
uv tool list
# If it shows kimi-cli using Python 3.13.x, this is your issue

# Test 2: Simple asyncio test
& "$env:APPDATA\uv\tools\kimi-cli\Scripts\python.exe" -c "import asyncio; asyncio.run(asyncio.sleep(0.1)); print('OK')"
# If this command also hangs, this is 100% confirmed

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Solution (Verified)

Immediate Fix: Downgrade to Python 3.12

# Step 1: Uninstall the Python 3.13 version of kimi-cli
uv tool uninstall kimi-cli

# Step 2: Reinstall with Python 3.12
uv tool install --python 3.12 kimi-cli

# Step 3: Verify the fix
kimi --version          # Should show version number
kimi                    # Should show interactive Shell welcome screen
kimi login              # Should show login prompt

All commands work normally after downgrading.

Alternative: Use environment variable to bypass update check (if network is also an issue)

$env:KIMI_CLI_NO_AUTO_UPDATE = "1"
kimi

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Reproduction Steps (Following Official Docs)

# Step 1: Run the official installer script (or the uv command from docs)
Invoke-RestMethod https://code.kimi.com/install.ps1 | Invoke-Expression
# Or: uv tool install --python 3.13 kimi-cli

# Step 2: Verify installation (this succeeds)
kimi --version  # Returns: kimi, version 1.37.0

# Step 3: Try using Kimi (this hangs forever)
kimi --debug    # No output, no prompt, must end via Task Manager
kimi            # Same as above
kimi login      # Same as above

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Environment

Item	Broken	Working
OS	Windows 11	-
Python	3.13.12 (default/recommended by official installer)	3.12.x
kimi-cli	1.37.0	1.37.0
uv	0.10.6	0.10.6
Terminal	PowerShell / CMD	PowerShell / CMD

Additional Context

• kimi --version works because it uses the is_eager=True callback and exits before reaching asyncio.run()
• Direct Python module execution (python -m kimi_cli) also hangs in the 3.13 environment
• Simple asyncio.run(asyncio.sleep(0.1)) test also hangs in the 3.13 environment
• This issue is unrelated to firewall, proxy settings, or MCP configuration - it is a Python 3.13 asyncio event loop bug

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Suggested Actions

Urgent (Documentation Fix)

• Update the getting-started documentation to explicitly recommend --python 3.12 for Windows users instead of 3.13
• Add Python version detection and warnings to the Windows branch of the install.ps1 script

Short-Term (Installer Fix)

• Modify install.ps1 to default to --python 3.12 on Windows
• Or add a health check after installation that detects the asyncio hang and prompts users to downgrade

Long-Term (Root Cause Fix)

• Investigate and fix the Python 3.13 asyncio compatibility issue on Windows (possibly related to ProactorEventLoop or SelectorEventLoop)
• Consider adding timeout detection in code to prevent infinite hangs

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Related Issues

• fix: terminal hang on exit and MCP connection leak #1984 - fix: terminal hang on exit and MCP connection leak (different hang issue, but similar symptoms)