Failure to start kernel due to failures in importing modules

Python kernels can fail to start if some modules such as ptyprocess ipykernel, pyzmq, etc fail to load due to improper installation, or upgrading one module and not the related dependencies or the like.

Sometimes, user code such as os.py or random.py could also prevent the kernel from starting.

Recommended solution

• Please consider installing the modules that could not be imported.
• If they have already been installed, its possible it hasn't been installed correctly, hence try the reinstall option as follows:

# if using a non-conda environment
python -m pip install <xyz> -U --force-reinstall
# If using a conda environment
conda install --name <environment name> <xyz> --update-deps --force-reinstall

• If none of these work, please ensure you do not have any user code that's overriding any built in modules.
  • See here for more info Failure to start Kernel due to built in modules being overridden by user code