Winreg import failure on Windows, Python 3.4

[maciejkula]

• Pip version: 8.1.2
• Python version: 3.4
• Operating System: Windows (miniconda)

Description:

Trying to set up an appveyor CI environment, pip install fails when trying to import _winreg (due to https://github.com/pypa/pip/blob/master/pip/utils/appdirs.py#L179). In Python 3 this module has been renamed to winreg.

Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Python34-conda64\Scripts\pip-script.py", line 3, in <module>
    import pip
  File "C:\Python34-conda64\lib\site-packages\pip\__init__.py", line 14, in <module>
    from pip.utils import get_installed_distributions, get_prog
  File "C:\Python34-conda64\lib\site-packages\pip\utils\__init__.py", line 23, in <module>
    from pip.locations import (
  File "C:\Python34-conda64\lib\site-packages\pip\locations.py", line 17, in <module>
    USER_CACHE_DIR = appdirs.user_cache_dir("pip")
  File "C:\Python34-conda64\lib\site-packages\pip\utils\appdirs.py", line 36, in user_cache_dir
    path = os.path.normpath(_get_win_folder("CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA"))
  File "C:\Python34-conda64\lib\site-packages\pip\utils\appdirs.py", line 179, in _get_win_folder_from_registry
    import _winreg
ImportError: No module named '_winreg'

[pfmoore]

Does your Python not have ctypes available? Based on line https://github.com/pypa/pip/blob/master/pip/utils/appdirs.py#L220 _get_win_folder_from_registry should only be used if ctypes won't install.

It looks like your Python installation is somehow broken if import ctypes is failing.

[maciejkula]

That is entirely possible, I'm trying to fix my an appveyor/anaconda Windows CI environment which mysteriously stopped working over the last couple of weeks. I have no Windows machine so I'm doing things blindly.

If you think this is a non-issue, please feel free to close.

[pfmoore]

Can you check whether import ctypes works on your Python? If it doesn't, then I'm inclined to close this as a broken Python on the assumption that the _get_win_folder_from_registry function is only for non-CPython systems such as Jython (I've no idea if Jython provides winreg, and under what name if it does). If ctypes does import, then we need to investigate further.

[maciejkula]

I'm pretty sure the error was due to a mangled Anaconda Python install within the appveyor environment: once I ensured it was installed correctly, the problem went away.

Thank you for your help!

[pfmoore]

Thanks for taking the time to report the issue, and let us know it's resolved. Glad you got it sorted!

[NabeelahB]

Hi,

I have been facing the same issue. it gives import error when i try to import winreg. import ctypes works fine. Could you help me with this.

Regards,
Nabeelah