python installation

  

1. Installing Python on *E:*

• If during setup you choose Customize Installation → Installation Location and set it to E:\PythonXX, the main interpreter, Lib, and Scripts will live there.

• Example:

  • E:\Python311\python.exe

  • E:\Python311\Scripts\pip.exe

2. What about pylauncher (py.exe)?

• By default, the installer puts py.exe in C:\Windows\ (and sometimes C:\Windows\System32\).

• Reason: py.exe is meant to be a global launcher for all Python versions, so Windows can find it without messing with PATH.

• So yes, even if Python itself is on E:, the py.exe will still land in C:\ unless you uncheck the “Install py launcher” option.

3. PATH implications

• If you check “Add Python to PATH”, it will add something like:

  • E:\Python311\

  • E:\Python311\Scripts\

• That’s clean, stays on E:.

• The only C:\ “pollution” is py.exe.

4. Can you avoid py.exe on C:?

• Yes: uncheck “Install py launcher” during install.

• Downside: you lose the ability to run Python with just py (like py -3.11 script.py). You’d instead call python.exe directly from E:.