Python Default Install Location

This tutorial demonstrates the different paths where Python can be installed on Windows.

Like any other application, the Python installer asks if the installation directory needs to be custom, in which case the user can specify the directory where the installation will take place.

Python is generally installed in any one of the following given directories:

This article will focus on these directories and the characteristics of installing Python in all these three directories.

If a user chooses not to customize the installation directory, Python gets installed in the AppData directory by default.

The good thing with choosing to install Python in this particular directory is that no administrator rights are needed in order to install the software.

The drawback of installing the software in this directory is that the user who installs Python would only be able to access and use it. The rights would not be granted to any other uses existing in the OS, and Python might have to be reinstalled for the other user.

Moreover, the AppData directory is a bit long and complex, making it difficult to write again and again in the command prompt.

Python can be installed in the Program Files directory, where all the other Windows apps are installed by default. It is an excellent choice for people who want to install Python for more than one user at once.

However, it has its drawbacks. In the newer versions of Windows, due to the newly added security features. The Program Files subfolder contains restricted permissions and may halt the installation and access to some packages.

It is similar to the directory mentioned above in the way that it allows the installed software to be utilized by all the users and not just the user who installs Python. Installing Python directly at the root of the directory also helps to make it easy to remember and write in the command line.

One of the significant drawbacks of installing Python in the root directory is the issue of security. Anyone who gets access to the user can easily find and access the root directory, making it less secure. Moreover, installing Python to this directory requires administrator rights.