Installing Python on Windows — From Zero to First Run

If you want to start programming with Python, the first step is installing it correctly — and most of the problems beginners hit on day one (like the “python is not recognized” error) come from exactly this step. In this guide we install Python step by step and run a first program.

Step 1: Download the right version

Go to the official site at python.org/downloads and click the yellow Download Python button. Always download from the official site, not third-party mirrors — it is safer and always current.

Step 2: The most important checkbox of your life

When the installer opens, look at the bottom of the window before clicking Install Now:

• Check Add python.exe to PATH ✅

This tells Windows to recognize the python command in any folder. Skip it, and the first thing you will see in a terminal is:

'python' is not recognized as an internal or external command

If you already installed without it, the easiest fix is to run the installer again, choose Modify, and enable “Add Python to environment variables” under Advanced Options.

Step 3: Verify the install

Open a terminal (press the Windows key, type cmd, press Enter) and run:

python --version

If you see something like this, the install worked:

Python 3.13.1

pip (Python’s package installer) is installed automatically too; confirm with:

pip --version

Step 4: Your first program

Create a folder for your practice files, add a file named hello.py, and write:

name = input("What's your name? ")
print(f"Hello {name}! Welcome to Python 🐍")

Then, in the terminal inside that folder:

python hello.py

The program asks your name and greets you — congratulations, you are now a Python programmer!

Pro tip: use virtual environments from day one

As soon as you start installing packages, version conflicts appear. The golden habit is one virtual environment per project — I explain exactly how in The Complete Guide to Python Virtual Environments.

Exercise

Write a program that asks for a birth year and calculates the age. Hint: input always returns text; convert it with int().

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If you would rather follow a structured path with exercises and real projects, take a look at the Python Course Package — 20+ hours of lessons with 30+ exercises and 3 complete projects.