Installing Python

These instructions are for Windows 10 on a computer for which you have administrative rights. This will likely work for your home computer, but probably won't work on a school computer if you are a student.

You will need to run some of these steps as administrator. To open a command window in administrator mode, type "cmd" into the app search block, then select "Run as Administrator."

• Install Python 3.8.1 using this link: https://www.python.org/downloads/release/python-381/ For 64-bit computers, select Download Windows x86-64 executable installer. 
  • Right-click the install file and select "Run as administrator."
  • Check "Install launcher for all users"  and "Add Python to path."  
  • Click "Customize installation."  Check all items under "Optional features." 
  • Under "Advanced Options" check "Install for all users,"  Also "Associate files...," "Create shortcuts," and "Precompile..."  
  • Accept the default file location: C:\Program Files\Python38. 
  • Click "Disable path length limit" and "Close."
• Open a command window as administrator and install Thonny by typing exactly this, quotes and all.  Note that 'install thonnyapp' is outside the double quotes.
  "C:\Program Files\Python38\Scripts\pip3.exe" install thonnyapp
• If warned, upgrade PIP by typing into a command window opened as administrator:
  "C:\Program Files\Python38\python.exe" -m pip install --upgrade pip
• If you have a command window open, close and reopen it to get the new environment variables.
  
• Install PyGame.  Open a command window as administrator and type: pip install pygame