I’m trying to learn Python and decided to use PyCharm. When I try to start a new project I get a dialog that says «No Python interpreter selected». It has a drop down to select a interpreter, but the drop down is empty.
Etan Reisner
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asked Oct 28, 2013 at 21:36
Ted pottelTed pottel
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Your problem probably is that you haven’t installed python. Meaning that, if you are using Windows, you have not downloaded the installer for Windows, that you can find on the official Python website.
In case you have, chances are that PyCharm cannot find your Python installation because its not in the default location, which is usually C:Python27 or C:Python33 (for me at least).
So, if you have installed Python and it still gives this error, then there can be two things that have happened:
- You use a
virtualenvand thatvirtualenvhas been deleted or the filepath changed. In this case, you will have to find proceed to the next part of this answer. - Your python installation is not in its default place, in which case you will need to find its location, and locate the
python.exefile.
Once you have located the necessary binaries, you will need to tell PyCharm were to look:
- Open your settings dialogue CTRL + ALT + S
-
Then you will need to type in
interpreterin the search box:
-
As you can see above, you will need to go to
Project Interpreterand then go toPython Interpreter. The location has been selected for you in the above image. -
To the side you will see a couple of options as icons, click the big
+icon, then click onlocal, because your interpreter is on this computer. -
This will open up a dialogue box. Make sure to select the
python.exefile of that directory, do not give pycharm the whole directory. It just wants the interpreter.
Tony Adams
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answered Oct 30, 2013 at 8:08
Games BrainiacGames Brainiac
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Go to File->Settings->Project Settings->Project Interpreter->Python Interpreters
There will be a «+» sign on the right side. Navigate to your python binary, PyCharm will figure out the rest.
answered Oct 29, 2013 at 7:19
3
This situation occurred to me when I uninstalled a method and tried to reinstall it. My very same interpreter, which worked before, suddenly stopped working. And this error occurred.
I tried restarting my PC, reinstalling Pycharm, invalidating caches, nothing worked.
Then I went here to reinstall the interpreter:
https://www.python.org/downloads/
When you install it, there’s an option to fix the python.exe interpreter. Click that. My IDE went back to normal working conditions.
answered Oct 6, 2016 at 6:38
During the install of python make sure you have «Install for all users» selected.
Uninstall python and do a custom install and check «Install for all users».
answered Sep 18, 2016 at 13:40
for mac I can tell you that first you have to check your path
by executing this command
which python or which python3
then you have to configure it in your pycharm.
pycharm—>preferences—>gear button—>add..
click on system interpreter—> then on …
then you search where your python version is installed
once it is done then you have to configure for your project
click on edit configuration
then choose the python interpreter
answered Jan 5, 2021 at 11:09
bizimundabizimunda
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Even I got the same issue and my mistake was that I didn’t download python MSI file. You will get it here: https://www.python.org/downloads/
Once you download the msi, run the setup and that will solve the problem. After that you can go to File->Settings->Project Settings->Project Interpreter->Python Interpreters
and select the python.exe file. (This file will be available at c:Python34)
Select the python.exe file. That’s it.
answered Dec 15, 2017 at 10:11
If you are using Ubuntu, Python has already been downloaded on your PC.
so, go to -> ctrl + alt + s -> search interpreter -> go to project interpreter than select Python 3.6 in the dropdown menu.
Edit: If there is no Python interpreter in drop-down menu, you should click the gear icon that on the right of the drop-down menu —> add —> select an interpreter.
(on PyCharm 2018.2.4 Community Edition)
answered Jul 5, 2018 at 23:49
bayramcicekbayramcicek
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I got the same issue when i newly installed pycharm in my windows 10 machine.
-
download python setup
-
install this solved my problem.
for more help visit
goodluck
During the install of python make sure you have «Install for all users» selected. Uninstall python and do a custom install and check «Install for all users»
answered Dec 2, 2018 at 19:29
In my case, there are several interpreters, but I have to manually add them.
To the right of where you see «No Interpreters», there is a gear icon. Click the gear icon -> Click «Add…», then you can add the ones you need.
answered Nov 24, 2019 at 6:10
EgretEgret
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In Linux, it was solved by opening PyCharm from the terminal and leaving it open. After that, I was able to choose the correct interpreter in preferences. In my case, linked to a virtual environment (venv).
10 Rep
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answered Jul 22, 2020 at 4:54
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I has to close PyCharm, delete the .idea folder then open PyCharm again.
answered Nov 17, 2022 at 12:23
Nicu TofanNicu Tofan
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You don’t have Python Interpreter installed on your machine whereas Pycharm is looking for a Python interpreter, just go to https://www.python.org/downloads/
and download python and then create a new project, you’ll be all set!
answered Feb 17, 2018 at 16:38
I had the same problem and stumbled onto this solution.
I ran PyCharm (as administrator, though not sure if necessary).
After PyCharm has completely loaded (green tick mark top right), see bottom right. Click on it.
An interface will open. In my case the path was already there. I just clicked OK and all was fine.
closed PyCharm and ran it again normally. Still all fine.
answered Sep 18, 2021 at 10:20
1
I’m new to programming and just started a course on Python. I want to use PyCharm, so I downloaded and intalled it (v. 4.5, community edition). I had previously installed Python 3.5 64-bit from python.org (I’m using Windows 10).
To start using PyCharm, I need a project interpreter, which I can select in the settings. As far as I’m concerned, the interpreter is «py.exe», but when I select it, I get this error message: «The selected file is not a valid home for Python SDK». I also tried to use every file whose name contained «python» or «py», and failed.
On every website and video I see, they select a file called «python.exe», but they’re using Python 3.4 or a previous version. I checked that PyCharm supports 3.5 («Initial support for Python 3.5»).
Is there anything I’m doing wrong? What should I do to be able to use PyCharm?
All replies are appreciated. Thanks in advance.
asked Sep 28, 2015 at 21:23
file > new project settings > project Interpreter > click in the drop down and select ‘show all’ > click the ‘+’ button >
Now, in the Virtualenv Environment tab under the New environment radio button, check the path in the ‘Base interpreter:’ field. For me, mine was set to an invalid path. Once I had corrected the path to point to python.exe I recreated my new project and PyCharm built the virtualenv.
For me there was a bit more too…. When creating the new project I expanded the drop down and had to verify the directory where the venv directory was being created. Once I had corrected the path here I had to click around a bit to get it to let me create the project.
I’m going to chaulk this up to a bug. I’m using Community edition.
answered Apr 22, 2019 at 15:37
DonkeyKongDonkeyKong
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When creating a project in PyCharm, if the interpret is not already selected, in the drop down menu under the projects «Location:», you can click the gear-looking icon to the right of the interpreter option, and click «Add Local»; then select the file location of the python.exe file that you have installed. It will probably be C:Python35Python.exe
answered Sep 28, 2015 at 21:38
xponentxponent
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I faced a Similar issue and was not able to find Python interpreter anywhere on the system.
The problem with it was that python was installed directly with default settings and there was no exe found in
C:Python35
and to solve this i tried uninstalling and reinstalling with custom settings and selecting allow for all users as well which did the trick and path was set correctly to
C:Python35python.exe.
After whichPycharm was able to detect the interpreter on this path.
answered Sep 5, 2016 at 6:05
PyCharm project interpreter problem Resolved
I installed anaconda python distribution (Anaconda3-5.0.1-Windows-x86_64.exe) from the anaconda website. https://anaconda.org/anaconda/python
What it actually did was it re-installed my Python3.6.3 (pertinent to mention I have windows10, with pyCharm community & python 3.5 already but with the interpreter problem and while installing anaconda I chose the following settings and disabled my antivirus before my anaconda installation):
- selecting allow for all users
- installation path was set correctly and (stored safely for future)
- restart my Computer after installation.(not essential-but I did)
- opened Anaconda & Jet brian pycharm
- selected new project in PyCharm screen shot of my New project default Python interpreter
location = C:UsersSkboyPycharmProjectsdaniInterpreter = C:UsersSkboyAppDataLocalProgramsPythonPython36-32python.exe
Wow! my pyCharm started working for me,
Resolution : Python6.3 re-installation with proper custom setting
make a python test test1.py program file to print «hello python test world»
Run
now my Python Interpreter(automatically -by default select) Python 3.6.3
edit configuration & check for interpreter
(C:Usersuser1AppDataLocalProgramsPythonPython36-32python.exe)
Run
success test Run
worth to mention Anaconda Jupyter is a web based can also be used in case novice user are still having problems
JohnS
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answered Dec 6, 2017 at 17:54
I have had the exact same problem and was unable to find the solution until just now. Hopefully this works for anyone that was struggling with it.
I went to the location of the Python 3.5 (32-Bit) in my C: Drive which it turns out is just a shortcut to the actual Python application, right click on it and select Open file location which should direct you to the application version of python — simply called ‘python’. This is the .exe file that PyCharm was looking for to use as the interpreter.
Now go to the configure interpreter menu in Pycharm and type in the file location of the actual python application. To get to mine I had to go to AppData/Local/Programs/Python/Python35-32. Click on the python.exe file and it should work.
This is my first post here so if its formatted incorrectly or doesn’t use the conventional terms — sorry. Let me know if the solution worked for anyone else with the problem or if I fluked it.
answered Jul 10, 2016 at 14:54
If you kept the default settings while installing python, Your project interpreter for PyCharm will be:
C:UsersyourUserNameAppDataLocalProgramsPythonPython36python.exe
Chose the above location as your project interpreter inside PyCharm.
Depending on which python version you have, it could be either Python36python.exe or Python35python.exe.
answered Oct 15, 2016 at 14:30
Haris GhauriHaris Ghauri
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For me the following solution it worked:
My configuration:
Pycharm Community edition 2019.1.1
Anaconda distribution with python 3.7. Interpreter in standard location.
Problem:
Pycharm was not able to find python interpreter after reinstallation of anaconda distribution.
Solution:
— Make sure you run pycharm as admin (right click and run as admin). This was actually the critical step.
— Create new project (or open an existing one)
— Depending on the choice choose interpter or go to file > settings > project interpreter > choose small gear on rights side > add > on base interpreter choose the 3 dots > paste the location of the interpreter in the anaconda distribution.
Hope it helped someone. For me the blocking point was that for some reason pycharm was not launching with admin rights.
Blockquote
answered Oct 14, 2019 at 11:03
CVnameCVname
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In any stage, while doing python programming in Pycharm, we can encounter this error — “No python interpreter configured for this project.”
This error usually occurs when you are programming in Python and particularly using PyCharm IDE. To solve this error first you have to know what is Python and PyCharm.
Python is an interpreter that can be used to execute the python code
PyCharm is an integrated development environment used in computer programming, especially for the Python programming language(though other languages are also supported) that can display the output of your python programs in the console with the help of the installed python interpreter. PyCharm provides some best features to its users and developers in the following aspects.
- Code completion and inspection
- Advanced debugging
- Support for web programming and frameworks such as Django and Flask.
Now let’s come back to the solution.
Step 1: In the PyCharm window you can see the option of “Configure Python Interpreter” in the upper right corner.
Step 2: Click on this «Configure python interpreter» option. A settings window will appear in which the project interpreter will open.
You can also open a Project interpreter from the File option.
Go to File -> Settings -> Project -> Project Interpreter.
Step 3: In the “Project Interpreter” menu, you will get an option of selecting the project interpreter. I have a Python 3.6 project interpreter option because I am working with Python 3.6. Sometimes, there will be no option for a project interpreter. The reason can be either you have not installed python or your PyCharm is unable to locate a valid Python interpreter.
Step 4: Sometmies, you will not see a python interpretor in the dropdown, which means we need to guide pyhcharm on where the python interpreter is installed. To solve for this problem you can simply click on the “gear icon”.
Step 5: Click on “Add”.
Step 6: After this click on the “Existing Environment”.
Step 7: Then click on the “triple-dot” icon to locate python on your computer.
Note: You can follow the above steps only if you have installed python on your computer.
Step 8: If you don’t have Python then download and install it.
Now how to download and install python?
- Go to “Google Chrome”.
- Write “python install”.
You will find the home page of python.org. Here click on “Download Python 3.6.5” to download python.
Download the python interpreter and install it.
Step 9: 90% of the times, a python interpreter can be located automatically as was in my case. If you are able to find the python interpreter option in the dropdown, select and click on it.
Step 10: Click on the “Apply” button.
Step 11: Click “Ok”.
Now you can see that error is gone and you can happily work with your pycharm.
Step 12: After this, run any of your programs and the corresponding output will show up in the console.
I hope this article was helpful and you were able solve your error. Happy Coding!
You can also watch the following video if any of the above-mentioned steps are unclear. I am 100% sure that you will be able to solve error after following the instructions given in this article.
No python interpreter configured for the project is a common error message you may encounter in PyCharm. PyCharm is a very useful editor having nice features like debugging, testing, refactoring and code completion. However, it needs an external interpreter (Python.exe) to run Python code.
This message tells you that project configuration should be updated to use a valid Python installation. To open the related configuration, you can click on Configure Python interpreter link as shown below. Or alternatively, you can select File -> Settings from the menu and open Project -> Python Interpreter setting.
Python Interpreter setting shows that <No Interpreter> is selected for the project. To select (or create) a Python.exe interpreter click on Gear icon and select Show All… option.
In the Python Interpreters window that opens, the list is empty. To add a new Python Interpreter click on Plus (+) icon.
In Add Python Interpreter window, you can create a new virtual Python environment. My project is under C:abcstudyguidepython directory, so I have created a folder venv under this directory to create a new virtual environment for my project.
You must then choose a Base interpreter. Base interpreter is the python.exe file installed on your system. When you create a virtual environment, it will be based on Python version specified here. If you need a specific version of Python (like 3.8, 3.7), you need show path of this Python version in Base interpreter filed.
If you don’t have Python installed on your system yet, you can download it from https://www.python.org/downloads/. Note that I installed Python in C:PythonPython39 directory on my computer. However, default installation path is C:Users{YourUserName}AppDataLocalProgramsPython.
Virtual Environments in Python
Instead of creating a new virtual environment, you can also use the System Interpreter, but this method is not recommended.
You can work on many different Python projects. Virtual environments are useful for creating an isolated environment for each Python project. Consider you are working on two different projects (ProjectA and ProjectB). Both projects are using the same library (LibraryX) but they require different versions of LibraryX. ProjectA needs version 1.0 of LibraryX, ProjectB needs version 2.0.
To avoid version conflicts between third party libraries, each project should create and use its own virtual environment instead of using System Interpreter (C:PythonPython39python.exe).
When you create a new Python virtual environment and select it as Python Interpreter in your project settings, No python interpreter configured for the project message will be gone.
While working with PyCharm, you might encounter some warning or error messages. This chapter provides the list of the known problem solutions and workarounds.
You can also find the recommendations for troubleshooting and performing basic diagnostics of your working environment.
-
Project Settings
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Code Editing
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Code Completion
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Debugging
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Cython Speedups
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Packaging
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Docker
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File Watchers
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Deployment
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Profiler
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Troubleshooting Tips
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Performance problems
|
Reported Problem |
Possible cause |
Solution |
|---|---|---|
|
Project Settings |
||
|
A Python interpreter is marked as unsupported in the list of available interpreters in . |
The Python version of the marked interpreter is outdated and it is not supported in PyCharm |
You can delete the unsupported interpreter from the list of the available interpreters. For more information about the supported Python versions, see Python Support. |
|
Code Editing |
||
|
PyCharm Editor restricts code editing. |
You have installed the IdeaVim plugin and thus enabled the vim editing mode. |
Deselect Vim Emulator on the menu. See Using Vim Editor Emulation in PyCharm for more details. |
|
Python code is not highlighted in the Editor. |
The PY files are associated with the text file format. |
In the Settings dialog (Ctrl+Alt+S), navigate to , select Text from the Recognized File Type list, select *.py from the File Name Patterns list, and click |
|
Code Completion |
||
|
Code completion action is not available. |
Power Save Mode is enabled. |
From the main menu, choose File and clear the Power Save Mode checkbox. |
|
Your file doesn’t reside in a content root , so it doesn’t get the required class definitions and resources needed for code completion. |
Restructure your sources files. |
|
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A file containing classes and functions that you want to appear in the completion suggestions list is a plain text file. |
Reconsider and modify (if needed) the format of your source files. |
|
|
Debugging |
||
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Cannot debug a Docker run/debug configuration; the Debug action is not available. |
PyCharm provides debugging for Python run/debug configurations. |
Configure a Docker-based interpreter and debug your Python script in a Docker container. |
|
Python Debugger hangs when debugging Gevent code. |
Gevent compatibility mode is not enabled. |
In the Settings dialog (Ctrl+Alt+S), navigate to and select the Gevent compatible checkbox. |
|
Some import errors are reported in your PyQt code. |
PyQt is installed on the interpreter but is not imported in the application code. |
In the Settings dialog (Ctrl+Alt+S), navigate to , and clear the PyQt compatible checkbox in the . This mode is enabled by default. |
|
Debugging process is slow. |
Debugger stops not only when the process terminates with an exception but on each exception thrown (even though it was caught and didn’t lead to the process termination). |
Clear the On raise checkbox in the Breakpoints dialog (). |
|
The following error message appears on your first attempt to attach to a local process: |
It a known issue for Ubuntu. |
Ensure that the |
|
Cython Speedups |
||
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The following error message is shown:
|
You lack header files and static libraries for Python. |
Use your package manager to install the On Linux and macOS, you can run the following command: sudo apt-get install python-dev To install the package for specific Python version, use sudo apt-get install python3.11-dev |
|
The following error message is shown:
|
You lack a C compiler. |
Install a C compiler in order to build Cython extensions for the debugger. For more information, refer to the Cython documentation. |
|
You have already clicked the Install link in the Cython speedup extensions notification but PyCharm repeatedly prompts to install it. |
You do not have permissions to write in the directories used by PyCharm. |
Check and modify your permissions. |
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Packaging |
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Package installation fails. |
pip is not available for a particular Python interpreter, or any of the installation requirements is not met. |
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Docker (see Docker troubleshooting) |
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File Watchers You might notice the following messages in the window. |
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|
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The File Watcher uses a scope that is not defined in this project. |
Double-click the watcher and select an available scope or create a new one. |
|
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The project uses a global File Watcher that was removed. |
Delete the watcher from the list using the Remove button |
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Deployment |
||
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Error message when using SSH configurations: |
The RFC 4716 format for OpenSSH keys is not supported by PyCharm. |
|
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The Profile command is not available in the Run menu. |
|
Check the edition of PyCharm and enable the Diagrams plugin in the plugin settings. |
.In some cases, you might need to perform diagnostic steps to identify whether the problem occurs in PyCharm or in your working environment. Below is the list of the useful tips and tricks.
Troubleshooting Tips
|
Troubleshooting case |
Diagnostic action |
|---|---|
|
You are experiencing different behavior of your application when running it in PyCharm and in the Terminal window. |
Run your script with the python version specified in the PyCharm project settings:
If the behavior of your application still differs, contact the support service pycharm-support@jetbrains.com |
|
The required package is not installed for a particular Python interpreter. A version of the package installed for a particular Python interpreter is outdated. |
Run the following commands to install the required package:
For example, Once executed, these commands install the latest versions of the specified packages. To install a particular version of the package, use the following expressions:
For example, the following command installs Flask compatible with the version 1.0.2:
For example, Once executed, these commands install the latest versions of the specified packages. To install a particular version of the package, use the following expressions:
For example, the following command installs Flask compatible with the version 1.0.2: |
|
When trying to install a package, you discover that pip is not available for a particular Python interpreter. |
Try to bootstrap pip from the standard library:
For example,
For example, For more information about pip installation, refer to packaging.python.org |
nearby the 
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