How to find location of an executable?

Question

I seem to have a "rogue" copy of python.exe on my Windows 11 machine. When I use it to create a virtual environment with the command "python -m venv venv", it produces an environment in which pip always fails. I have uninstalled Python from the add/remove probrams menu but will when I open a command prompt or a power shell and give the command Python, it responds cheerfully with Python 3.10.5 (main) [GCC 12.1..."

I can't use pip in any virtual environment

How can I determine where it is finding Python? How can I override it with a good Python?

Answer 1

In the Windows Powershell you can use the Get-Command command to find where a specific executable is being ran from. In CMD you can use where .

If you want to use a Python runtime that you have recently installed, and you know where it is located, I would just add that location to my PATH towards the top of the list so that when you run python in your terminal, you get that python.