Windows: Anaconda 'python' is not recognized as an internal or external command on CMD

I just spent 30 minutes on this, so I'll provide a much more detailed answer than the above...

1) Open "My Computer" 2) Right Click "This PC" 3) Select "Properties" Image 1 - My PC

4) Select "Advanced System Settings" Image 2 - Advanced Settings

5) Select "Environment Variables" 6) Under "System Variables", highlight "Path" row 7) Select "Edit" 8) Select "Browse" 9) Navigate to Anaconda Path (Python should be there; check for python.exe at that location)

Image 3 - Adding Path

10) Restart your cmd.exe; everything should work.


You probably haven't added it to your environment variables, here how you do it:

  1. Go to "Edit the system environment variables" inside of control panel (you can search for it to using the search thing).

  2. Once you are there make sure you are in the advanced section.

  3. Click "Environment variables". In the section that says "System variables" search for something named "Path".

  4. If path is not there, simply create it by clicking "New" in the part that says system variables.

  5. Once you got that done, select "Path" and click edit, now find the path that you installed Anaconda in (i.e C:\Users\ftake\Anaconda3) and add it to the "Path".

  6. Once you got that done try using the python command again and it should work.

If I was unclear about something, you can follow this as well: https://www.java.com/en/download/help/path.xml

I know it's for java but it works the exact same way for python.

EDIT: Also for pip it's literally the same thing just add \Scripts to the end of the path