Cannot Open Python. Error 0xc000007b

Please make sure that Python3.dll is the same version and the same architecture (32/64) with python.exe. I fixed this error via replacing it with 32bit version.

you should delete the old path of python in "Environment Variables" and enjoy ;)

As janne-karila mentioned, and for Python 3.5, Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 redistributable (in this case the 64 bit version)

This probably won't answer your question, but my answer is for a very specific case when you "Refresh Windows without affecting Files" to fix your Windows 8.1 PC.

If you do that, You'd get this error when you try to run Python after the windows refresh.

To fix this error, simply re-install PY at the same folder where your python was install before you refreshed windows. If you try to install it any other folder like username/appdata/... folder the PY installer would be stuck in initialization.

You may also get another error saying "api-ms-win-crt-runtime-l1-1-0.dll is missing". To fix, go to the windows.old folder and get the dll file ith the above name and paste it in the PY folder. Also like others have suggested, make sure Microsoft Visual Studio 2015 redistributable is installed.

Encountering this error after a windows refresh is so rare, that no one else seemed to have experienced according to google searches, so I though I share it here for that rare unlucky person.

Apparently the error code stands for STATUS_INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT (source), and it looks like it's not specific to Python. You can try reinstalling the program, rebooting, running CHKDSK /r (source). It might also have something to do with the Microsoft Visual C++ redistributable package, as Janne Karila and this thread suggest.

This stackoverflow question also looks like it has some useful information.

I too faced this problem. So I uninstalled python3 64-bit version and installed 32-bit version, after that i am able to launch python3 in windows 8 successfully. (i have a 64-bit laptop).

Simply, download the last version of Microsoft Visual C++ redistributable package ..

I had the same problem ..

I have the same error found. Using dependency walker, I found tons of DLLs missing. Rather going for copying all the DLLs I went with virtual environment. It will create another environment for Python.

First, install python normally. Copy, the Python.exe path. In my case, it is

C:\Python\python

It will be used to install Python libraries. Then, using command prompt, I used pip to download and install virtualenv (Virtual environment). To do that, change the directory to where pip.exe is, which is in Scripts folder. Now, run the following to install virtualenv:

C:\Python\python pip install virtualenv

It will install Virtual environment.

Now, create a folder to hold virtual environment and change directory to that folder and run to create the following to create an environment:

virtualenv --no-site-packages [environment name]

It will create the Environment.

Now, change subdirectory to Scripts in the [environment name] folder. There is a activate file run it, in my case it is like:

C:\Python\virtualenv\env\Scripts activate

env is the [environment name] here.

If you activate it, every command will look like:

(env) C:\Python\python

This ends here. Now, you can install any python library using this. Do whatever, you want using Python.

Also, to deactivate the environment same deactivate.bat is in the scripts folder.

For me the issue was, I had installed 32 bit version on a 64 bit machine. Hope it helps someone out there.

Like many have said, Windows cannot load python.exe itself or one of its dependent DLLs because of INVALID_IMAGE_FORMAT:

• python.exe is of unsupported bitness. 32bit on 64bit Windows is supported. 64bit on 32bit system is not (solution: install 32bit python, bye).

• python.exe or one of its DLLs is corrupted (probably not)

• one of the dependent DLLs is not of the same bitness as the EXE:

  1. python.exe (say, 32bit) requires python*.dll (python3.dll or python27.dll). It installs that into Windows System32/SysWOW64 folder. The DLL is of correct bitness (32bit).

  2. Something else overwrites that with 64-bit version, or places a 64-bit version somewhere in the search PATH.

  3. When you run python.exe (32bit), Windows searches for python*.dll, and the first one it founds is the 64bit one. 32bit EXEs cannot _normally load 64bit DLLs.

Typical examples:

• TortoiseHg installs its own copy of python (both .exe and .dll) into its own folder and adds itself to PATH. The bitness can be different (say, 64bit) and usually matches platform bitness.

• Another installation of Python with a different bitness somewhere else overwrites the DLL (it shouldn't, they have different System32s, but who knows)

Diagnostics:

• Dependency Walker marks 64bit DLLs with 64bit icons. Verify that icons for python.exe and python*.dll match. Right click -> "Show full paths" to see where the DLL is taken from.

Simple solutions:

1. Maybe you have another, functioning copy of Python somewhere else? Check it.

2. Reinstall Python, preferably in the platform version (64bit for 64bit OS, 32bit for 32bit) Yeah, that's what many are saying, but now you know why this is needed.

3. Remove offenders from PATH. While this maaaay fix your Python, this will break the offenders and some (TortoiseHg explorer plugins) need the PATH. So maybe compromise with them and choose #2.

In my case I was installing both the 32 and 64 bit versions of the python msi. They both install to the same folder, c:\python32. I thought msi's would prevent those kinds of conflicts, but no.