“Why is Python Installed on my Computer?” FAQ

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It’s used for many different applications. It’s used in some high schools and colleges as an introductory programming language because Python is easy to learn, but it’s also used by professional software developers at places such as Google, NASA, and Lucasfilm Ltd.</p> <p>If you wish to learn more about Python, start with the <a class="reference external" href="https://wiki.python.org/moin/BeginnersGuide">Beginner’s Guide to Python</a>.</p> </section> <section id="why-is-python-installed-on-my-machine"> <h2>Why is Python installed on my machine?<a class="headerlink" href="#why-is-python-installed-on-my-machine" title="Link to this heading">¶</a></h2> <p>If you find Python installed on your system but don’t remember installing it, there are several possible ways it could have gotten there.</p> <ul class="simple"> <li><p>Perhaps another user on the computer wanted to learn programming and installed it; you’ll have to figure out who’s been using the machine and might have installed it.</p></li> <li><p>A third-party application installed on the machine might have been written in Python and included a Python installation. There are many such applications, from GUI programs to network servers and administrative scripts.</p></li> <li><p>Some Windows machines also have Python installed. At this writing we’re aware of computers from Hewlett-Packard and Compaq that include Python. Apparently some of HP/Compaq’s administrative tools are written in Python.</p></li> <li><p>Many Unix-compatible operating systems, such as macOS and some Linux distributions, have Python installed by default; it’s included in the base installation.</p></li> </ul> </section> <section id="can-i-delete-python"> <h2>Can I delete Python?<a class="headerlink" href="#can-i-delete-python" title="Link to this heading">¶</a></h2> <p>That depends on where Python came from.</p> <p>If someone installed it deliberately, you can remove it without hurting anything. On Windows, use the Add/Remove Programs icon in the Control Panel.</p> <p>If Python was installed by a third-party application, you can also remove it, but that application will no longer work. You should use that application’s uninstaller rather than removing Python directly.</p> <p>If Python came with your operating system, removing it is not recommended. If you remove it, whatever tools were written in Python will no longer run, and some of them might be important to you. Reinstalling the whole system would then be required to fix things again.</p> </section> </section> <div class="clearer"></div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="sphinxsidebar" role="navigation" aria-label="Main"> <div class="sphinxsidebarwrapper"> <div> <h3><a href="../contents.html">Table of Contents</a></h3> <ul> <li><a class="reference internal" href="#">“Why is Python Installed on my Computer?” FAQ</a><ul> <li><a class="reference internal" href="#what-is-python">What is Python?</a></li> <li><a class="reference internal" href="#why-is-python-installed-on-my-machine">Why is Python installed on my machine?</a></li> <li><a class="reference internal" href="#can-i-delete-python">Can I delete Python?</a></li> </ul> </li> </ul> </div> <div> <h4>Previous topic</h4> <p class="topless"><a href="gui.html" title="previous chapter">Graphic User Interface FAQ</a></p> </div> <div> <h4>Next topic</h4> <p class="topless"><a href="../deprecations/index.html" title="next chapter">Deprecations</a></p> </div> <div role="note" aria-label="source link"> <h3>This Page</h3> <ul class="this-page-menu"> <li><a href="../bugs.html">Report a Bug</a></li> <li> <a href="https://github.com/python/cpython/blob/main/Doc/faq/installed.rst" rel="nofollow">Show Source </a> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div id="sidebarbutton" title="Collapse sidebar"> <span>«</span> </div> </div> <div class="clearer"></div> </div> <div class="related" role="navigation" aria-label="Related"> <h3>Navigation</h3> <ul> <li class="right" style="margin-right: 10px"> <a href="../genindex.html" title="General Index" >index</a></li> <li class="right" > <a href="../py-modindex.html" title="Python Module Index" >modules</a> |</li> <li class="right" > <a href="../deprecations/index.html" title="Deprecations" >next</a> |</li> <li class="right" > <a href="gui.html" title="Graphic User Interface FAQ" >previous</a> |</li> <li><img src="../_static/py.svg" alt="Python logo" style="vertical-align: middle; margin-top: -1px"/></li> <li><a href="https://www.python.org/">Python</a> »</li> <li class="switchers"> <div class="language_switcher_placeholder"></div> <div class="version_switcher_placeholder"></div> </li> <li> </li> <li id="cpython-language-and-version"> <a href="../index.html">3.13.2 Documentation</a> » </li> <li class="nav-item nav-item-1"><a href="index.html" >Python Frequently Asked Questions</a> »</li> <li class="nav-item nav-item-this"><a href="">“Why is Python Installed on my Computer?” FAQ</a></li> <li class="right"> <div class="inline-search" role="search"> <form class="inline-search" action="../search.html" method="get"> <input placeholder="Quick search" aria-label="Quick search" type="search" name="q" id="search-box" /> <input type="submit" value="Go" /> </form> </div> | </li> <li class="right"> <label class="theme-selector-label"> Theme <select class="theme-selector" oninput="activateTheme(this.value)"> <option value="auto" selected>Auto</option> <option value="light">Light</option> <option value="dark">Dark</option> </select> </label> |</li> </ul> </div> <div class="footer"> © <a href="../copyright.html"> Copyright </a> 2001-2025, Python Software Foundation. <br /> This page is licensed under the Python Software Foundation License Version 2. <br /> Examples, recipes, and other code in the documentation are additionally licensed under the Zero Clause BSD License. <br /> See <a href="/license.html">History and License</a> for more information.<br /> <br /> The Python Software Foundation is a non-profit corporation. <a href="https://www.python.org/psf/donations/">Please donate.</a> <br /> <br /> Last updated on Feb 21, 2025 (05:35 UTC). <a href="/bugs.html">Found a bug</a>? <br /> Created using <a href="https://www.sphinx-doc.org/">Sphinx</a> 8.2.0. </div> <script type="text/javascript" src="../_static/switchers.js"></script> </body> </html>

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“Why is Python Installed on my Computer?” FAQ — Python 3.13.2 documentation