Question

I just installed the Python 2.7.1 on Windows Vista using installer from official site, and get such error when run python.exe

C:\Python27>python.exe
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Python27\Lib\site.py", line 553, in <module>
    main()
  File "C:\Python27\Lib\site.py", line 542, in main
    aliasmbcs()
  File "C:\Python27\Lib\site.py", line 467, in aliasmbcs
    import locale, codecs
  File "C:\Python27\Lib\locale.py", line 15, in <module>
    import encodings
  File "C:\Python27\Lib\encodings\__init__.py", line 32, in <module>
    from encodings import aliases
ImportError: cannot import name aliases

With Python 3.1.3, also just installed

Fatal Python error: Py_Initialize: can't initialize sys standard streams
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Python31\lib\encodings\__init__.py", line 32, in <module>
ImportError: cannot import name aliases

This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way.
Please contact the application's support team for more information.

What is going on? Should I configure PYTHONPATH or some thing like this? If so, what values should it have?

Answer 1

The only reference I could find points to a virus problem:

Starts here: http://mail.python.org/pipermail/tutor/2009-January/066730.html
Goes through: http://mail.python.org/pipermail/tutor/2009-January/066739.html
And ends: http://mail.python.org/pipermail/tutor/2009-January/066750.html

If your \Lib\encodings\aliases.py is missing and you cannot create a file with that name there, start looking for the trojan.