How to Install PIP on Windows

PIP (Pip Installs Packages) is the standard package manager for Python, allowing users to install and manage software packages written in Python.

PIP simplifies the process of installing third-party libraries and dependencies, handling both source distributions and pre-compiled binary packages efficiently. Its ability to fetch packages from the Python Package Index (PyPI) makes it a crucial component for developers working with Python-based projects.

Starting from Python 3.4 and later, PIP comes pre-installed. This tutorial will show how to install PIP, check its version, and configure it for use.

Watch the video below or get started with step 1 now.

Prerequisites

• Python installed on Windows
• Full server administrative access
• cmd or PowerShell to run commands

Step 1: Confirm that Python is installed

The simplest way to test for a Python installation on your Windows server is to open a command prompt. Once a command prompt window opens, type python and press Enter.

If Python is installed correctly, you should see an output similar to what is shown below.

Python 3.13.2 (v3.13.2:1234567890, Feb 4 2025, 10:15:30) [MSC v.1930 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.

If Python is not installed or the system variable path has not been set, you will receive this error message:

Python is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

To resolve this, try launching Python from the folder in which it is installed, adjust your system variables to allow Python to be launched from any location, or re-install Python on Windows. 

Step 2: Check if PIP is already installed

PIP is installed by default on many newer Python builds. To check and see if it is already installed on our system, open a command prompt and type the following command.

pip help 

If PIP is installed, you will receive a message explaining how to use the program.

pip 23.3.1 from C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python313\Lib\site-packages\pip (python 3.11)

If PIP is not installed, you will get an error message stating that the program is not found.

'pip' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

This means either:

• PIP is not installed.
• PIP is installed but not added to the system PATH.
• The Python installation is incomplete or misconfigured.

Step 3: Install PIP on Windows

Once you have confirmed that Python is installed correctly, we can proceed with installing PIP. You can choose one of two methods to install PIP on Windows. 

Method 1: Install PIP using get-pipp.py

Download PIP with get-pip.py to a folder on your computer.

Open a command prompt and navigate to the folder containing the get-pip.py installer.

Run the following command:

python get-pip.py

PIP should now be installed successfully. If we receive a “file not found” error, double check the directory path to the file.

You can use the dir command to view the entire contents of a directory.

Method 2: Install PIP using ensurepip

If PIP is missing but Python is already installed, you can use ensurepip to install PIP.

Run the following command.

python -m ensurepip --default-pip

This command ensures that PIP is installed using Python’s built-in mechanism. It is useful if PIP is missing but Python is installed.

Step 4: Add PIP to PATH using command prompt

To run PIP from anywhere in command prompt, add it to the system PATH:

After downloading PIP, find PIP’s installation path and run:

python -m site --user-site

This shows where Python stores packages. However, PIP’s executable is usually in:

C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python313\Scripts

Add PIP to PATH (replace YourUsername and Python version):

setx PATH "%PATH%;C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python313\Scripts"

Restart the command prompt. Now you’re ready to verify the PIP installation. 

Step 5: Verify installation and check the PIP version

We can now verify that PIP was installed correctly by opening a command prompt and entering the following command.

pip --version

This command will display the PIP version, its installation path, and the corresponding python version.

You should see output similar to the following:

pip 25.0.1 from C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python313\Lib\site-packages\pip (python 3.13.2)

Upgrading PIP

Like all software, it’s important to keep all of your installations up to date to take advantage of the latest features and security fixes. You can actually use PIP to update itself! To accomplish this, open a command prompt window and enter the following command:

python -m pip install --upgrade pip

This command uninstalls the old version of PIP and installs the latest version.

Downgrading PIP

While uncommon, you may need to downgrade to an earlier version of PIP because of compatibility issues. 

To downgrade to a specific version of PIP, open the command prompt and enter the following command (using the version number you need installed).

python -m pip install pip==18.0

If PIP does not downgrade correctly, try using the –force-reinstall flag.

python -m pip install --force-reinstall pip==18.0

Configuring PIP

PIP allows users to set default options and preferences using configuration files. These settings help customize PIP’s behavior without manually entering options in every command.

The default PIP configuration file location is strongly recommended for storing personal PIP settings. The filepath is:

%HOME%\pip\pip.ini

For older systems, you may want to use the legacy configuration file. The legacy filepath is:

%APPDATA%\pip\pip.ini

If you want to specify a custom configuration file location, set the PIP_CONFIG_FILE environment variable:

setx PIP_CONFIG_FILE "C:\custom\path\pip.ini"

To check if it was set correctly:

echo %PIP_CONFIG_FILE%

This allows PIP to use a configuration file from any location you choose.

Using PIP to manage Python packages

Now that PIP is installed and configured, you can begin using it to manage your Python packages. For a brief overview of the available commands and syntax for PIP, open a command prompt and enter:

pip help

Here’s a quick list of the most popular commands:

Successfully installed PIP on Windows – What’s next?

This article provides a complete guide on how to install PIP on Windows, enabling seamless management of Python packages. 

Whether you’re using a dedicated server, GPU hosting, or a VPS with Windows, Python, and PIP ensure efficient package management for your development needs.

If you’re already a Liquid Web customer, our support staff is always available to assist with any issues 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.