Installing Anaconda on Windows¶
For problem solvers, I recommend installing and using the Anaconda distribution of Python.
This section details the installation of the Anaconda distribution of Python on Windows 10. I think the Anaconda distribution of Python is the best option for problem solvers who want to use Python. Anaconda is free (although the download is large which can take time) and can be installed on school or work computers where you don’t have administrator access or the ability to install new programs. Anaconda comes bundled with about 600 packages pre-installed including NumPy, Matplotlib and SymPy. These three packages are very useful for problem solvers and will be discussed in subsequent chapters.
Follow the steps below to install the Anaconda distribution of Python on Windows.
Steps:¶
Visit Anaconda.com/downloads
Select Windows
Download the .exe installer
Open and run the .exe installer
Open the Anaconda Prompt and run some Python code
1. Visit the Anaconda downloads page¶
Go to the following link: Anaconda.com/downloads
The Anaconda Downloads Page will look something like this:
2. Select Windows¶
Select Windows where the three operating systems are listed.
3. Download¶
Download the most recent Python 3 release. At the time of writing, the most recent release was the Python 3.6 Version. Python 2.7 is legacy Python. For problem solvers, select the Python 3.6 version. If you are unsure if your computer is running a 64-bit or 32-bit version of Windows, select 64-bit as 64-bit Windows is most common.
You may be prompted to enter your email. You can still download Anaconda if you click [No Thanks]
and don’t enter your Work Email address.
The download is quite large (over 500 MB) so it may take a while to for Anaconda to download.
4. Open and run the installer¶
Once the download completes, open and run the .exe installer
At the beginning of the install, you need to click Next to confirm the installation.
Then agree to the license.
At the Advanced Installation Options screen, I recommend that you do not check “Add Anaconda to my PATH environment variable”