`py` command is not found

[lifr0m]

Install source and version

• Installed from the Windows Store
• Installed with the MSIX from python.org
• Installed with the MSI from python.org
• Installed with winget install 9NQ7512CXL7T

Version: 26.2

Describe the bug
py command doesn't work, but python works. Right after installation.

Additional context
There is no py.exe in bin folder. Launching installer like windows app gives output of py command.

[mcexit]

Hey there, I'm a community member, but taking a look at the screenshots you provided, you've actually captured exactly what went wrong in your environment configuration. In your second screenshot, you can see C:\Users\lifr0m\AppData\Local\Python\bin and that py.exe isn't in there. This is actually expected behavior. The MSIX installer does not drop the launcher in that directory; instead, it relies entirely on Windows App Execution Aliases to route the commands.

If we look at your PATH screenshot, the critical directory for those aliases—C:\Users\lifr0m\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps—is missing.

Because that OS-managed folder has been removed from your PATH environment variable, Windows literally has no way to find the py command when you type it.

The Fix:
Add %LOCALAPPDATA%\Microsoft\WindowsApps or C:\Users\lifr0m\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps back to your User PATH variable and restart your terminal.

For future troubleshooting:
When you hit "command not found" errors right after an install, it almost always means you're missing something in your PATH. Windows relies heavily on that WindowsApps folder being present for modern app routing. Leaving system-managed paths intact will prevent these kinds of "ghost bugs" from happening.

That should immediately fix the issue for you.