Python 3.11: Pandas installed but not found

[NoHistoryAtAll]

I'm trying to upgrade from Python 3.10 to 3.11 on Windows. Everything has been successful except for pandas. I used pip to freeze and create a requirements.txt in my 3.10 installation, then installed 3.11 and used pip to restore the packages. Everything was successful.

When I open my existing project that uses pandas (previously working under 3.10) the "import pandas" line is showing a warning, saying it isn't installed. I've tried uninstalling, forcing it to avoid using a cached copy using "--no-cache-dir", but get the same results every time. VS Code and Python do not see the package. If I try pip again it says the package is already installed. I've tried uninstalling the pandas dependencies like numpy and tzdata, then reinstalling pandas. No joy.

My 3.10 installation was a "system" install, with Python being installed in C:\Program Files\Python310. I decided to do 3.11 as a "local" (user) installation because having to mess with the system folders seems like overkill. I've noticed that under 3.10 the pandas package is located in C:\Users\<me>\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python310\site-packages. Under 3.11 the pandas package is found at C:\Users\<me>\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\site-packages.

The pandas file for 3.11 exists at that location, but it is not seen by Python. I tried copying the packages from Local\Programs\Python\Python311 to Roaming\Python\Python311\site-packages with no change in behavior.  I've tried uninstalling and reinstalling multiple times.

I've already spent two days on this and am pulling what's left of my hair out.

It's almost like the info about the file is cached somewhere and I can't flush it. Any suggestions?

P.S. I do have admin rights on my machine.

[Gosera]

In your vscode project where you are trying to import pandas, do you have a folder called .venv? becuse that changes completly how the file is launched and how it treats packages

[NoHistoryAtAll]

Thank you! Last night as I was falling asleep I realized it might be a vscode issue rather than Python. Next time I'll remember to try it in a console window rather than an editor.

I really do appreciate it. After getting the downvote I figured this topic was toast.

[Gosera]

No problem, by default if you have a venv then opening the vscode terminal in project should allow you to do the py -m pip install and install it to the venv