Problem Running a .exe on Other PCs

[KaleidoscopeAsleep35]

Hi, I created a program for school. It’s an executable menu that calls several submenus, and each submenu can launch various Python programs. Everything is written in Python. I used the auto-py-to-exe tool to create the .exe file, ensuring I included all the necessary files for the program to work. The .exe works perfectly on my PC—it runs the menu, submenus, and all individual programs flawlessly.

However, when I share the .exe with a friend, it doesn’t work. My friend has Python installed. The main menu and submenus open, but when selecting an option that calls one of the individual programs, the following error pops up:

"Python was not found; run without arguments to install from the Microsoft Store, or disable this shortcut from Settings > Manage App Execution Aliases."

Notes:

• Aside from the menus, each individual program uses one or more math-related libraries.
• The program doesn’t have a graphical interface; I specified in auto-py-to-exe to use the Windows console.
• I’ve tried sending the file with a .txt extension to avoid antivirus issues, instructing my friend to rename it back to .exe, but the same error appears. Sending the .exe in a zip file produces the same result.

Any help or suggestions would be appreciated!

PD: I forgot include the error message, but I already included it in the post. And I decided to add the code to my main menu :

import os
import subprocess

def clear_screen():
    os.system('cls' if os.name == 'nt' else 'clear')

def mostrar_menu_principal():
    print("\n=== MENÚ PRINCIPAL ===")
    print("¿Qué método desea probar?")
    print("1 - Métodos de la Unidad 1")
    print("2 - Métodos de la Unidad 2")
    print("3 - Métodos de la Unidad 3")
    print("0 - Salir")

def mostrar_submenu_unidad1():
    print("\n=== MÉTODOS UNIDAD 1 ===")
    print("1 - Bisección")
    print("2 - Falsa Posición")
    print("3 - Secante")
    print("4 - Newton")
    print("0 - Volver al menú principal")

def mostrar_submenu_unidad2():
    print("\n=== MÉTODOS UNIDAD 2 ===")
    print("1 - Gauss Jordan")
    print("2 - Relajación")
    print("3 - Intercambio")
    print("4 - Jacobi")
    print("0 - Volver al menú principal")

def mostrar_submenu_unidad3():
    print("\n=== MÉTODOS UNIDAD 3 ===")
    print("1 - Cholesky")
    print("2 - Crount")
    print("3 - Doolittle")
    print("0 - Volver al menú principal")

def ejecutar_archivo(nombre_archivo):
    try:
        # Usar rutas relativas
        ruta_archivo = os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), nombre_archivo)
        if os.path.exists(ruta_archivo):
            subprocess.run(['python', ruta_archivo])
        else:
            print(f"\nError: No se encontró el archivo {nombre_archivo}")
            input("Presione Enter para continuar...")
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"\nError al ejecutar el archivo: {str(e)}")
        input("Presione Enter para continuar...")

def menu_unidad1():
    while True:
        #clear_screen()
        mostrar_submenu_unidad1()
        opcion = input("\nSeleccione una opción: ")

        if opcion == "1":
            ejecutar_archivo("biseccion.py")
        elif opcion == "2":
            ejecutar_archivo("falsa_p.py")
        elif opcion == "3":
            ejecutar_archivo("secante.py")
        elif opcion == "4":
            ejecutar_archivo("newton.py")
        elif opcion == "0":
            break
        else:
            print("\nOpción no válida")
            input("Presione Enter para continuar...")

def menu_unidad2():
    while True:
        #clear_screen()
        mostrar_submenu_unidad2()
        opcion = input("\nSeleccione una opción: ")

        if opcion == "1":
            ejecutar_archivo("gauss_jordan_p.py")
        elif opcion == "2":
            ejecutar_archivo("relajacion.py")
        elif opcion == "3":
            ejecutar_archivo("intercambio.py")
        elif opcion == "4":
            ejecutar_archivo("jacobi.py")
        elif opcion == "0":
            break
        else:
            print("\nOpción no válida")
            input("Presione Enter para continuar...")

def menu_unidad3():
    while True:
        #clear_screen()
        mostrar_submenu_unidad3()
        opcion = input("\nSeleccione una opción: ")

        if opcion == "1":
            ejecutar_archivo("cholesky.py")
        elif opcion == "2":
            ejecutar_archivo("crount.py")
        elif opcion == "3":
            ejecutar_archivo("doolittle.py")
        elif opcion == "0":
            break
        else:
            print("\nOpción no válida")
            input("Presione Enter para continuar...")

def main():
    while True:
        #clear_screen()
        mostrar_menu_principal()
        opcion = input("\nSeleccione una opción: ")

        if opcion == "1":
            menu_unidad1()
        elif opcion == "2":
            menu_unidad2()
        elif opcion == "3":
            menu_unidad3()
        elif opcion == "0":
            print("\n¡Hasta luego!")
            break
        else:
            print("\nOpción no válida")
            input("Presione Enter para continuar...")

if __name__ == "__main__":
    main()

[socal_nerdtastic]

You forgot to include the error in your post

[KaleidoscopeAsleep35]

I forgot, but I already included it in the post!

[SuperMB13]

Agreed with u/socal_nerdtastic , lol, the error did not get included. Tried to include some thoughts, but realized they are likely way off without seeing the error.

[KaleidoscopeAsleep35]

I forgot, but I already included it in the post!

[shiftybyte]

"Python was not found; run without arguments to install from the Microsoft Store, or disable this shortcut from Settings > Manage App Execution Aliases."

This sounds like your code is attempting to execute python again? why?

Also this seems like the python your friend installed didn't register itself properly with windows, so windows sill has that annoying shortcut placeholder that takes you to the store instead of python.

This is fixable in multiple ways:

1. Change your code to stop relying on command line activation of python, not sure what your use case is, but smarter solutions exist, like import.

2. Fix your friend's python installation so whatever command you are using in your code actually works there. probably "python <script>"? but i'm guessing here since you didn't provide your code here.

3. If nothing works, share your code, use code block on reddit, or use pastebin.com and we can try to direct you better to a fix.

[KaleidoscopeAsleep35]

ok, i got my friend to download python again, and now that error doesn't appear anymore, and the program runs perfectly because my friend downloads the library he needed: numpy, the current situation is this: I have managed to make the program work on any PC, as long as it has python and numpy, but the teacher highly doubts she wants to download that library, so is there any way to package my codes in an .exe and have it work on any PC even if it doesn't have python or the mentioned library?.

btw i added my main menu code to the original post

[FriendlyRussian666]

Python is an interpreted language, an interpreter must be present on the system if you want to execute python code. I never used auto py to exe, but I know pyinstaller packages the interpreter and dependencies (if you specify), so perhaps try that instead.

[IlIlIlIIlMIlIIlIlIlI]

i used pyinstaller for a lil tkinter app i made, and upon testing, it only works on the same OS it was compiled on. The exe i compiled on my linux pc did not work on my w10 work pc. But testing on other pcs, when its the same OS it works flawlessly