Installing on Windows

The Arcsecond CLI is a Python package, so installing it on Windows means making sure Python and pip are available, then letting pip drop the arcsecond executable somewhere Windows can find it. The default Windows setup gets in the way of all three of those steps, so this page walks through the common pitfalls in order.

If you are on macOS or Linux, see Install & Login instead.

1. Install Python

You need a real Python interpreter. We recommend installing it from python.org/downloads rather than the Microsoft Store: the python.org installer is more predictable, and the Store variant ("Python install manager") has historically not added the scripts directory to PATH automatically.

When running the python.org installer, tick "Add python.exe to PATH" on the very first screen before clicking Install Now. That single checkbox is the cause of most "pip is not recognized" reports.

Open a new PowerShell window after the install (already-open terminals do not pick up PATH changes) and check:

python --version

You should get something like Python 3.12.x. If instead PowerShell opens the Microsoft Store, jump to App execution aliases below.

2. About pip and pipx

A common reflex on Windows is to install pipx first. For the Arcsecond CLI you do not need it. The package is small, has no conflicting dependencies, and is happy in your user site-packages.

• Use plain pip for Arcsecond — it ships with Python and is enough.
• Use pipx only if you already use it for other Python CLIs and want Arcsecond isolated alongside them. In that case run pipx install arcsecond.
• Do not mix the two on the same machine for the same tool. Pick one.

If pip says it is out of date, that is fine; the upgrade notice from pip itself does not need to be acted on to install Arcsecond.

3. Install Arcsecond

In the new PowerShell window:

python -m pip install --upgrade arcsecond

We deliberately use python -m pip rather than the bare pip command: python -m pip always invokes the pip that belongs to the Python you just ran, which avoids ambiguity when several Pythons are installed.

If you see a long list of Requirement already satisfied: lines and no errors, the install succeeded.

4. Verify the install

arcsecond -v

If that prints a version number, you are done — head to Install & Login for the login step.

If instead you get:

arcsecond : The term 'arcsecond' is not recognized as the name of a
cmdlet, function, script file, or operable program.

…then the install worked, but the directory where pip placed the arcsecond.exe entry point is not on PATH. Continue with Scripts directory not on PATH below.

TIP

python -m arcsecond does not work as a fallback. The package does not expose a __main__.py, so you will see No module named arcsecond.__main__. The fix is always to add the Scripts directory to PATH, not to invoke the module directly.

Troubleshooting

pip is not recognized

Symptom:

pip : The term 'pip' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet...
pipx : The term 'pipx' is not recognized...
pip3 : The term 'pip3' is not recognized...

This means Python itself is not on PATH. Either Python is not installed, or it was installed without the "Add python.exe to PATH" checkbox.

Fix:

1. Run python --version and py --version to see which (if any) is recognised.
2. If py works but python does not, use the launcher: py -m pip install --upgrade arcsecond.
3. If neither works, reinstall Python from python.org/downloads and tick the PATH checkbox.
4. Always open a new PowerShell window after changing PATH.

App execution aliases (when python opens the Store)

Windows ships stub executables for python.exe and python3.exe that redirect to the Microsoft Store. If you have a real Python installed, those stubs hide it.

Disable them:

1. Open Settings → Apps → Advanced app settings → App execution aliases.
2. Turn off the toggles for python.exe and python3.exe (and Python (default) if present).
3. Close PowerShell and open a new window.

python --version should now show your real interpreter.

Scripts directory not on PATH

Symptom: python -m pip install arcsecond succeeds, but arcsecond -v returns CommandNotFoundException.

This is common with the Microsoft Store "Python install manager" variant, which installs into C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Python\PythonCore-<version>\ and does not put the matching Scripts\ folder on PATH.

Step 1 — find the exact Scripts path:

python -c "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_path('scripts'))"

This prints the directory where pip installs console-script executables. Example output:

C:\Users\WEO\AppData\Local\Python\PythonCore-3.14-64\Scripts

Step 2 — confirm arcsecond.exe is actually there:

dir "<paste-the-path>\arcsecond*"

You should see arcsecond.exe. If you do not, the entry point was not installed; reinstall with:

python -m pip install --force-reinstall arcsecond

Step 3 — sanity-check by running the full path:

& "<paste-the-path>\arcsecond.exe" -v

If that prints a version, the install is fine — only PATH is wrong.

Step 4 — add the Scripts directory to PATH permanently:

$scripts = python -c "import sysconfig; print(sysconfig.get_path('scripts'))"
$current = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "User")
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "$current;$scripts", "User")

Close PowerShell completely and open a fresh window. arcsecond -v should now work.

If you prefer the GUI: Settings → System → About → Advanced system settings → Environment Variables, edit your user Path, and add the Scripts folder as a new entry.

No module named arcsecond.__main__

You ran python -m arcsecond. That is not how Arcsecond is invoked — it ships as a console script (arcsecond.exe), not as a runnable module. Fix PATH as described above and call arcsecond directly.

PowerShell execution-policy errors

If PowerShell refuses to run scripts at all (red text about execution policy), open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

Then reopen a normal PowerShell window.

Once it works

Continue with Authentication to log in with your Access or Upload Key.