To Whom it may concern – I have suddenly lost my ability to launch IDLE.  I am using 2.6 with windows xp.  I was using ipython with PyReadline.  I have uninstalled and reinstalled just python 2.6.6 with no luck.

I get the following error:

Thanks in advance 

C:\Python26>python.exe Lib\idlelib\idle.py
'import site' failed; use -v for traceback
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "Lib\idlelib\idle.py", line 6, in <module>
    import PyShell
  File "C:\Python26\Lib\idlelib\PyShell.py", line 3, in <module>
    import os
  File "C:\Python26\lib\os.py", line 398, in <module>
    import UserDict
  File "C:\Python26\lib\UserDict.py", line 82, in <module>
    import _abcoll
  File "C:\Python26\lib\_abcoll.py", line 11, in <module>
    from abc import ABCMeta, abstractmethod
ImportError: cannot import name ABCMeta

I can't test this on Windows, but you could try the following things:
  1) check that 'python.exe -V' returns 2.6.6;
  2) try using the IDLE shortcut in the start menu;
  3) try "from abc import ABCMeta" from the interactive interpreter;
  4) install Python 2.7 and see if it works there.

Maybe you have created a file named "abc.py" somewhere?
What happens when you type:

C:\Python26>python.exe -c "import abc; print abc"

Thanks for the speedy reply I have cut and past the results from the for following tests

I can't test this on Windows, but you could try the following things:
  1) check that 'python.exe -V' returns 2.6.6;
  2) try using the IDLE shortcut in the start menu;
  3) try "from abc import ABCMeta" from the interactive interpreter;
  4) install Python 2.7 and see if it works there.


1) C:\Documents and Settings\buck>python.exe -V
   Python 2.6.6

2.) Does not open from the start menu

3.) C:\Documents and Settings\buck>python
    'import site' failed; use -v for traceback
     Python 2.6.6 (r266:84297, Aug 24 2010, 18:46:32) [MSCv.1500
     32 bit (Intel)] on win32
     Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for 
     more information.
     >>> from abc import ABCMeta
     Traceback (most recent call last):
     File "<stdin>", line 1, in <module>
     ImportError: cannot import name ABCMeta

4.)  C:\Python27>python.exe Lib\idlelib\idle.py
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Python27\lib\site.py", line 62, in <module>
    import os
  File "C:\Python27\lib\os.py", line 398, in <module>
    import UserDict
  File "C:\Python27\lib\UserDict.py", line 83, in <module>
    import _abcoll
  File "C:\Python27\lib\_abcoll.py", line 11, in <module>
    from abc import ABCMeta, abstractmethod
ImportError: cannot import name ABCMeta

Lastly

C:\Python26>python.exe -c "import abc; print abc"
'import site' failed; use -v for traceback
<module 'abc' from 'C:\w\ADCP_programs\abc.py'>

Thanks again

Nathan

So obviously the abc.py is already a module in the the frame work! 

All fixed 

Thanks again