Index: msvccompiler.py
===================================================================
RCS file: /cvsroot/python/python/dist/src/Lib/distutils/msvccompiler.py,v
retrieving revision 1.59
diff -u -r1.59 msvccompiler.py
--- msvccompiler.py	5 Dec 2003 20:12:23 -0000	1.59
+++ msvccompiler.py	25 Jan 2004 02:55:39 -0000
@@ -538,6 +538,38 @@
 
         path = path + " dirs"
         if self.__version >= 7:
+            # MSVC 7.1 seems to prefer VCComponents.dat buried under 
+            # CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA.
+            import ConfigParser # and fortunately this can parse it.
+            try:
+                from win32com.shell.shell import SHGetSpecialFolderPath
+                import pythoncom
+            except ImportError:
+                # no win32all - any alternatives?
+                pass
+            else:
+                CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA = 28
+                try:
+                    lad_dir = SHGetSpecialFolderPath(0, CSIDL_LOCAL_APPDATA)
+                    fname = os.path.join(
+                                        lad_dir, 
+                                        "Microsoft\\VisualStudio\\%0.1f" 
+                                        % self.__version,
+                                        "VCComponents.dat")
+                except pythoncom.com_error:
+                    fname = ""
+                if fname and os.path.exists(fname):
+                    section = r"VC\VC_OBJECTS_PLATFORM_INFO\Win32\Directories"
+                    try:
+                        parser = ConfigParser.ConfigParser()
+                        parser.readfp( open(fname, "r") )
+                        value = parser.get(section, path)
+                    except ConfigParser.Error:
+                        value = ""
+                    if value:
+                        return string.split(self.__macros.sub(value), ";")
+                # No file, or not found in our file - fall through to registry
+
             key = (r"%s\%0.1f\VC\VC_OBJECTS_PLATFORM_INFO\Win32\Directories"
                    % (self.__root, self.__version))
         else: