The Windows python-3.7.7-embed-amd64.zip installer (released Mar 11 2020) appears to be missing vcruntime140.dll. As a result, running the python.exe or pythonw.exe included in that installer fails with a system error notifying you of the missing DLL.

The 3.7.6 embedded install included this file.

It appears the 3.7.7RC1 embedded installer was also missing the file.

Thanks for the heads-up, I'll take a look.

New changeset 2dd41740c97bd77695ddcc590caa7f53e76dc35a by Steve Dower in branch 'master':
bpo-39930: Ensure vcruntime140.dll is included in all Windows packages (GH-18918)
https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/2dd41740c97bd77695ddcc590caa7f53e76dc35a

New changeset d01c5507e5f9bd5072d94f007d29b37f41c6e6b5 by Miss Islington (bot) in branch '3.8':
bpo-39930: Ensure vcruntime140.dll is included in all Windows packages (GH-18918)
https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/d01c5507e5f9bd5072d94f007d29b37f41c6e6b5

AMD64 Windows10 3.8 build failed with "(...)\pyproject.props(221,5): error : vcruntime14*.dll not found (...)":
https://buildbot.python.org/all/#builders/159/builds/190

Same error on AMD64 Windows10 3.x:
https://buildbot.python.org/all/#builders/129/builds/513

New changeset eede148296bf3b4578b92ed6a07f2733a0f1c341 by Steve Dower in branch '3.7':
bpo-39930: Ensure vcruntime140.dll is included in all Windows packages (GH-18918)
https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/eede148296bf3b4578b92ed6a07f2733a0f1c341

Ah, both of those buildbots are running Build Tools. Apparently there's a different layout for those.

Note that the devguide provides instructions that can't be followed with the Build Tools - you need VS Community (at least): https://devguide.python.org/setup/#windows

Hopefully by tonight I'll have proper work access so I can figure out why Build Tools don't install everything. It may just be that a configuration option was missed, and so the buildbot owners will have to modify their install.

Other examples of failures.

AMD64 Windows8.1 Non-Debug 3.x:
https://buildbot.python.org/all/#/builders/9/builds/473

         D:\buildarea\3.x.ware-win81-release.nondebug\build\PCbuild\pyproject.props(220,5): error : vcruntime14*.dll not found under C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\Community\VC\ [D:\buildarea\3.x.ware-win81-release.nondebug\build\PCbuild\pythoncore.vcxproj]

AMD64 Windows10 3.7:
https://buildbot.python.org/all/#/builders/65/builds/114

         D:\buildarea\3.7.bolen-windows10\build\PCbuild\pyproject.props(214,5): error : vcruntime14*.dll not found under C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\BuildTools\VC\ [D:\buildarea\3.7.bolen-windows10\build\PCbuild\pythoncore.vcxproj]

It seems like many buildbots are broken.

Maybe the "buildbot" label should be tried on PRs changing the Windows build system.

x86 Windows7 3.7:
https://buildbot.python.org/all/#/builders/53/builds/109

  D:\cygwin\home\db3l\buildarea\3.7.bolen-windows7\build\PCbuild\pyproject.props(214,5): error : vcruntime14*.dll not found under D:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\2017\BuildTools\VC\ [D:\cygwin\home\db3l\buildarea\3.7.bolen-windows7\build\PCbuild\pythoncore.vcxproj]

Added a PR to make the failure silent, up until we're building a release package. That way it'll only bother me, and I can make sure that I have the right VS install.

New changeset fde44ae6d08d3df79554155b1cf079e73a8fabdd by Steve Dower in branch 'master':
bpo-39930: Convert error to warning for more silent failure (GH-18921)
https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/fde44ae6d08d3df79554155b1cf079e73a8fabdd

New changeset 3136f6f287a56afe87c0fd3e70c15c6e53ae0814 by Miss Islington (bot) in branch '3.7':
bpo-39930: Convert error to warning for more silent failure (GH-18921)
https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/3136f6f287a56afe87c0fd3e70c15c6e53ae0814

New changeset 17571c54e03822685656dc7d118a5ddcf8cb58af by Miss Islington (bot) in branch '3.8':
bpo-39930: Convert error to warning for more silent failure (GH-18921)
https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/17571c54e03822685656dc7d118a5ddcf8cb58af

Okay, I think I've got an approach that works even on the apparently misconfigured installs on the buildbots (and some user machines, if this is the same underlying issue as issue38597).

I wasn't able to reproduce it though, so I have no idea why they don't have the right redist version property. Hopefully using the last-found directory under Redist continues to make sense into the future.

New changeset 894adc18b4fb7246b762276a50a332c0e4f0e0f0 by Steve Dower in branch 'master':
bpo-39930: Fix MSBuild detection for Build Tools (GH-18938)
https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/894adc18b4fb7246b762276a50a332c0e4f0e0f0

New changeset 35ae5d916c6c2e9f211666a3a97965be3d2977ae by Miss Islington (bot) in branch '3.8':
bpo-39930: Fix MSBuild detection for Build Tools (GH-18938)
https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/35ae5d916c6c2e9f211666a3a97965be3d2977ae

New changeset c05e491a69df3fe0a8be91eeddd330792ada6755 by Steve Dower in branch '3.7':
bpo-39930: Fix MSBuild detection for Build Tools (GH-18938)
https://github.com/python/cpython/commit/c05e491a69df3fe0a8be91eeddd330792ada6755