How to install Django on Windows

This document will guide you through installing Python 3.5 and Django on Windows. It also provides instructions for installing virtualenv and virtualenvwrapper, which make it easier to work on Python projects. This is meant as a beginner’s guide for users working on Django projects and does not reflect how Django should be installed when developing patches for Django itself.

The steps in this guide have been tested with Windows 7, 8, and 10. In other versions, the steps would be similar. You will need to be familiar with using the Windows command prompt.

Install Python

Django is a Python web framework, thus requiring Python to be installed on your machine. At the time of writing, Python 3.5 is the latest version.

To install Python on your machine go to https://python.org/downloads/. The website should offer you a download button for the latest Python version. Download the executable installer and run it. Check the box next to Add Python 3.5 to PATH and then click Install Now.

After installation, open the command prompt and check that the Python version matches the version you installed by executing:

python --version

About pip

pip is a package manage for Python. It makes installing and uninstalling Python packages (such as Django!) very easy. For the rest of the installation, we’ll use pip to install Python packages from the command line.

To install pip on your machine, go to https://pip.pypa.io/en/latest/installing/, and follow the Installing with get-pip.py instructions.

Install virtualenv and virtualenvwrapper

virtualenv and virtualenvwrapper provide a dedicated environment for each Django project you create. While not mandatory, this is considered a best practice and will save you time in the future when you’re ready to deploy your project. Simply type:

pip install virtualenvwrapper-win

Then create a virtual environment for your project:

mkvirtualenv myproject

The virtual environment will be activated automatically and you’ll see “(myproject)” next to the command prompt to designate that. If you start a new command prompt, you’ll need to activate the environment again using:

workon myproject

Install Django

Django can be installed easily using pip within your virtual environment.

In the command prompt, ensure your virtual environment is active, and execute the following command:

pip install django

This will download and install the latest Django release.

After the installation has completed, you can verify your Django installation by executing django-admin --version in the command prompt.

See Get your database running for information on database installation with Django.

Common pitfalls

• If django-admin only displays the help text no matter what arguments it is given, there is probably a problem with the file association in Windows. Check if there is more than one environment variable set for running Python scripts in PATH. This usually occurs when there is more than one Python version installed.

• If you are connecting to the internet behind a proxy, there might be problem in running the command pip install django. Set the environment variables for proxy configuration in the command prompt as follows:

  set http_proxy=http://username:password@proxyserver:proxyport
  set https_proxy=https://username:password@proxyserver:proxyport