title: Python & Directory Paths on Windows - No Need To Edit Environment Variables (I don't think)
body: <p>I've never used Python, I don't program, so I know less than nothing.</p>
  <p>Yet, that being said, I've been messing around with it while working on a program that has plugins, scripts and which uses many other programs in its process to function.</p>
  <p>Being I knew nothing of Python, I made many mistakes, and I started getting errors. After trying to fix my Python issues I ended up opting for uninstalling and reinstalling everything (all Python installations).</p>
  <p>My issue involves the <code>python -m site --user-site</code> command which I found by reading <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/3402168/permanently-add-a-directory-to-pythonpath">this</a> post. This post's topic seems to be the issue I need to resolve, yet it was asked by someone on a Mac, and a lot of the information doesn't apply to me.</p>
  <p>The directory that is returned by this code is one that doesn't exist for me anymore. It points to <code>C:\Users\&lt;Username&gt;\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python310\site-packages</code> and while I have a 3.7 and 3.9 Python here, I don't have a 310.</p>
  <p>Following the thread I linked, someone suggests using the directory that code points to, creating the missing directories, then creating a .pth file that includes the path where it should go. This response got a lot of feedback with everyone stating that it worked for them.</p>
  <p>I created my <code>example.pth</code> and on the top line, I put what I considered to be the only logical directory, which is the correct <code>site-packges</code> folder where my Python310 is installed. I assumed the empty directory was used by my old 310 installation, and my program still holds its location somewhere, pointing it there.</p>
  <p>After doing all of this, I ran that code again, <code>python -m site --user-site</code> but it still points to that same folder location.</p>
  <p>My example.pth file, has only the one line below in it:</p>
  <p><code>&quot;C:\Program Files\Python310\Lib\site-packages&quot;</code></p>
  <p>I try not to ask many questions here, and search for hours trying to figure it out on my own, but I don't know if it's something small, where I need to change just one thing, or if it's a lot more complicated. I tried to explain everything in as much detail as I could.</p>