CreateProcess error=3

To run the file currently opened in the editor, please right-click on the file you want to run, and select "Run <file_name>" from the context menu. Does it work?

I have the same problem and cant seem to fix it

Same thing happened to me starting on Saturday and I can't seem to fix it either.

Everything in my C:\Users\mcgeep\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps folder shows as 0kb, indicating possible file corruption. I installed Python in a different location, and tried several different VENVs, but no matter what I set my environment to, it always seems to look in the WindowsApps directory for the interpreter and fails.

Could be an interpreter issue. Please try installing python from www.python.org and add it as a new project interpreter using this python installation.

I installed a fresh install of Python, did not put it in the Windows Apps folder, but for some reason even after removing all references to the Windows Apps folder (including environment variables in Windows, intyerpreter, and all VENV references), Pycharm still was looking for it under the Windows Apps folder and failing.

I ignored it for a day and came back to it today and it seems to be working now. Maybe I needed to restart Pycharm after all those changes? Maybe there was some reference somewhere that I missed? Who knows, it works now though

me i have the same problem from today, i cannot run normally and debugger neither

Pedro Furelosfabeiro

Could you please copy-paste the error you're getting?

Andrey Resler

Error running 'main': Cannot run program "C:\Users\***\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\python3.9.exe" (in directory "C:\Users\***\Desktop\***"): CreateProcess error=3, The system can not find the path specified. After check WindowsApps folder i figured out that all the executables have 0kb 

Andrey Resler hi! i fixed it uninstalling python version of microsoft store and reinstalling it from python.org version. After that on set python interpreter add the new one and thats all.

Ребята, была точно такая же проблема. Удалил все версии Python, а потом из Microsoft установил Python 3.10 и всё работает.

[PROBLEM]
Some reason I also had all the exe 0kb, what Pedro-Furelosfabeiro wrote.

[SOLUTION]
On Windows:
1) I downloaded a new python version from python.org
2) When you open the exe, note the installation path, because default it would be the "C:\Users\***\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\"

3) Go through the installation process
4) Opened Pycharm and set new python interpreter: https://www.jetbrains.com/help/pycharm/configuring-python-interpreter.html#widget
5) Set this interpreter in your project:

Open the folder C:\Users\***\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps
Click on the versions of python, it is python3.9.exe, python3.10.exe python3.11.exe python3.12.exe (it is just a shortcut, their real directory is C:\Users\** *\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\PythonSoftwareFoundation.Python.3.*)
When the click error occurs, you just need to uninstall and reinstall it in the Microsoft Store