pip not working

[JesseFeller]

Whenever I try to install a package using pip in VS code I get the following error. Any suggestions? Thanks in advance.

Error:
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<frozen runpy>", line 198, in _run_module_as_main
  File "<frozen runpy>", line 88, in _run_code
  File "C:\Users\[myUserName]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Scripts\pip.exe\__main__.py", line 4, in <module>
  File "C:\Users\[myUserName]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip\_internal\cli\main.py", line 10, in <module>
    from pip._internal.cli.autocompletion import autocomplete
  File "C:\Users\[myUserName]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip\_internal\cli\autocompletion.py", line 10, in <module>
    from pip._internal.cli.main_parser import create_main_parser
  File "C:\Users\[myUserName]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip\_internal\cli\main_parser.py", line 9, in <module>
    from pip._internal.build_env import get_runnable_pip
  File "C:\Users\[myUserName]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip\_internal\build_env.py", line 19, in <module>
    from pip._internal.cli.spinners import open_spinner
  File "C:\Users\[myUserName]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip\_internal\cli\spinners.py", line 9, in <module>
    from pip._internal.utils.logging import get_indentation
  File "C:\Users\[myUserName]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip\_internal\utils\logging.py", line 29, in <module>
    from pip._internal.utils.misc import ensure_dir
  File "C:\Users\[myUserName]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip\_internal\utils\misc.py", line 44, in <module>
    from pip._internal.locations import get_major_minor_version
  File "C:\Users\[myUserName]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip\_internal\locations\__init__.py", line 14, in <module>
    from . import _sysconfig
  File "C:\Users\[myUserName]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip\_internal\locations\_sysconfig.py", line 11, in <module>
    from .base import change_root, get_major_minor_version, is_osx_framework
  File "C:\Users\[myUserName]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip\_internal\locations\base.py", line 9, in <module>
    from pip._internal.utils import appdirs
  File "C:\Users\[myUserName]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip\_internal\utils\appdirs.py", line 13, in <module>
    from pip._vendor import platformdirs as _appdirs
  File "C:\Users\[myUserName]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip\_vendor\platformdirs\__init__.py", line 46, in <module>
    PlatformDirs = _set_platform_dir_class()  #: Currently active platform
                   ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
  File "C:\Users\[myUserName]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip\_vendor\platformdirs\__init__.py", line 26, in _set_platform_dir_class
    from pip._vendor.platformdirs.windows import Windows as Result
  File "C:\Users\[myUserName]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\site-packages\pip\_vendor\platformdirs\windows.py", line 4, in <module>
    import ctypes
  File "C:\Users\[myUserName]\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\Lib\ctypes\__init__.py", line 157, in <module>
    class py_object(_SimpleCData):
AttributeError: class must define a '_type_' attribute

[deanhystad]

What do you mean by “using pip in VS code”? Using pip in a terminal? Could you post the pip command that resulted in your error please.

[Larz60+]

pip needs to be run from command line, terminal if in VSCode.

[JesseFeller]

Yes I run it in the VS code terminal: "pip install numpy". Then I tried "pip install pandas" and "pip install langchain". All of these result in the same error. I am using python 3.12.

[snippsat]

The traceback points to a broken ctypes on your Python 3.12 install.
_ctypes.pyd failed to load (missing/corrupted or blocked by Antivirus),
or a local file/folder named ctypes is shadowing the stdlib.

Quick check from command line:

python -c "import sys; print(sys.version); import ctypes; print('ctypes:', ctypes.__file__); import _ctypes; print('_ctypes OK')"

If that last import fails, your Python install is damaged.
If working look like this:

E:\div_code
λ python -c "import sys; print(sys.version); import ctypes; print('ctypes:', ctypes.__file__); import _ctypes; print('_ctypes OK')"
3.13.3 (tags/v3.13.3:6280bb5, Apr  8 2025, 14:47:33) [MSC v.1943 64 bit (AMD64)]
ctypes: C:\Python313\Lib\ctypes\__init__.py
_ctypes OK

Make sure this file exists (adjust path if you installed for all users):

C:\Users\<you>\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python312\DLLs\_ctypes.pyd

Repair Python 3.12 or install a newer eg python 3.13 or .14.
Try uv it make install Python version fast and esay to switch between them.

[JesseFeller]

Thanks I installed uv and it is installing the packages without error