Anaconda3 2.4 with python 3.5 installation error (procedure entry not found; Windows 10)

Question

I have just made up my mind to change from python 2.7 to python 3.5 and therefore tried to reinstall Anaconda (64 bit) with the 3.5 environment. When I try to install the package I get several errors in the form of (translation from German, so maybe not exact):

The procedure entry "__telemetry_main_return_trigger" could not be found in the DLL "C:\Anaconda3\pythonw.exe".

and

The procedure entry "__telemetry_main_invoke_trigger" could not be found in the DLL "C:\Anaconda3\python35.dll".

The title of the second error message box still points to pythonw.exe. Both errors appear several times - every time an extraction was completed. The installation progress box reads

[...]

extraction complete.

Execute: "C:\Anaconda3\pythonw.exe" "C:\Anaconda3\Lib_nsis.py" postpkg

After torturing myself through the installation I get the warning

Failed to create Anaconda menus

If I ignore it once gives me my lovely error messages and tells me that

Failed to initialize Anaconda directories

then

Failed to add Anaconda to the system PATH

Of course nothing works, if I dare to use this mess it installs. What might go wrong? On other computers with Windows 10 it works well.

P.S.: An installation of Anaconda2 2.4 with python 2.7 works without any error message, but still is not able to be used (other errors).

Answer 1

Finally I have found the reason. So, if anybody else has this problem:

Here the entry points are an issue as well and Michael Sarahan gives the solution. Install the Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015, which is used by the new version of python, first. After that install the Anaconda-package and it should work like a charm.

Answer 2

You can also use your standard Anaconda installation and just create an environment based on 2.7 / 3.4 etc... Anaconda will download and install all compatible packages from the repository so you have a complete installation.

conda create -n py27 python=2.7 anaconda

conda create -n py34 python=3.4 anaconda

To use the new environment (in Windows), you can point your IDE to the required environment folder:

C:\Anaconda3\envs\py34\python.exe

On the Windows command line, you just need to type:

activate py34

Documentation: http://conda.pydata.org/docs/py2or3.html

My recommendation would be to reinstall your Anaconda version with Python 2.7 that you previously had working, then just add a new environment for Python 3.x and use that as you need.