Conda command is not recognized on Windows 10

Question

I installed Anaconda 4.4.0 (Python 3.6 version) on Windows 10 by following the instructions here: https://www.continuum.io/downloads. However, when I open the Command prompt window and try to write

conda list

I get the

'conda' command is not recognized...

error.

I tried to run

set PATH=%PATH%;C:\Users\Alex\Anaconda3

but it didn't help. I also read that I might need to edit my .bashrc file, but I don't know how to access this file, and how I should edit it.

Answer 1

In Windows, you will have to set the path to the location where you installed Anaconda3 to.

For me, I installed anaconda3 into C:\Anaconda3. Therefore you need to add C:\Anaconda3 as well as C:\Anaconda3\Scripts\ to your path variable, e.g. set PATH=%PATH%;C:\Anaconda3;C:\Anaconda3\Scripts\.

You can do this via powershell (see above, https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/bb776899(v=vs.85).aspx ), or hit the windows key → enter environment → choose from settings → edit environment variables for your account → select Path variable → Edit → New.

To test it, open a new dos shell, and you should be able to use conda commands now. E.g., try conda --version.

Answer 2

Things have been changed after conda 4.6.

Programs "Anaconda Prompt" and "Anaconda Powershell" expose the command conda for you automatically. Find them in your startup menu.

If you don't wanna use the prompts above and try to make conda available in a standard cmd.exe or a standard Powershell. Read the following content.

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Expose conda in Every Shell

The purpose of the following content is to make command conda available both in cmd.exe and Powershell on Windows.

If you have already checked "Add Anaconda to my PATH environment variable" during Anaconda installation, skip step 1.

1. If Anaconda is installed for the current use only, add %USERPROFILE%\Anaconda3\condabin (I mean condabin, not Scripts) into the environment variable PATH (the user one). If Anaconda is installed for all users on your machine, add C:\ProgramData\Anaconda3\condabin into PATH.

   How do I set system environment variables on Windows?

2. Open a new Powershell, run the following command once to initialize conda.

   conda init
   

These steps make sure the conda command is exposed into your cmd.exe and Powershell.

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Extended Reading: conda init from Conda 4.6

Caveat: Add the new \path\to\anaconda3\condabin but not \path\to\anaconda3\Scripts into your PATH. This is a big change introduced in conda 4.6.

Activation script initialization fron conda 4.6 release log

Conda 4.6 adds extensive initialization support so that more shells than ever before can use the new conda activate command. For more information, read the output from conda init –help We’re especially excited about this new way of working, because removing the need to modify PATH makes Conda much less disruptive to other software on your system.

In the old days, \path\to\anaconda3\Scripts is the one to be put into your PATH. It exposes command conda and the default Python from "base" environment at the same time.

After conda 4.6, conda related commands are separated into condabin. This makes it possible to expose ONLY command conda without activating the Python from "base" environment.

References

• Conda 4.6 Release
• How do I prevent Conda from activating the base environment?