"pip.exe install --upgrade pip" fails on Windows (trying to move/delete running pip.exe)

• Pip version: 7.1.0
• Python version: Python 3.5.1 (v3.5.1:37a07cee5969, Dec 6 2015, 01:38:48) [MSC v.1900 32 bit (Intel)] on win32
• Operating System: Windows-10-10.0.10586-SP0 (<= platform.platform())

Description:

Pip upgrade using pip.exe install --upgrade pip fails and leave python pip broken (pip.exe remains, but pip-script.py was deleted).

AFAIK upgrade fail because it is trying to delete pip.exe which is currently running. IMHO for a pip upgrade this step should be skipped as it will point to the same pip-script.py after re-install.

Fixing broken pip:

The broken pip caused by the failed upgrade can be fixed by running:

easy_install pip

What I’ve run:

Notes that below I run the command Scripts\pip.exe install --upgrade pip to make the issue more obvious. Typing pip install --upgrade pip executes the same command.

shutil.move is trying to copy/delete the executable as it is on a different drive than the TEMP directory.

    e:\venv_pip_upgrade>Scripts\activate.bat
    (venv_pip_upgrade) e:\venv_pip_upgrade>Scripts\pip.exe install --upgrade pip
    You are using pip version 7.1.0, however version 8.1.2 is available.
    You should consider upgrading via the 'python -m pip install --upgrade pip' command.
    Collecting pip
      Using cached pip-8.1.2-py2.py3-none-any.whl
    Installing collected packages: pip
      Found existing installation: pip 7.1.0
        Uninstalling pip-7.1.0:
    Exception:
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "C:\Python35\lib\shutil.py", line 538, in move
        os.rename(src, real_dst)
    OSError: [WinError 17] The system cannot move the file to a different disk drive: 'e:\\venv_pip_upgrade\\scripts\\pip.exe' -> 'C:\\Users\\Zark\\AppData\\Local\\Temp\\pip-ydctswjh-uninstall\\venv_pip_upgrade\\scripts\\pip.exe'

    During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred:

    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "e:\venv_pip_upgrade\lib\site-packages\pip-7.1.0-py3.5.egg\pip\basecommand.py", line 223, in main
      File "e:\venv_pip_upgrade\lib\site-packages\pip-7.1.0-py3.5.egg\pip\commands\install.py", line 299, in run
      File "e:\venv_pip_upgrade\lib\site-packages\pip-7.1.0-py3.5.egg\pip\req\req_set.py", line 640, in install
      File "e:\venv_pip_upgrade\lib\site-packages\pip-7.1.0-py3.5.egg\pip\req\req_install.py", line 726, in uninstall
      File "e:\venv_pip_upgrade\lib\site-packages\pip-7.1.0-py3.5.egg\pip\req\req_uninstall.py", line 125, in remove
      File "e:\venv_pip_upgrade\lib\site-packages\pip-7.1.0-py3.5.egg\pip\utils\__init__.py", line 314, in renames
      File "C:\Python35\lib\shutil.py", line 553, in move
        os.unlink(src)
    PermissionError: [WinError 5] Access is denied: 'e:\\venv_pip_upgrade\\scripts\\pip.exe'

    (venv_pip_upgrade) e:\venv_pip_upgrade>Scripts\pip.exe install --upgrade pip
    Cannot open e:\venv_pip_upgrade\Scripts\pip-script.py

[jamadden]

The usual workaround to this is python -m pip install --upgrade pip.

[RajeshRajchal]

And when running the command -m pip install --upgrade pip, make sure you are running command as administrator.

find the "Command Prompt Right click on “Command Prompt” Run as Administrator