Vcvarsall.bat needed for python to compile missing from visual studio 2015 ( v 14)

pippython-2.xpython-3.xvisual c++visual-studio-2015

I am trying to install numpy in python 3.5 under windows 10 with visual studio 2015 ultimate installed.

Short version: file vcvarsall.bat is missing from vs14 folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\VC folder. Why?

Long version:
Running pip install numpy gives me this error error: Unable to find vcvarsall.bat

researching this error got me to several stackoverflow answers that helped me figure out that python needs c++ compiler to compile some of the packages. And it needs the to do it using the same version of compiler that was used to compile python 3.5 (
error: Unable to find vcvarsall.bat ). My python is compiled using [MSC v.1900 64 bit (AMD64)] – which is vs 14 ( visual studio 2015 )

Moving further with my research i learned out from:
pip install gives error: Unable to find vcvarsall.bat that
get_build_version() from $python_install_prefix/Lib/distutils/msvc9compiler.py returns the version of vs that shoud be used to find the path of vcvarsall.bat
For me this method returns 14. So everything correct.

Now when I look into the folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 14.0\VC there file vcvarsall.bat is missing.

But when I look into the folder C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 12.0\VC there is a vcvarsall.bat.

Why is vcvarsall.bat missing from vs 14.0 ??

Best Answer

Make sure C++ Common Tools are installed in Visual Studio.

Programs and Features -> VS 2015 -> Change

VS2015 setup