Problem using easy_install on Windows 7, 64 bit. (cannot find python.exe)

I have just now installed Python 2.6 on my Windows 7 (64 bit) Lenovo t61p laptop.

I have downloaded Sphinx and nose and apparently installed them correctly using

python setup.py install

(at least no errors were reported during the installation).

Now I am trying to install pymongo using easy_install but I am not having much success. It seems that easy_install isn't working at all. I execute easy_install as administrator:

C:\>easy_install 
Cannot find Python executable C:\Program Files\Python26\python.exe

The path C:\Program Files\Python26\python.exe is correct.

I have found this bug report on bugs.python.org which seems to be related, although its status is 'Resolved'.

Do you have any ideas as to what may be wrong? Any pointers, hints or tips for diagnosing the problem further would be greatly 开发者_StackOverflow中文版appreciated.

EDIT: This is the stacktrace I receive when trying to install pymongo:

C:\Users\Rune Ibsen\Documents\Downloads\pymongo-1.4>python setup.py install
running install
running bdist_egg
running egg_info
writing pymongo.egg-info\PKG-INFO
writing top-level names to pymongo.egg-info\top_level.txt
writing dependency_links to pymongo.egg-info\dependency_links.txt
reading manifest file 'pymongo.egg-info\SOURCES.txt'
reading manifest template 'MANIFEST.in'
writing manifest file 'pymongo.egg-info\SOURCES.txt'
installing library code to build\bdist.win-amd64\egg
running install_lib
running build_py
running build_ext
building 'pymongo._cbson' extension
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "setup.py", line 166, in <module>
    "doc": doc})
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\distutils\core.py", line 152, in setup
    dist.run_commands()
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\distutils\dist.py", line 975, in run_commands
    self.run_command(cmd)
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\distutils\dist.py", line 995, in run_command
    cmd_obj.run()
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\site-packages\setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg\setuptools\command\install.py", line 76, in run
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\site-packages\setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg\setuptools\command\install.py", line 96, in do_egg_install
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\distutils\cmd.py", line 333, in run_command
    self.distribution.run_command(command)
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\distutils\dist.py", line 995, in run_command
    cmd_obj.run()
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\site-packages\setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg\setuptools\command\bdist_egg.py", line 174, in run
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\site-packages\setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg\setuptools\command\bdist_egg.py", line 161, in call_command
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\distutils\cmd.py", line 333, in run_command
    self.distribution.run_command(command)
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\distutils\dist.py", line 995, in run_command
    cmd_obj.run()
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\site-packages\setuptools-0.6c9-py2.6.egg\setuptools\command\install_lib.py", line 20, in run
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\distutils\command\install_lib.py", line 113, in build
    self.run_command('build_ext')
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\distutils\cmd.py", line 333, in run_command
    self.distribution.run_command(command)
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\distutils\dist.py", line 995, in run_command
    cmd_obj.run()
  File "setup.py", line 107, in run
    build_ext.run(self)
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\distutils\command\build_ext.py", line 340, in run
    self.build_extensions()
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\distutils\command\build_ext.py", line 449, in build_extensions
    self.build_extension(ext)
  File "setup.py", line 117, in build_extension
    build_ext.build_extension(self, ext)
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\distutils\command\build_ext.py", line 499, in build_extension
    depends=ext.depends)
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\distutils\msvc9compiler.py", line 448, in compile
    self.initialize()
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\distutils\msvc9compiler.py", line 358, in initialize
    vc_env = query_vcvarsall(VERSION, plat_spec)
  File "C:\Program Files\Python26\lib\distutils\msvc9compiler.py", line 274, in query_vcvarsall
    raise ValueError(str(list(result.keys())))
ValueError: [u'path']

C:\Users\Rune Ibsen\Documents\Downloads\pymongo-1.4>

PS.: I previously installed Python 3.1 but later installed 2.6 because I am not sure whether pymongo supports 3.1.

PPS.: I have tried installing pymongo using the python setup.py install approach, but this resulted in a nasty-looking stack trace, so I thought I would try to let easy_install take care of it for me.

PPPS.: I am completely new to Python, easy_install, eggs etc.

I don't know anything about these specific packages so I may not be much help. But for what it's worth I have run into the "can't find python executable" errors before with 64 bit python. It happened when the package I was trying to install didn't have a 64 bit version and it was looking for 32 bit python. I ended up just installing and using the 32 bit python. That may not be the issue here, but I figured I'd through it out there.

can't help much with easy_install - but python setup.py install should work w/ pymongo. what was the stack trace?

Install this 64-bit version of setuptools instead.

http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/#setuptools