How to install PyQt4 on Windows using pip?

Question

I'm using Python 3.4 on Windows. When I run a script, it complains

ImportError: No Module named 'PyQt4'

So I tried to install it, but pip install PyQt4 gives

Could not find any downloads that satisfy the requirement PyQt4

although it does show up when I run pip search PyQt4. I tried to pip install python-qt, which installed successfully but that didn't solve the problem.

What am I doing wrong?

Cutworm

just download it from here :riverbankcomputing.com/software/pyqt/download and run it using python. – Ubiety

The python-qt package doesn't install PyQt: it's just a PySide/PyQt compatibility wrapper. You should do as thecreator232 suggests, and install the binary Windows package instead. However, you will need to downgrade to python-3.3 first, because there aren't any installers for python-3.4 yet. – Benally

Answer 1

Here are Windows wheel packages built by Chris Golke - Python Windows Binary packages - PyQt

In the filenames cp27 means C-python version 2.7, cp35 means python 3.5, etc.

Since Qt is a more complicated system with a compiled C++ codebase underlying the python interface it provides you, it can be more complex to build than just a pure python code package, which means it can be hard to install it from source.

Make sure you grab the correct Windows wheel file (python version, 32/64 bit), and then use pip to install it - e.g:

C:\path\where\wheel\is\> pip install PyQt4-4.11.4-cp35-none-win_amd64.whl

Should properly install if you are running an x64 build of Python 3.5.

Aldora

is there is pip under linux or easy install ? – Toussaint

For linux, it is best to install the development packages for Qt and PyQt from your package manager. – Aldora

why is all the 64bit stuff amd based? It tells me that 64 bit amd version is not a supported wheel on "this platform" – Moye

Should I type this in CMD? It says pip is not recognized as a command – Doublebank

FWIW, with python 3.6 installing pyqt5 via pip install pyqt5 just works. – Respirable

The 64bit stuff is AMD-based, because Intel as well as AMD created their own (incompatible) 64bit architectures/instruction sets back then (1990s to early 2000s). Intel developed "IA-64" and AMD developed "AMD64". To make it short: AMD's version was better and Intel adopted it, now calling it Intel64 for their CPUs - both are pretty much compatible (very minor differences). So pretty much every 64bit x86-64 CPU out there (except Itaniums) uses AMD64. – Buffalo

@mattwilkie that should be pip install PyQt5 (case-sensitive) – Ellswerth

Answer 2

QT no longer supports PyQt4, but you can install PyQt5 with pip:

pip install PyQt5

Semiramis

Sorry, still not working: "Could not find a version that satisfies the requirement PyQt5 (from versions: )" – Geffner

you try add option --trusted-host pypi.python.org – Creekmore

This worked for me. It's nice to know that PyQt5 plays nice with pip. – Conias

When I try this using python 2.7.x - I get "it is not compatible with this Python" messages. ran "pip -v --trusted-host pypi.python.org install PyQt5" – Wacky

Qt never supported PyQt4 to begin with - it was Riverbank Computing. – Xiaoximena

Answer 3

You can't use pip. You have to download from the Riverbank website and run the installer for your version of python. If there is no install for your version, you will have to install Python for one of the available installers, or build from source (which is rather involved). Other answers and comments have the links.

Stag

gist.github.com/ColinDuquesnoy/9619035 shows how to build the pyqt from source for your version of python 3.4 – Canteen

@shelper, your link is now dead. – Whangee

Answer 4

If you install PyQt4 on Windows, files wind up here by default:

C:\Python27\Lib\site-packages\PyQt4*.*

but it also leaves a file here:

C:\Python27\Lib\site-packages\sip.pyd

If you copy the both the sip.pyd and PyQt4 folder into your virtualenv things will work fine.

For example:

mkdir c:\code
cd c:\code
virtualenv BACKUP
cd c:\code\BACKUP\scripts
activate

Then with windows explorer copy from C:\Python27\Lib\site-packages the file (sip.pyd) and folder (PyQt4) mentioned above to C:\code\BACKUP\Lib\site-packages\

Then back at CLI:

cd ..                 
(c:\code\BACKUP)
python backup.py

The problem with trying to launch a script which calls PyQt4 from within virtualenv is that the virtualenv does not have PyQt4 installed and it doesn't know how to reference the default installation described above. But follow these steps to copy PyQt4 into your virtualenv and things should work great.

Rate

Hi good answer, I tried to fix up some of the formatting on the answer so that its the same as the standard used on this site. please take a moment to make sure its ok – Devito

While this is a reasonable answer, I don't think it answers the original question. The original question is asking how to install PyQt4, not how to install it inside a virtual environment. – Belletrist

Thanks for the edits. When I tried to search 'how to install pyqt4 virtualenv windows', I couldn't find anything and found myself reading this post. While I agree it doesn't answer the specific question asked, I figured it was the most logical place to answer the question for the answer for this question since I couldn't find any information and found myself here anyways. Cheers. – Rate

Answer 5

Earlier PyQt .exe installers were available directly from the website download page. Now with the release of PyQt4.12 , installers have been deprecated. You can make the libraries work somehow by compiling them but that would mean going to great lengths of trouble.

Otherwise you can use the previous distributions to solve your purpose. The .exe windows installers can be downloaded from :

https://sourceforge.net/projects/pyqt/files/PyQt4/PyQt-4.11.4/

Equuleus

Answer 6

It looks like you may have to do a bit of manual installation for PyQt4.

http://pyqt.sourceforge.net/Docs/PyQt4/installation.html

This might help a bit more, it's a bit more in a tutorial/set-by-step format:

http://movingthelamppost.com/blog/html/2013/07/12/installing_pyqt____because_it_s_too_good_for_pip_or_easy_install_.html

Contention

The OP is trying to install PyQt on Windows. I would guess that compiling everything from scratch on that platform is not a realistic option for them. – Benally

Answer 7

For Windows:

download the appropriate version of the PyQt4 from here:

• https://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/#pyqt4

and install it using pip (example for Python3.6 - 64bit)

 pip install PyQt4‑4.11.4‑cp36‑cp36m‑win_amd64.whl 

Catima

I got this error message: PyQt4‑4.11.4‑cp36‑cp36m‑win_amd64.whl is not a valid wheel filename. – Majoriemajority

You have to execute pip command in the same directory in which "PyQt4‑4.11.4‑cp36‑cp36m‑win_amd64.whl" was downloaded. (the given filename is just an example, you can choose any from the list given in the link given in post) – Catima

@JayJoshi i got the above error too.i am executing pip command in same directory – Allx

@Arash, Please download the appropriate version from the link provided and install it accordingly. Note: the filename can be changed depending on which version of PyQt4 have you downloaded. – Catima

@JayJoshi it solved.the problem was that my chosen package was not compatible with python version.for other references cp36 in packages file name means python3.6 – Allx

Answer 8

With current latest python 3.6.5

pip3 install PyQt5

works fine

Tenement

Answer 9

Try this for PyQt5:

pip install PyQt5

Use the operating system on this link for PyQt4.

Or download the supported wheel for your platform on this link.

Else use this link for the windows executable installer. Hopefully this helps you to install either PyQt4 or PyQt5.

Steinmetz

Answer 10

install PyQt5 for Windows 10 and python 3.5+.

pip install PyQt5

Wirth

OP is asking specifically about PyQt4, why should he install PyQt5 instead? – Plat

check pierce's answer – Wirth

My bad, I hadn't this information during the review queue process. – Plat

You can always share your knowledge/opinion in comments. In this case there are similar answers with a clearer explanation. Sharing is good but if we all share the same piece of information it's gonna be useless for people. – Occurrence

Answer 11

If you have error while installing PyQt4.

Error: PyQt4-4.11.4-cp27-cp27m-win_amd64.whl is not a supported wheel on this platform.

My system type is 64 bit, But to solve this error I have installed PyQt4 of 32 bit windows system, i.e PyQt4-4.11.4-cp27-cp27m-win32.whl - click here to see more versions.

Kindly select appropriate version of PyQt4 according to your installed python version.

Manville

Answer 12

You can also use this command to install PyQt5.

pip3 install PyQt5

Methedrine

Answer 13

I am using PyCharm, and was able to install PyQt5.

PyQt4, as well as PyQt4Enhanced and windows_whl both failed to install, I'm guessing that's because Qt4 is no longer supported.

Iceman

Answer 14

Try using python 3.6,

then install sip

pip install sip then follow the steps mentioned by @Jay https://mcmap.net/q/181100/-how-to-install-pyqt4-on-windows-using-pip

Educational