Python interpreter versions not detected

[itcasim0]

I encountered an issue where VS Code cannot properly detect Python interpreters.

Environment

OS: Windows 11
VS Code: Latest version
Python extension / Python Environments extension: Latest version

Problem

When selecting Python: Select Interpreter, the interpreter list keeps loading indefinitely and no Python versions are detected.

Even after restarting the Python Environments extension (PET) multiple times (3+ times), the problem persists and the interpreter list remains in an infinite loading state.

Manually specifying the interpreter path also does not work.

What I discovered

After experimenting with several configurations, I found that Python versions are only detected if the directory containing python.exe is added to the system PATH.

My Python installation structure looks like this:

pyenv-win/
  versions/
    python3.12.4/
      python.exe
    python3.14.2/
      python.exe

If I add the following to the system PATH:

versions/

→ Python interpreters are not detected

However, if I add a directory that directly contains python.exe, such as:

versions/python3.12.4/

then all installed Python versions (3.12.4, 3.14.2, etc.) suddenly appear in "Select Interpreter" and can be selected normally.

Additional notes

Configuring Global Search Paths did not resolve the issue.

Even if I add versions/python3.12.4/ as a global search path, it still fails to detect interpreters.

I also tested installing Python directly using the official installer from Python.org:
https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.14.3/python-3.14.3-amd64.exe

The behavior was the same. If the directory containing python.exe is not added to the system PATH, VS Code does not detect any Python interpreters.

Once I add that directory to the system PATH, VS Code starts detecting all Python versions installed via pyenv-win as well.

On my Windows 10 laptop, pyenv-win works perfectly without any additional configuration.

[karthiknadig]

Please share the logs from Output > Python Environments

[Gorluxor]

@itcasim0, I am assuming it is the same issue that is getting reported all over the place. A fix that worked for me is the following:

1. Try downgrading Python Environments to 1.16.0.
2. Changed .vscode/settings.json, commented out the 2 first two lines (if you have them), and added the 2 second two lines:

{
...
// "python-envs.defaultEnvManager": "ms-python.python:conda",
// "python-envs.defaultPackageManager": "ms-python.python:conda",
"python.useEnvironmentsExtension": true,
"python.useEnvsExtension": true,
...
}

See more details on #1316. The config fixes the identification issue (no discovery at all), while the downgrade improves discovery speed (no errors or retries until it finds conda).

As far as I can tell across 3 different Linux machines, the breaking change happens from 1.16.0 -> 1.18.0 @karthiknadig. Hope this helps in identifying it.
Those are the currently active issues that are affected as I can see: #1330, #1319, #1313, #1310, #1286, #1253, #1316, #1309
Solution might be related to this issue here, but didn't go deep into it: #987

[eleanorjboyd]

To help us narrow this down, could you run these in a fresh terminal (cmd or PowerShell)?

echo %PYENV_ROOT%
echo %PYENV%
echo %USERPROFILE%\.pyenv\pyenv-win\bin\pyenv.bat
where pyenv
pyenv root

This will tell us whether the standard environment variables are set and whether pyenv.bat is discoverable.