Python is not installed/an invalid python interpreter is selected

[PBuskie]

Around a week or so ago I was using python in vs code with no issues but yesterday when I ran vs code it prompted me to select an interpreter but there is none to choose from.
I have both the extension in vs code and the latest version from python.org. When I try installing python through windows store the option to choose that as the interpretor flashes for a moment then disappears and I get the same "python is not installed message"
Tried setting the path to the exe in the settings.json but as soon as I CTRL + S it gives the same error messages.

I can get python working in the terminal and showing the version I have installed but vs code won't recognise it at all.
I've tried reinstalling vs code, python, removing the extensions, resetting my PC after some steps but everything gives the same result.
any help appreciated!

[brettcannon]

What's show up in the Ouput panel under the "Python" channel? That logs what we run to check your interpreter and any issues we run into.

[PBuskie]

Sure thing! Here's what I have in the Output panel

Experiment 'pythonPromptNewToolsExtNonExistantcf' is active
Experiment 'pythonSurveyNotification' is active
LSP Notebooks experiment is enabled
LSP Notebooks interactive window support is enabled

conda info --json
~\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\python.exe -I ~.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\get_output_via_markers.py ~.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\interpreterInfo.py
~\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\python.exe -I ~.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\get_output_via_markers.py ~.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\interpreterInfo.py
[ERROR 2023-2-9 21:30:19.917]: [Error: spawn H:\Temporary Files ENOENT
at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:283:19)
at onErrorNT (node:internal/child_process:478:16)
at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:83:21)] {
errno: -4058,
code: 'ENOENT',
syscall: 'spawn H:\Temporary Files',
path: 'H:\Temporary Files',
spawnargs: [
'-c',
'C:\Users\PaulB\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\python.exe -I c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\get_output_via_markers.py c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\interpreterInfo.py'
],
cmd: 'C:\Users\PaulB\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\python.exe -I c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\get_output_via_markers.py c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\interpreterInfo.py'
}
[ERROR 2023-2-9 21:30:19.921]: [Error: spawn H:\Temporary Files ENOENT
at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:283:19)
at onErrorNT (node:internal/child_process:478:16)
at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:83:21)] {
errno: -4058,
code: 'ENOENT',
syscall: 'spawn H:\Temporary Files',
path: 'H:\Temporary Files',
spawnargs: [
'-c',
'C:\Users\PaulB\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\python.exe -I c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\get_output_via_markers.py c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\interpreterInfo.py'
],
cmd: 'C:\Users\PaulB\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\python.exe -I c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\get_output_via_markers.py c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\interpreterInfo.py'
}
~\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\python.exe -I ~.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\get_output_via_markers.py ~.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\interpreterInfo.py
~\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\python.exe -I ~.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\get_output_via_markers.py ~.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\interpreterInfo.py
[ERROR 2023-2-9 21:30:21.931]: [Error: spawn H:\Temporary Files ENOENT
at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:283:19)
at onErrorNT (node:internal/child_process:478:16)
at processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:83:21)
at runNextTicks (node:internal/process/task_queues:65:3)
at listOnTimeout (node:internal/timers:528:9)
at process.processTimers (node:internal/timers:502:7)] {
errno: -4058,
code: 'ENOENT',
syscall: 'spawn H:\Temporary Files',
path: 'H:\Temporary Files',
spawnargs: [
'-c',
'C:\Users\PaulB\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\python.exe -I c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\get_output_via_markers.py c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\interpreterInfo.py'
],
cmd: 'C:\Users\PaulB\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\python.exe -I c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\get_output_via_markers.py c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\interpreterInfo.py'
}
[ERROR 2023-2-9 21:30:21.933]: [Error: spawn H:\Temporary Files ENOENT
at ChildProcess._handle.onexit (node:internal/child_process:283:19)
at onErrorNT (node:internal/child_process:478:16)
at process.processTicksAndRejections (node:internal/process/task_queues:83:21)] {
errno: -4058,
code: 'ENOENT',
syscall: 'spawn H:\Temporary Files',
path: 'H:\Temporary Files',
spawnargs: [
'-c',
'C:\Users\PaulB\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\python.exe -I c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\get_output_via_markers.py c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\interpreterInfo.py'
],
cmd: 'C:\Users\PaulB\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\python.exe -I c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\get_output_via_markers.py c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\interpreterInfo.py'
}
Starting Pylance language server.

[brettcannon]

So ENOENT means a file or directory doesn't exist, and in this case it's H:\Temporary Files. Any idea where that directory is coming from? And why executing Python code is causing that failure?

It looks like it's happening in nearly every case where we try to run Python your your behalf. Does running C:\Users\PaulB\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python311\python.exe -I c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\get_output_via_markers.py c:\Users\PaulB\.vscode\extensions\ms-python.python-2023.4.1\pythonFiles\interpreterInfo.py from a terminal also fail?

[PBuskie]

This is a real silly one, after I saw your post I did a little digging around and saw that ComSpec was for some reason set as H:\Temporary Files in my environment variables. I changed it back to cmd.exe, restarted and vs code allowed me to pick an interpreter without any errors.

Thanks so much for getting back to me, would've never thought to look that back over if it wasn't for your last post!