Overview

My exact goal is to set my preferred version of python as the default when I type python3 into a command prompt or powershell prompt. I've tried everything but can't figure it out.

I have the following Python versions installed (Output of py -0p):

 -V:3.14[-64]    C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\pythoncore-3.14-64\python.exe
 -V:3.13[-64] *  C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\pythoncore-3.13-64\python.exe
 -V:3.12[-64]    C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\pythoncore-3.12-64\python.exe

I've set the following environment variables system-wide, and for my user account:

PY_PYTHON                        = "3.13"
PY_PYTHON3                       = "3.13"
PYTHON_MANAGER_DEFAULT           = "3.13"
PYTHON_MANAGER_DEFAULT_PLATFORM  = "-64"
PYTHONUTF8                       = "1"

Unfortunately when I type python3 into a command prompt, it launches the python 3.14 shell.

How can I ensure that when I enter python3 in a CLI prompt that it launches my preferred version of python (3.13)?

Additional Info:

I've disabled two of the app execution aliases in my Win11 settings hoping this might solve the issue:

But it's not working.

Can someone point me in the right direction? Thanks in advance for any help!

Edit

Information about the Python Install Manager

Documentation Here

• The Python Install Manager automatically creates a folder of hardlinks (aliases) to installed Python runtimes in the following folder: %LocalAppData%\Python\bin.
• That resolves to C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin

Inside of this folder is the following (On my system):

C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\chardetect.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\dotenv.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\f2py.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\fastapi.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\hf.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\httpx.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\isympy.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\jsonschema.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\markdown-it.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\mcp.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\normalizer.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\numpy-config.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\parse_pip_search.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pip.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pip3.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pygmentize.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pyproject-build.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pyrsa-decrypt.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pyrsa-encrypt.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pyrsa-keygen.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pyrsa-priv2pub.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pyrsa-sign.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pyrsa-verify.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\python.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\python3-64.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\python3.12-64.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\python3.12.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\python3.13-64.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\python3.13.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\python3.14-64.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\python3.14.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\python3.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pythonw.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pythonw3-64.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pythonw3.12-64.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pythonw3.12.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pythonw3.13-64.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pythonw3.13.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pythonw3.14-64.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pythonw3.14.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pythonw3.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pywin32_postinstall.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\pywin32_testall.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\tiny-agents.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\torchfrtrace.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\torchrun.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\tqdm.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\transformers.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\typer.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\uvicorn.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\wsdump.exe

• All of these hardlinks / aliases point to their corresponding runtimes. But the more general aliases python.exe, python3.exe, and python3-64.exe seem to get set to the latest installed python version.

• Using LinkShellExtension I can see in the link properties page that the first few entries for python3.exe are:

C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\python3.14.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\python3.14-64.exe
C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin\python3.exe

Don't ask me why python3.exe is hardlinked to itself, I have no clue why.

So, unless I'm missing some kind of setting or configuration option, there seems to be no way to specify a default version of python that gets invoked when you enter python3 or python3-64 into a command prompt.

It simply defaults to the latest version of Python you have installed.

Fortunately, this is NOT the case for python.exe. If I type python into a command prompt or powershell prompt, it correctly opens my preferred version 3.13 (PY_PYTHON3 and PY_PYTHON values).

I would be really stoked if someone could prove me wrong here though.

More Information about my PATH environment variables

Here is what I have in PATH (Machine):

• C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin
• C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\pythoncore-3.13-64\Scripts

I do not have C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\pythoncore-3.13-64 added to PATH, because it wouldn't matter anyway since that folder only contains a python.exe binary, and I'm already getting my desired version to launch when I run python in the command prompt via pymanager aliases.

A more direct re-phrase of my original question

Is it possible to make the Python Install Manager create an alias of python3 and python3-64 in C:\Users\user\AppData\Local\Python\bin that points to my PREFERRED version of Python first, instead of the most recent Python version?

Am I stuck with just running python <args> or py -3.13 <args>?

If I'm missing something, any informed response would be greatly appreciated.