# Cannot run anaconda prompt on Windows

**URL:** <https://forum.anaconda.com/t/cannot-run-anaconda-prompt-on-windows/59593>\
**Category:** Packages & Environments\
**Created:** [August 9, 2023, 4:47pm UTC](https://forum.anaconda.com/t/cannot-run-anaconda-prompt-on-windows/59593 "2023-08-09T16:47:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![bscham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/80bc00/32.png) [@bscham](https://forum.anaconda.com/u/bscham)\
**Post date:** [August 9, 2023, 4:47pm UTC](https://forum.anaconda.com/t/cannot-run-anaconda-prompt-on-windows/59593/1 "2023-08-09T16:47:21Z")

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I’m very new to conda, and somewhat of a beginner to python.

I’m getting the following error when I attempt to run the Anaconda Prompt:

> Program ‘conda.exe’ failed to run: The specified executable is not a valid application for this OS platform.At  
> C:\Users\scham\anaconda3\shell\condabin\Conda.psm1:72 char:33  
> + … eCommand = (& $Env:CONDA\_EXE $Env:\_CE\_M $Env:\_CE\_CONDA shell.powershe …  
> + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.  
> At C:\Users\scham\anaconda3\shell\condabin\Conda.psm1:72 char:13  
> + $activateCommand = (& $Env:CONDA\_EXE $Env:\_CE\_M $Env:_CE_ …  
> + ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> + CategoryInfo : ResourceUnavailable: (: ) , ApplicationFailedException  
> + FullyQualifiedErrorId : NativeCommandFailed
> 
> Invoke-Expression : Cannot bind argument to parameter ‘Command’ because it is null.  
> At C:\Users\scham\anaconda3\shell\condabin\Conda.psm1:76 char:36  
> + Invoke-Expression -Command $activateCommand;  
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
> + CategoryInfo : InvalidData: (: ) [Invoke-Expression], ParameterBindingValidationException  
> + FullyQualifiedErrorId : ParameterArgumentValidationErrorNullNotAllowed,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.InvokeExpre  
> ssionCommand

(as an FYI, I had to break up some of the text to stop emojis from appearing)

I used the only installer for conda available for Windows, and did not change any of the default options, and the install seemed successful until I got these errors.

I’m not seeing this error online anywhere for conda specifically, and where ever I found it otherwise seemed to be related to using the 32 vs 64 bit - my PC is 64 bit, and that’s the only one available anyway. (and 64 can run 32, regardless)

I only had Python 3.10 before installing conda, and noticed that the installs at the more specific page are under a Python 3.11 header (no mention of 3.11 [here](https://www.anaconda.com/download/) but there is one [here](https://www.anaconda.com/download#downloads)).

I downloaded and installed 3.11, but I’m still getting the same error when trying to run the Anaconda prompt.

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**Author:** ![bscham](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/80bc00/32.png) [@bscham](https://forum.anaconda.com/u/bscham)\
**Post date:** [August 10, 2023, 1:08am UTC](https://forum.anaconda.com/t/cannot-run-anaconda-prompt-on-windows/59593/2 "2023-08-10T01:08:36Z")

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Ah, looks like an uninstall/reinstall fixed it.

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**Author:** ![Carlos\_Valin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f5a800/32.png) [@Carlos\_Valin](https://forum.anaconda.com/u/Carlos_Valin)\
**Post date:** [August 11, 2023, 12:36pm UTC](https://forum.anaconda.com/t/cannot-run-anaconda-prompt-on-windows/59593/3 "2023-08-11T12:36:11Z")

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