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setup-python fails for free-threaded Python (3.13t / 3.14t) on windows-11-arm64 — broken python.exe symlink #1307

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setup-python fails for free-threaded Python (3.13t / 3.14t) on windows-11-arm64 — broken python.exe symlink#1307
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v-priyagupta108
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bugSomething isn't working

Description

@andife
andife
opened on Apr 25, 2026

Environment

  • actions/setup-python v6.2.0
  • Runner: windows-11-arm64 (20260419.19.1)
  • Affected: 3.13t, 3.14t — non-free-threaded arm64 builds (3.11, 3.12) work fine

What happens

The zip is downloaded and extracted correctly, but python.exe and python3.exe in the tool cache are 0-byte reparse points (broken symlinks). setup.ps1:131 then fails to remove python.exe, and the resulting interpreter can't find its stdlib:

[error] Remove-Item : Cannot find path '...\arm64-freethreaded\python.exe' because it does not exist.
        At setup.ps1:131 char:5  +  Remove-Item -Path "$PythonArchPath\python.exe" -Force
[error] Fatal Python error: Failed to import encodings module
[error] ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'encodings'
[error] Error happened during pip installation / upgrade

Directory listing after copy:

-a---l   0   python.exe    ← 0-byte reparse point
-a---l   0   python3.exe

Root cause hypothesis

The win32-arm64-freethreaded zips contain python.exe as a symlink to python3.1Xt.exe. When the zip contents are copied to the tool cache, the symlink target doesn't exist at the expected relative path, leaving a dangling reparse point that powershell.exe can't delete.

Reference

Failing CI run: https://github.com/onnx/onnx/actions/runs/24930991133 (jobs 73008617679 and 73008617685)

Activity

  1. v-priya-kinthali
    added
    bugSomething isn't working
    on Apr 27, 2026

  2. v-priya-kinthali commented on Apr 27, 2026

    @v-priya-kinthali
    v-priya-kinthali
    on Apr 27, 2026
    Contributor

    Hello @andife👋,
    Thank you for reporting this issue. We will investigate it and get back to you as soon as we have some feedback.

  3. v-priyagupta108
    self-assigned this
    on Apr 27, 2026

  4. w8sl commented on Apr 30, 2026

    @w8sl
    w8sl
    on Apr 30, 2026

    Similar to #1267

  5. v-priyagupta108 commented on May 5, 2026

    @v-priyagupta108
    v-priyagupta108
    on May 5, 2026
    Contributor

    Thanks for the report. This issue has been fixed in actions/python-versions#387, and updated artifacts have now been released for 3.14.4 and 3.13.3.

    Please re-run your workflows and let us know if you continue to see any issues.

  6. v-priyagupta108 commented on May 11, 2026

    @v-priyagupta108
    v-priyagupta108
    on May 11, 2026
    Contributor

    Closing this issue as the underlying fix has been shipped via actions/python-versions#387. Updated artifacts for 3.13 and 3.14 (including free-threaded variants) are now available. Please feel free to reach out if you continue to see any issues.

  7. v-priyagupta108
    closed this as completedon May 11, 2026
  8. ilevkivskyi
    added a commit that references this issue on Aug 5, 2026

    Build wheels for Python 3.15 (#71)

    c2db11c
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