Can't Install setuptools 0.9.7

[PaulHuffman]

I'm stumped by my inability to install setuptools 0.9.7 on Windows 7,64, python 2.7.2. On running ez_setup.py I got the error:

Downloading https://pypi.python.org/packages/source/s/setuptools/setuptools-0.9.7.tar.gz Extracting in c:\users\paul\appdata\local\temp\tmptm3fqf Now working in c:\users\paul\appdata\local\temp\tmptm3fqf\setuptools-0.9.7 Installing Setuptools Something went wrong during the installation. See the error message above.  Traceback (most recent call last):   File "C:\Users\Paul\Documents\pyscripts\ez_setup.py", line 264, in <module>     sys.exit(main()) SystemExit: 2

Because python is installed down in c:\python27\arcgis10.1, I thought I'd try adding an environmental variable %PYTHON_PATH% and append it to %PATH%, but I got the same messages as above. But at least I can start python from any folder now. 

Could it be that the python that ArcGIS installs is 32 bit, but the version of setuptools I downloaded is 64 bit, that somehow the download site sensed my OS?

[JasonScheirer]

You may need to run as administrator, maybe it can't write into those Python install folders as your current user.

[PaulHuffman]

You mean IDLE, running under my administrator account, isn't running with admin rights?

[PaulHuffman · Accepted solution]

ez_setup.py would not install setuptools-0.9.8 for me either. I didn't spot anything in the script that sensed my OS and downloaded the 64 bit version.

But I downloaded setuptools.-0.9.8.tar.gz from https://pypi.python.org/packages/source/s/setuptools, unpacked it myself, opened cmd and changed directory to the unpacked folder, ran "python setup.py install" and everything installed without a problem.

[NateArnold]

Paul,
Thanks for posting your solution - I needed pip and poster, which required setuptools.  Your workaround helped me get everything working.

Nate