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ArcGIS for Desktop geoprocessing tools require that Python 2.7.x and Numerical Python 1.6.1 are installed.
Should I ever discover a need to install Python I feel it will be more beneficial to create a custom installation package that takes advantage of the normal 2.7 msi. Atleast when you install with a msi the cleanup is easy and well documented. Whatever ArcGIS does to install Python seems to be half baked.
Now that Python is no longer on my machines it is no longer an issue and I am a happy camper.
If you only need to use Python without any ArcGIS tools this will work just fine. However, you will be completely unable to use Arcpy from that separate Python.
:: start EPD32 python prompt with arcpy available @echo off set EPDPATH=E:\python27_epd32 set AGSPATH=D:\ArcGIS\Desktop10.1 :: save paths set PATHENV=%PATH% set PPATHENV=%PYTHONPATH% :: set paths EPD with access to arcpy set PATH=%EPDPATH%;%EPDPATH%\scripts;%PATH% set PYTHONPATH=%PYTHONPATH%;%AGSPATH%\bin;%AGSPATH%\arcpy;%AGSPATH%\ArcToolbox\Scripts cmd /c %EPDPATH%\python.exe :: restore paths set PATH=%PATHENV% set PYTHONPATH=%PPATHENV% :: delete variables set EPDPATH= set AGSPATH= set PATHENV= set PPATHENV=
Although this thread never really answered my question on how to uninstall Python 2.7 it is helpful for trying to understand some reasons to keep it around.
Otherwise it appears that the script provided by Curt can be used to take advantage of the normal Python 2.7 installation. I'd much rather have a regular version of Python on my machines then the "private" installation that comes packaged with ArcGIS 10.1.