Python 2.7 : LookupError: unknown encoding: cp65001
Question: I have installed python 2(64 bit), on windows 8.1 (64 bit) and wanted to know
pip version and for that I fired `pip --version` but it is giving error.

    
    
        C:\Users\ADMIN>pip --version
    Traceback (most recent call last):
      File "c:\dev\python27\lib\runpy.py", line 162, in _run_module_as_main
        "__main__", fname, loader, pkg_name)
      File "c:\dev\python27\lib\runpy.py", line 72, in _run_code
        exec code in run_globals
      File "C:\dev\Python27\Scripts\pip.exe\__main__.py", line 5, in <module>
      File "c:\dev\python27\lib\site-packages\pip\__init__.py", line 15, in <module>
        from pip.vcs import git, mercurial, subversion, bazaar  # noqa
      File "c:\dev\python27\lib\site-packages\pip\vcs\mercurial.py", line 10, in <module>
        from pip.download import path_to_url
      File "c:\dev\python27\lib\site-packages\pip\download.py", line 35, in <module>
        from pip.utils.ui import DownloadProgressBar, DownloadProgressSpinner
      File "c:\dev\python27\lib\site-packages\pip\utils\ui.py", line 51, in <module>
        _BaseBar = _select_progress_class(IncrementalBar, Bar)
      File "c:\dev\python27\lib\site-packages\pip\utils\ui.py", line 44, in _select_progress_class
        six.text_type().join(characters).encode(encoding)
    LookupError: unknown encoding: cp65001
    

Note : The same command works fine for python 3. I have uninstalled both and
installed again but still no success.


Answer: The error means that Unicode characters that your script are trying to print
can't be represented using the current console character encoding.

Also try to run `set PYTHONIOENCODING=UTF-8` after execute pip --version
**without** reloading terminal if everything going well add `PYTHONIOENCODING`
as env variable with value `UTF-8`. See [How to set the path and environment
variables in Windows](http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000549.htm) article
to get info how to add Windows variable.

Also you can try to install [win-unicode-
console](https://github.com/Drekin/win-unicode-console) with pip:

    
    
    pip install win-unicode-console
    

Then reload your terminal and try to execute `pip --version`

However you can follow suggestions from [Windows cmd encoding change causes
Python crash](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/878972/windows-cmd-encoding-
change-causes-python-crash?answertab=active#tab-top) answer because you have
**same problem**.

