title: Python3.8 venv returned exit status 101
body: <p>I found similar posts, mostly related to linux on venv having an issue with working. <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/59557922/python-3-8-venv-missing-activate-command">python 3.8 venv missing activate command</a> However, I am confused on how to solve it on windows, and what is happening.  </p>
  
  <p>I installed python3.8 from downloading it on pythons website. Then I follow the 3.8 documentation <a href="https://docs.python.org/3/library/venv.html" rel="noreferrer">https://docs.python.org/3/library/venv.html</a> which shows: </p>
  
  <p><code>python3 -m venv /path/to/new/virtual/environment</code></p>
  
  <p>I do this but then get the following error:</p>
  
  <pre><code>Error: Command '['E:\\py_envs\\hf4\\Scripts\\python.exe', '-Im', 'ensurepip', '--upgrade', '--default-pip']' returned non-zero exit status 101.
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>When I use:
  <code>python -m venv --without-pip hf4</code></p>
  
  <p>and then <code>hf4\Scripts\activate</code></p>
  
  <p>It works for activation. What I don't understand is that I can then run pip and it is there during the activated environment. It seems a maybe related issue, is that anything I have installed on my system python is also available. For example, in the activated session:</p>
  
  <pre><code>(hf4) E:\py_envs&gt;where pip
  C:\Users\local user\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python38\Scripts\pip.exe
  </code></pre>
  
  <p>One question is naturally how to fix this, the other is that I would appreciate an explanation as to what is happening to better understand it.  Does it search first for the active environment, and if it can't find it, defaults to a system version?</p>