Modulenotfounderror: no module named '_distutils_hack' [SOLVED]

Modulenotfounderror: no module named ‘_distutils_hack’

by

Are you working with Python right now and encountering an error that states modulenotfounderror: no module named distutils_hack?

Don’t worry; in this article, we will show you how to solve this problem.

What does this error indicate?

The error modulenotfounderror: no module named ‘_distutils_hack’ indicates that the module _distutils_hack cannot be found in your system or Python environment.

What is Python?

Python is one of the most popular programming languages.

It is used for developing a wide range of applications.

In addition, Python is a high-level programming language that is used by most developers due to its flexibility.

Now, let’s tackle what a ‘_distutils_hack’ module is.

What is ‘_distutils_hack’?

The ‘_distutils_hack‘ is a helper module. It is used by some Python packages to get around problems with the distutils package.

How to solve “no module named ‘_distutils_hack’” in Python

The following are the steps on how to resolve the error message modulenotfounderror: no module named ‘_distutils_hack’.

  1. Check if the ‘_distutils_hack’ module is installed.


    The first step is to check if the _distutils_hack module is installed in your Python environment or system.

    To check, open the cmd or command prompt, then type the command pip list.

    pip list - modulenotfounderror: no module named '_distutils_hack'

    The command pip list will show you the list of installed modules on your system.

    Moving on, if the ‘_distutils_hack’ module is not found, move to the next step.

  2. Update your ‘setuptools’ package.


    Instead of installing the ‘_distutils_hack‘ module separately, all you have to do is update the setuptools package that’s been installed in your system.

    The reason is setuptools package includes the ‘_distutils_hack‘ module.

    Moving on, to update the setuptools package, use this command: pip install –upgrade setuptools.

    pip install --upgrade setuptools

    The command pip install –upgrade setuptools will upgrade the setuptools package to its latest version, including the ‘_distutils_hack‘ module.

    Note: Before installing or using the ‘_distutils_hack‘ module, activate your virtual environment if you’re using one.

    However, be sure your IDE or editor is using the appropriate Python interpreter and has ‘_distutils_hack‘ installed if you’re using one.

Tips

  • Another reason why this error keeps on popping up is that your pip is outdated, and you have to upgrade it.

    To do so, enter the following command: python -m pip install –upgrade pip.

    The command python -m pip install –upgrade pip will upgrade the pip package manager to its newest version.

    However, if your pip is already in the latest version, this will come out: “Requirement already satisfied.”
  • Another possible solution is by uninstalling and installing again the setuptools.

    To do so, first, use the command: pip uninstall setuptools.

    After inputting the command pip uninstall setuptools, results will come out and this question will also appear (Proceed (Y/n)?).

    Once that appeared, just type Y, then click the Enter key.

    pip uninstall setuptools

    The next thing to do is to install it again. To do so, input the command: pip install setuptools.

    pip install setuptools

Conclusion

In conclusion, the error modulenotfounderror: no module named ‘distutils_hack’ can be easily solved by:

“Checking if the ‘_distutils_hack‘ module is installed in your Python environment and, if not, by installing it.”

By following the guide above, there’s no doubt that you’ll be able to resolve this error quickly.

We hope you’ve learned a lot from this.

That is all for this tutorial, IT source coders.

Thank you for reading!

Leave a Comment