iPython Notebook in Windows - Error on Startup

Question

I am trying desperately to get ipython notebook to work in a windows environment. I installed Continuum IO's Anaconda, a scientific distribution of python. I want to use ipython notebook, but get the following error. ipython in the terminal works fine. Any thoughts?

UPDATE: As asked for below, here is the output from sys.path on my system.

['',
 'C:\\Anaconda\\scripts',
 'C:\\Anaconda\\lib\\site-packages\\distribute-0.6.45-py2.7.egg',
 'C:\\Anaconda',
 'C:\\Users\\btibert\\ C:\\Anaconda\\Scripts',
 'C:\\Anaconda\\python27.zip',
 'C:\\Anaconda\\DLLs',
 'C:\\Anaconda\\lib',
 'C:\\Anaconda\\lib\\plat-win',
 'C:\\Anaconda\\lib\\lib-tk',
 'C:\\Users\\btibert\\AppData\\Roaming\\Python\\Python27\\site-packages',
 'C:\\Users\\btibert\\AppData\\Roaming\\Python\\Python27\\site-packages\\Orange\\orng',
 'C:\\Users\\btibert\\AppData\\Roaming\\Python\\Python27\\site-packages\\setuptools-0.6c11-py2.7.egg-info',
 'C:\\Anaconda\\lib\\site-packages',
 'C:\\Anaconda\\lib\\site-packages\\PIL',
 'C:\\Anaconda\\lib\\site-packages\\win32',
 'C:\\Anaconda\\lib\\site-packages\\win32\\lib',
 'C:\\Anaconda\\lib\\site-packages\\Pythonwin',
 'C:\\Users\\btibert\\AppData\\Roaming\\Python\\Python27\\site-packages\\IPython\\extensions']

And here is the error:

C:\Users\btibert>ipython notebook
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "C:\Anaconda\Scripts\ipython-script.py", line 5, in <module>
    sys.exit(launch_new_instance())
  File "C:\Users\btibert\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\IPython\frontend\terminal\ipapp.py", line 402, in
 launch_new_instance
    app.initialize()
  File "<string>", line 2, in initialize
  File "C:\Users\btibert\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\IPython\config\application.py", line 84, in catch
_config_error
    return method(app, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Users\btibert\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\IPython\frontend\terminal\ipapp.py", line 302, in
 initialize
    super(TerminalIPythonApp, self).initialize(argv)
  File "<string>", line 2, in initialize
  File "C:\Users\btibert\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\IPython\config\application.py", line 84, in catch
_config_error
    return method(app, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Users\btibert\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\IPython\core\application.py", line 325, in initia
lize
    self.parse_command_line(argv)
  File "C:\Users\btibert\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\IPython\frontend\terminal\ipapp.py", line 297, in
 parse_command_line
    return super(TerminalIPythonApp, self).parse_command_line(argv)
  File "<string>", line 2, in parse_command_line
  File "C:\Users\btibert\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\IPython\config\application.py", line 84, in catch
_config_error
    return method(app, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Users\btibert\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\IPython\config\application.py", line 413, in pars
e_command_line
    return self.initialize_subcommand(subc, subargv)
  File "<string>", line 2, in initialize_subcommand
  File "C:\Users\btibert\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\IPython\config\application.py", line 84, in catch
_config_error
    return method(app, *args, **kwargs)
  File "C:\Users\btibert\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\IPython\config\application.py", line 349, in init
ialize_subcommand
    subapp = import_item(subapp)
  File "C:\Users\btibert\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\IPython\utils\importstring.py", line 40, in impor
t_item
    module = __import__(package,fromlist=[obj])
  File "C:\Users\btibert\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\IPython\frontend\html\notebook\notebookapp.py", l
ine 34, in <module>
    from zmq.eventloop import ioloop
  File "C:\Users\btibert\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\zmq\eventloop\__init__.py", line 3, in <module>
    from zmq.eventloop.ioloop import IOLoop
  File "C:\Users\btibert\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\zmq\eventloop\ioloop.py", line 56, in <module>
    from zmq.eventloop.platform.auto import set_close_exec, Waker
ImportError: No module named platform.auto

Answer 1

I figured out one way to attack this. I didn't really think I would have to get this level, but I completely uninstalled every single possible instance of python I could find. I

1. unisntalled Anaconda CE
2. removed every reference to python in PATH
3. edited my registry to clear out python data (but did leave Python folders)
4. Removed python from the App/Roaming path outlined above by @IanSR

Basically, I removed every possible reference to python I could find and then re-installed Anaconda CE. Voila, the Anaconda install (appears) to have worked as intended by the distributors.

Answer 2

It would be helpful to know what your sys.path is. You can find that by doing:

$ ipython

In [1]: import sys

In [2]: sys.path

And then share here the output. Next, you want to check what files you have in this directory:

C:\Users\btibert\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages\zmq\eventloop\platform

Ideally, you'll see auto.py there, and if C:\Users\btibert\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python27\site-packages is in your sys.path then it is a mystery why it isn't working, but if that file isn't there, the directory doesn't exist, or the path to site-packages isn't in your sys.path, then those need to be resolved first.

Let us know and we can try to take it from there!