# Running Certbot on Windows - Python Challenges **URL:** \ **Category:** Help\ **Created:** [October 26, 2017, 9:38pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/running-certbot-on-windows-python-challenges/45077 "2017-10-26T21:38:28Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![JayCode-ORG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/bb73d2/32.png) [@JayCode-ORG](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/JayCode-ORG)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 9:38pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/running-certbot-on-windows-python-challenges/45077/1 "2017-10-26T21:38:28Z")
My domain is: [jaycode.org](http://jaycode.org) I ran this command: certbot It produced this output: Traceback (most recent call last): File “c:\python27\lib\[runpy.py](http://runpy.py)”, line 174, in \_run\_module\_as\_main " **main**", fname, loader, pkg\_name) File “c:\python27\lib\[runpy.py](http://runpy.py)”, line 72, in _run\_code exec code in run\_globals File "C:\Python27\Scripts\certbot.exe\_main_.py", line 5, in File “c:\python27\lib\site-packages\certbot\[main.py](http://main.py)”, line 16, in from certbot import account File “c:\python27\lib\site-packages\certbot\[account.py](http://account.py)”, line 21, in from certbot import util File “c:\python27\lib\site-packages\certbot\[util.py](http://util.py)”, line 23, in from certbot import lock File “c:\python27\lib\site-packages\certbot\[lock.py](http://lock.py)”, line 3, in import fcntl ImportError: No module named fcntl My web server is (include version): N/A, using Windows PowerShell The operating system my web server runs on is (include version): Windows 10 My hosting provider, if applicable, is: N/A I can login to a root shell on my machine (yes or no, or I don’t know): I don’t know I’m using a control panel to manage my site (no, or provide the name and version of the control panel): No Please HELP ME!!! ---
**Author:** ![schoen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/schoen/32/79_2.png) [@schoen](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/schoen)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 10:03pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/running-certbot-on-windows-python-challenges/45077/2 "2017-10-26T22:03:28Z")
Hi @JayCode-ORG, Did you see a suggestion to use Certbot on Windows somewhere? Our documentation tries to suggest that Certbot isn't ready for use on Windows currently: > **[Certbot](https://certbot.eff.org/#nonunix-other)** > > Tagline Instead, we would typically suggest using one of the Windows client listed at > [@List of Client Implementations](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/list-of-client-implementations/2103): > > L… although several of the Unix clients there are also cross-platform enough to work on Windows too. ---
**Author:** ![rg305](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/rg305/32/91314_2.png) [@rg305](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/rg305)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2017, 11:52pm UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/running-certbot-on-windows-python-challenges/45077/3 "2017-10-26T23:52:51Z")
As I’m told, Windows can now run Linux code natively (haven’t tried it myself thou - yet). So, have you tried **certbot-auto**? ---
**Author:** ![schoen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/schoen/32/79_2.png) [@schoen](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/schoen)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 12:20am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/running-certbot-on-windows-python-challenges/45077/4 "2017-10-27T00:20:02Z")
> As I’m told, Windows can now run Linux code natively (haven’t tried it myself thou - yet). Sure, Microsoft does have > **[What is Windows Subsystem for Linux](https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/wsl/about)** > > Learn about the Windows Subsystem for Linux, including the different versions and ways you can use them. Microsoft Loves Linux. available now. However, this doesn't mean that all Linux software will immediately run directly in every Windows environment! If you're not actually using WSL with a Linux distribution, you can expect to encounter compatibility problems with Certbot, which is still designed for a Unix environment. Users who aren't intentionally using WSL this way should probably currently use a Windows Let's Encrypt client, not Certbot. ---
**Author:** ![ahaw021](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/ahaw021/32/14882_2.png) [@ahaw021](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/ahaw021)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 12:42am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/running-certbot-on-windows-python-challenges/45077/5 "2017-10-27T00:42:47Z")
i would not be advising this at all there are excellent windows clients certbot has a few challenges which prevents it from being used on windows (fixable just waiting for pull requests) you still have to have a working python runtime to make things work properly. Andrei ---
**Author:** ![ahaw021](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/user_avatar/community.letsencrypt.org/ahaw021/32/14882_2.png) [@ahaw021](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/ahaw021)\ **Post date:** [October 27, 2017, 12:46am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/running-certbot-on-windows-python-challenges/45077/6 "2017-10-27T00:46:13Z")
> [@Please Put Technology Stacks in Headers - Makes It Easy to help](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/please-put-technology-stacks-in-headers-makes-it-easy-to-help/44933): > > H… I have updated your title certbot will not natively run in windows there is an issue with the locking library [https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/running-certbot-on-windows-phase-2/31703/5](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/running-certbot-on-windows-phase-2/31703/5) how to get version 0.13.0 working on windows natively Otherwise you can have look at windows clients such as certify, ACME-Sharp, lets-encrypt-win-simple ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/letsencrypt/original/3X/c/a/ca6c06ea1ea201324bba7048c6841ce60236468d.png) [@system](https://community.letsencrypt.org/u/system)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2017, 12:47am UTC](https://community.letsencrypt.org/t/running-certbot-on-windows-python-challenges/45077/7 "2017-11-26T00:47:04Z")
Closed on November 26, 2017, 12:47am UTC This topic was automatically closed 30 days after the last reply. New replies are no longer allowed.