I have installed opencv on my windows machine using python 3.6 without any issues, using:
pip install opencv-python
but when I try to import cv2 I get the following error
ImportError: DLL load failed: The specified module could not be found.
I have seen this post
It says cv2 doesn't work with python 3 I was wondering if this has been fixed or if there is a way around it
I took a lot of time to solve this error!
Run command
pip install opencv-contrib-python
You can download the latest OpenCV 3.2.0 for Python 3.6 on Windows 32-bit or 64-bit machine, look for file starts withopencv_python‑3.2.0‑cp36‑cp36m, from this unofficial site. Then type below command to install it:
pip install opencv_python‑3.2.0‑cp36‑cp36m‑win32.whl (32-bit version)
pip install opencv_python‑3.2.0‑cp36‑cp36m‑win_amd64.whl (64-bit version)
I think it would be easier.
Update on 2017-09-15:
OpenCV 3.3.0 wheel files are now available in the unofficial site and replaced OpenCV 3.2.0.
Update on 2018-02-15:
OpenCV 3.4.0 wheel files are now available in the unofficial site and replaced OpenCV 3.3.0.
Update on 2018-06-19:
OpenCV 3.4.1 wheel files are now available in the unofficial site with CPython 3.5/3.6/3.7 support, and replaced OpenCV 3.4.0.
Update on 2018-10-03:
OpenCV 3.4.3 wheel files are now available in the unofficial site with CPython 3.5/3.6/3.7 support, and replaced OpenCV 3.4.1.
Update on 2019-01-30:
OpenCV 4.0.1 wheel files are now available in the unofficial site with CPython 3.5/3.6/3.7 support.
Update on 2019-06-10:
OpenCV 3.4.6 and OpenCV 4.1.0 wheel files are now available in the unofficial site with CPython 3.5/3.6/3.7 support.
Update on 2023-02-11:
OpenCV 4.5.5 wheel files are now available in the unofficial site with CPython 3.7/3.8/3.9/3.10/3.11 support.
If you are using Anaconda with python 3.5, this is a problem in the Anaconda release. (Refer this issue)
You can fix this issue by copying python3.dll file to Anaconda3 folder (where python.exe is located)
How to get "python3.dll"
In cmd, type python --version to find whether your installation is 64-bit or 32-bit
download python 3.x embeddable zip file from here
Extract the zip file and copy python3.dll file to Anaconda3 folder
But if you can move to Anaconda with python 3.6 you will not face this issue. If it is possible for you, then it is the recommended way..
Recently I have faced the similar issue in Azure Windows Server 2012 r2 . Tried all option with and without Anaconda but none of them helped. After lot of findings I found that mfplat.dll was missing which is related to Window Media Service.
Hence you have to manually install the features so that you can get dll related to window media service.
1.Turn windows features on or off
2.Skip the roles screen and directly go to Feature screen
3.Select "Desktop Experience" under "User Interfaces and Infrastructure"
After this all required dll of media services for opencv would be available.
So if you are planning to run your code in cloud(Window Server) then please dont forget to select Desktop Experience feature.
I ran into this problem on Windows 10 (N) with a new Anaconda installation based on Python 3.7 (OpenCV version 4.0). None of the above advice helped (such as installing OpenCV from the unofficial site nor installing VC Redistributable).
I checked DLL dependencies of ...\AppData\Local\conda\conda\envs\foo\Lib\site-packages\cv2\cv2.cp37-win_amd64.pyd using dumpbin.exe according to this github issue. I noticed a library MF.dll, which I figured out belongs to Windows Media Foundation.
So I installed Media Feature Pack for N versions of Windows 10 and voilà, the issue was resolved!
After spending too much time on this issue and trying out all different answers, here is what found:
The accepted answer by #thewaywewere is no longer applicable. I think this was applicable when opencv-python module still wasn't available.
This is indeed a bug in Anaconda 4.2 because they forgot to ship python3.dll. They have fixed this in next releases but unfortunately 4.2 is the last release with Python 3.5 as default. If you are stuck with Python 3.5 (for example VS2015 is only aware of versions up to 3.5) then you must manually download python3.dll as described in answer by #Ramesh-X.
If you can move on to Python 3.6 (which at present bit difficult if you are using OpenCV and VS2015) then just install latest Anaconda version and you don't have to deal with any of these.
There are many questions on that and many suggestions. None of them helped me for the recent Opencv 3.4.16 and Python 3.6/3.7.
Finally I switched to Pyhon 2.7.15 and installed opencv 3.1.0. The DLL-problem was solved.
When I look in cv2.pyd with dependency walker, the 3.1 has no dependency to one missing dll. Opencv 3.4 has this missing dependency to this dll:
API-MS-WIN-DOWNLEVEL-SHLWAPI-L1-1-0.DLL
may be this is the problem.
P.S.: I have Win7 pofessional 64Bit, 32Bit Python 2.7.15
Frankly there are a lot of very smart and complicated answers here. Mine is dumb and simple. I deleted my conda environment, re-installed from scratch, taking pains to install opencv first. This fixed my problems. Environments are meant to be temporary and diaphanous -- don't get too attached.
So if my environment was called fubar first make sure every instance is deactivated (including any IDEs that are using it). Then remove it:
conda remove --name fubar --all
Now I simply recreate my environment and add opencv first:
conda create --name fubar
conda activate fubar
conda install opencv
And then go from there. First open python and make sure import cv2 works. Then you should be on your way. Note I always (always) install Spyder last as it tends to screw things up when I don't.
Note, if that doesn't work, we have had some cases where people have to uninstall and reinstall Anaconda, and then things worked. Obviously a last resort.
In my case a major update of Windows 10 removed some Windows packages, so other methods (reinstalling opencv etc.) did not help. To fix it, install:
a) Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015, 2017 and 2019
b) Media Feature Pack for N versions - needed only if you have Windows 10 N
Both need restart of PC.
I had the same issue when installing opencv 2.4.13 on Anaconda3 (Python 3.6)... I managed to fix this issue by reverting to Anaconda2 (Python 2.7)
this happens because the compiler or the interpreter is finding more than one package of the file, delete all the number of same package you have and then keep only one and then try to install. It serves
The issue is due to the missing python3.dll file in Anaconda3.
To fix the issue, you should simply copy the python3.dll to C:\Program Files\Anaconda3 (or wherever your Anaconda3 is installed).
You can get the python3.dll by downloading the binaries provided at the bottom of the Python's Release page and extracting the python3.dll from the ZIP file.
I had the same issue with python 3.6(Anaconda3) and OpenCV 3.4.1 for spyder to work. Even after copying cv2.pyd into Anaconda3 Users/home/Anaconda3/Lib/site-packages, it didn't work.
But found a solution
Later I installed OpenCV and Dlib on Anaconda and copied the generated cv2.cp36-win_amd64.pyd and dlib.cp36-win_amd64.pyd into Anaconda3 Users/home/Anaconda3/Lib/site-packages. These can be copied from environment folder C:\Users\home\Anaconda3\envs\opencv\Lib\site-packages.
Finally spyder started to work
I managed to get it to work by installing python 3.9.12 in a new environment (using conda), and then installing opencv in that environment. Because of my python version, opencv version 4.5.5 was installed instead of version 4.60.
(I had already updated VC2015-2022 and added the python3.dll to PATH; neither of these worked.)
I have the same problem. when I install WinPython programming, and run opencv after copy the cv2.pyd file from my opencv directory, it will be like this: C:\Users.....\Downloads\opencv\build\python\2.7\x64, x64 or x86 is depend on your 32 or 64 bit devices. and paste to C:\Users.....\Downloads\WinPython-64bit-3.5.4.1Qt5\python-3.5.4.amd64\Lib\site-packages, I prefer the previous python 3.5 than 3.6. Because when I "import cv2" installed (python 3.6) it shows directly: "ImportError: DLL load failed: The specified module could not be found"
Then I install python 3.5 and open WinPyhton Command prompt and type "pip install opencv-python".
The command prompt download opencv automatically, it shows the process like this "Successfully installed opencv-python-3.3.0.10"
Finally, I try to run open cv by type "import cv2", it works
i try to type "cv2.version", and shows: '3.3.0'
Under Winpython : the Winpython-64bit-.../python_.../DLLs directory the file cv2.pyd should be renamed to _cv2.pyd
(base) C:\WINDOWS\system32>conda install C:\Users\Todd\Downloads\opencv3-3.1.0-py35_0.tar.bz2
I ran this command from anaconda terminal after I downloaded the version from
https://anaconda.org/menpo/opencv3/files
This is the only way I could get cv2 to work and I tried everything for two days.
If this helps someone, on official python 3.6 windows docker image, to make this thing work I had to copy following libraries from my desktop:
C:\windows\system32
aepic.dll
avicap32.dll
avifil32.dll
avrt.dll
Chakra.dll
CompPkgSup.dll
CoreUIComponents.dll
cryptngc.dll
dcomp.dll
devmgr.dll
dmenterprisediagnostics.dll
dsreg.dll
edgeIso.dll
edpauditapi.dll
edputil.dll
efsadu.dll
efswrt.dll
ELSCore.dll
evr.dll
ieframe.dll
ksuser.dll
mf.dll
mfasfsrcsnk.dll
mfcore.dll
mfnetcore.dll
mfnetsrc.dll
mfplat.dll
mfreadwrite.dll
mftranscode.dll
msacm32.dll
msacm32.drv
msvfw32.dll
ngcrecovery.dll
oledlg.dll
policymanager.dll
RTWorkQ.dll
shdocvw.dll
webauthn.dll
WpAXHolder.dll
wuceffects.dll
C:\windows\SysWOW64
aepic.dll
avicap32.dll
avifil32.dll
avrt.dll
Chakra.dll
CompPkgSup.dll
CoreUIComponents.dll
cryptngc.dll
dcomp.dll
devmgr.dll
dsreg.dll
edgeIso.dll
edpauditapi.dll
edputil.dll
efsadu.dll
efswrt.dll
ELSCore.dll
evr.dll
ieframe.dll
ksuser.dll
mfasfsrcsnk.dll
mfcore.dll
mfnetcore.dll
mfnetsrc.dll
mfplat.dll
mfreadwrite.dll
mftranscode.dll
msacm32.dll
msvfw32.dll
oledlg.dll
policymanager.dll
RTWorkQ.dll
shdocvw.dll
webauthn.dll
wuceffects.dll`
Please Remember if you want to install python package/libraries for windows,
you should always consider Python unofficial Binaries
Step 1:
Search for your package, download dependent version 2.7 or 3.6 you can find it under Downloads/your_package_version.whl its called python wheel
Step 2:
Now install using pip,
pip install ~/Downloads/your_packae_ver.whl
this will install without any error.
I had the same problem and spent 3 full days wrestling with it. I tried everything suggested: upgrading pip, updating Visual C++, updating Anaconda, manually downloading files and basically every solution I could find on the web. Here's what finally worked maybe it'll help someone else:
1- I ditched Python 3 and Anaconda-based downloads since I noticed they had several problems and downloaded Python 2.7.16 64-bits instead.
2- Navigated to where Pip was located on my drive (for me the path is C:\Python27\Scripts) highlighted the path by selecting it, and typed "cmd" then enter so the Command Prompt opens on that path (I noticed skipping this usually brings about a couple errors)
3- Updated Pip using python -m pip install --upgrade pip on the CMD (again, skipping this and not updating it didn't let this procedure go through)
4- Downloaded the appropriate Wheel file from https://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/#opencv (after trying several the one that worked for me was opencv_python-2.4.13.7-cp27-cp27m-win_amd64.whl) I copy-pasted it to the same folder Pip was in (C:\Python27\Scripts for me) and then installed it through CMD using: pip install opencv_python-2.4.13.7-cp27-cp27m-win_amd64.whl. Always through CMD opened on that path as showed in step 2
5- After step 4 when I imported OpenCV using import cv2 I didn't have the DLL error anymore but an error related to numpy (since I had just installed that version of Python and so Numpy wasn't installed yet). I installed numpy by typing pip install numpy and voilà ! The problem was solved and OpenCV imported correctly.
Hope this helps someone.
In my case, I had to install an older version of openCV (windows 10, Python 3.6.8)
pip install opencv-python==3.3.0.9
This error can be caused by missing the following dll
To have this dll install:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/mediafeaturepack
as already explained above
Running python 3.8.8 from windows 10 powershell from an anaconda 4.10.1 environment I installed opencv with
conda install opencv
I could import opencv no problem when I launched python from the command line.
However, when I tried to run code from inside pydev using the python interpreter for the specific anaconda environment I had activated, pydev couldn't find whichever dll it was looking for when importing opencv.
Setting the following environment variable resolved the issue:
CONDA_DLL_SEARCH_MODIFICATION_ENABLE=1
Source: PyDev/Eclipse not loading _mklinit when run from a Conda environment
Which points to this trouble shooting description for a different library loading issue: https://docs.conda.io/projects/conda/en/latest/user-guide/troubleshooting.html#numpy-mkl-library-load-failed
If you are using a server or docker enviroment without a gui (e.g. Windows Core Server) make sure that you use the headless version of cv2:
pip install opencv-contrib-python-headless
I had the same problem, it seems openCV requires Windows Media Feature pack which is not installed on Windows 10 N by default, please install it using the following link:
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/mediafeaturepack
Windows 11 N
This a final fix for the people who don't use anaconda.
simply there are missing DLL files, that's it
download the latest version of
https://sourceforge.net/projects/opencvlibrary/
Then after you extract it search for .dll files and copy all of them and paste into C:\Windows\System32 and approve for replacing.
That's it !
Install python using:
pip install opencv-python(It will take the latest version)
Make sure opencv-python is installed in path(\Python\Python36\Lib\site-packages),
you will find cv2 folder over there.
To check the version of cv2:
import cv2
print(cv2.__version__)
I'm trying to start with OpenCV with python. I have experience c# and I have knowledge of c++. However, I feel more comfortable with python instead of c++. I installed OpenCV then python 3.4 in visual studio 2015. At the beginning I've received an error numpy, "Module couldn't be found", thankfully, I resolved it. The I got another error cv2 "Module couldn't be found" I asked an question yesterday, but I think the question has been left away. Anyways, I'm not complaining, but I still need some help please to stat with OpenCV in python.
Installing python 3.4 Successful
Installing numpy Successful
installing matpilotlib Failed
installing cv2 Failed
can anybody help me please thanks a lot.
It's very common to install Python packages through pip today (recursive acronym for pip installs packages). However, this is not that trivial under Windows.
How to install matplotlib:
Try to open a commandline and type in pip install matplotlib. If this does not work, you'll need to do some more work to get pip running. I gave a detailed answere here: Not sure how to fix this Cmd command error?.
How to install OpenCV:
The Python OpenCV DLL must be made for your version of Python and your system architecture (or, to be more specific, the architecture your Python was compiled for).
Download OpenCV for your Python version (2/3)
Try replacing the x64 version with the x86 version
There are a lot of different binaries here: http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/#opencv. Try to get the one exactly matching your Python version and System architecture and install it via pip (cp35 means CPython version 3.5 ect.).
If you have the OpenCV .whl file matching your system configuration, do pip install file.whl.
Hope this helps!
You can install matplotlib using pip (which is already installed on your machine - mentioned in your previous quesiton):
pip install matplotlib
more info:
http://matplotlib.org/faq/installing_faq.html
You may be better off using an package such as pythonxy as a start, e.g. from https://python-xy.github.io/ , instead of installing each single package manually.
I have searched quite a bit regarding this and I've tried some of these methods myself but I'm unable to work with OpenCV.So can anyone of you help me install OpenCV for python 3.5.1?
I'm using anaconda along with Pycharm in windows
Or is this not possible and i have to use python 2.7?
Thanks in advance
First you need to install Microsoft Visual C++ 2015 Redistributable, which you can download from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=53587.
Then you can download the wheel file from
http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/#opencv.
Make sure you download the file which
corresponds to your python version. For example: my python version
is 3.5 so I downloaded
opencv_python-3.2.0+contrib-cp35-cp35m-win_amd64.whl.
And install it with "pip install filename".
For anyone who would like to install OpenCV on Python 3.5.1,use this library called
opencv-contrib-python
This library works for Python 3.5.1
Quick solution for anaconda users - Go to anaconda prompt run -
conda install opencv
I don't really know how we can help you.
Because you didn't specify the OS.
As far as I know, there are many resources in answers.opencv.org.
A question similar what you asked is answered here.
For OS:Windows 10 and Python version: 3.5.1 & 3.6, this worked for me
pip install opencv-contrib-python
I use Python 3.4 through Anaconda distribution. They don't seem to have Python 3.4 bindings for OpenCV. I tried to use Cmake from the source, but to no avail.
Could anybody please help me to install OpenCV for Python 3.4.x?
conda install -c menpo opencv3
Does the trick. However you have to have anaconda installed.
There are many tutorials and questions (on SO) about this.
This seems to answer your question. Edit: Reproduced below:
1) Download OpenCV from http://opencv.org/downloads.html and extract
2)From the extracted folder, copy the file from the extracted directory:
opencv/build/python/2.7/(either x86 or x64, depending on your Anaconda
version)/cv2.pyd to your Anaconda site-packages directory, e.g.,
C:\Anaconda\Lib\site-packages
3)To get ffmpeg within opencv to work, you'll have to add the directory
that ffmpeg is located in to the path (e.g., opencv/sources/3rdparty
/ffmpeg). Then you'll have to find the dll in that folder (e.g.,
opencv_ffmpeg_64.dll) and copy or rename it to a filename that includes
the opencv version you are installing, (e.g., opencv_ffmpeg249_64) for
2.4.9.
{End Reproduction}
EDIT2: OpenCV doesn't support Python 3.x except for OpenCV version 3.0 (still experimental, in beta). Download the 3.0 version from the download site and try that.(Thanks to this question).
A SO question with a possible tip, if the previous doesn't work.
And finally, I will point you to a read the docs tutorial on how to install it.
Good luck!
This is Quite Simple way:
I recommend to use through anaconda.
Create the environment in anaconda(recommended one):
conda create -n deeplearning
Then, activate by: activate deeplearning
Now, Install opencv for python3.x of Anaconda3 as:
conda install -c https://conda.binstar.org/menpo opencv3
This will simply install opencv3 and other related libraries as: spicy, numpy, scikit-learn and matplotlib in that environment.
Check whether Opencv installed or not as:
>>> import cv2
>>> cv2.__version__
'3.1.0'
am trying desperately to get OpenCV to work on Windows 7. I download and installed it, and it didn't work, I got
ImportError: No module named opencv
when I tried to run one of the samples. I google my problem and got only random solutions that don't work. Can anybody guide me in installing it, or know where i can get a clear installation guide design for a programming noob.
As of OpenCV 2.2.0, the package name for the Python bindings is "cv".The old bindings named "opencv" are not maintained any longer. You might have to adjust your code. See http://opencv.willowgarage.com/wiki/PythonInterface.
The official OpenCV installer does not install the Python bindings into your Python directory. There should be a Python2.7 directory inside your OpenCV 2.2.0 installation directory. Copy the whole Lib folder from OpenCV\Python2.7\ to C:\Python27\ and make sure your OpenCV\bin directory is in the Windows DLL search path.
Alternatively use the opencv-python installers at http://www.lfd.uci.edu/~gohlke/pythonlibs/#opencv.
I have posted a very simple method to install OpenCV 2.4 for Python in Windows here : Install OpenCV in Windows for Python
It is just as simple as copy and paste. Hope it will be useful for future viewers.
Download Python, Numpy, OpenCV from their official sites.
Extract OpenCV (will be extracted to a folder opencv)
Copy ..\opencv\build\python\x86\2.7\cv2.pyd
Paste it in C:\Python27\Lib\site-packages
Open Python IDLE or terminal, and type
>>> import cv2
If no errors shown, it is OK.
UPDATE (Thanks to dana for this info):
If you are using the VideoCapture feature, you must copy opencv_ffmpeg.dll into your path as well. See: https://stackoverflow.com/a/11703998/1134940
I have posted an entry to setup OpenCV for Python in Windows:
http://luugiathuy.com/2011/02/setup-opencv-for-python/
Hope it helps.
Actually you can use x64 and Python 2.7. This is just not delivered in the standard OpenCV installer. If you build the libraries from the source (http://docs.opencv.org/trunk/doc/tutorials/introduction/windows_install/windows_install.html) or you use the opencv-python from cgohlke's comment, it works just fine.
download the opencv 2.2 version from https://sourceforge.net/projects/opencvlibrary/files/opencv-win/
install package.
then Copy cv2.pyd to C:/Python27/lib/site-packeges.
and it should work:
import cv2
open command prompt and run the following commands (assuming python 2.7):
cd c:\Python27\scripts\
pip install opencv-python
the above works for me for python 2.7 on windows 10 64 bit
One thing that needs to be mentioned. You have to use the x86 version of Python 2.7. OpenCV doesn't support Python x64. I banged my head on this for a bit until I figured that out.
That said, follow the steps in Abid Rahman K's answer. And as Antimony said, you'll need to do a 'from cv2 import cv'
Installing OpenCV on Windows 7 for Python 2.7