apt fails upgrading or removing python package

[maphew]

The standalone apt.exe loads the python dll located in the same directory as itself even though it has the dll packaged internally. Consequently the in-use file cannot be deleted and replaced.

Workaround: copy apt.exe to a different location and run from there.

Error:

C:\>which apt
B:\o4w\bin\apt.EXE

C:\>apt remove python
removing python 2.7.2-2
removed: B:\o4w\apps\Python27\tcl\tcl8.5\package.tcl
...
removed: B:\o4w\bin\python.exe
removed: B:\o4w\bin\w9xpopen.exe
removed: B:\o4w\bin\pythonw.exe
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "<string>", line 1043, in <module>
  File "<string>", line 238, in remove
  File "<string>", line 453, in do_uninstall
WindowsError: [Error 5] Access is denied: 'B:\\o4w\\bin\\python27.dll'

Workaround:

C:\>copy b:\o4w\bin\apt.exe D:\

C:\>D:\apt.exe remove python
removing python 2.7.2-2
warning: B:\o4w\apps\Python27\tcl\tcl8.5\package.tcl no such file
...
removed: B:\o4w\bin\python27.dll
removed: B:\o4w\etc\ini\python.bat

[maphew]

Possible solutions:

a) Always run apt.exe from %temp%. All this would take is changing apt.bat a little. Drawback is never knowing when %temp% will get cleaned out. If frequent, apt's startup time will be lengthier as the .exe get's recopied before loading.

b) Repackage apt.exe install location from .\bin to .\apps\apt.

c) talk to pyInstaller folks and see if there is a flag or something to force the .exe to use the internal .dll no matter what.