virtualenv: Windows embeddable throws FileNotFoundError

Issue

Using the latest (20.15.0) version of virtualenv together with python 3.9 Windows embeddable package throws a FileNotFoundError if calling any module code e.g. python.exe -m virtualenv testEnv.

While following the issue Windows embedable support #1774 and the depending MR Windows embedable support i though it should now be possible to create and handle any venv with a windows embeddable python, but after proceeding the mentioned steps i was still not able to use the virtualenv module. Am i missing any step?

I unzipped the embedded package: https://www.python.org/ftp/python/3.9.13/python-3.9.13-embed-amd64.zip Then I run the get-pip.py: https://bootstrap.pypa.io/get-pip.py Then I uncomment in python39._pth the import statement. Then I add some path to PATH env variable. (add path to python.exe and pip.exe) Then I run pip install virtualenv. Then I tried to call python.exe -m virtualenv testEnv

Note: the unzipped python folder does not contain any DLLs subfolder.

(Tested with latest python 3.9 and 3.10.)

Environment

Provide at least:

• OS:

C:\Users\tester\Downloads\python-3.9.13-embed-amd64>systeminfo

Host Name:                 WIN10
OS Name:                   Microsoft Windows 10 Home
OS Version:                10.0.19043 N/A Build 19043
OS Manufacturer:           Microsoft Corporation
...

• pip list of the host python where virtualenv is installed:

C:\Users\tester\Downloads\python-3.9.13-embed-amd64>python -m pip list
Package      Version
------------ -------
distlib      0.3.4
filelock     3.7.1
pip          22.1.2
platformdirs 2.5.2
setuptools   62.6.0
six          1.16.0
virtualenv   20.15.0
wheel        0.37.1

Output of the virtual environment creation

Make sure to run the creation with -vvv --with-traceback:

C:\Users\tester\Downloads\python-3.9.13-embed-amd64>python.exe -m virtualenv testENV --vvv --with-traceback
Traceback (most recent call last):
  File "runpy.py", line 197, in _run_module_as_main
  File "runpy.py", line 87, in _run_code
  File "C:\Users\tester\Downloads\python-3.9.13-embed-amd64\lib\site-packages\virtualenv\__main__.py", line 80, in <module>
    run_with_catch()  # pragma: no cov
  File "C:\Users\tester\Downloads\python-3.9.13-embed-amd64\lib\site-packages\virtualenv\__main__.py", line 65, in run_with_catch
    run(args, options, env)
  File "C:\Users\tester\Downloads\python-3.9.13-embed-amd64\lib\site-packages\virtualenv\__main__.py", line 18, in run
    session = cli_run(args, options, env)
  File "C:\Users\tester\Downloads\python-3.9.13-embed-amd64\lib\site-packages\virtualenv\run\__init__.py", line 30, in cli_run
    of_session = session_via_cli(args, options, setup_logging, env)
  File "C:\Users\tester\Downloads\python-3.9.13-embed-amd64\lib\site-packages\virtualenv\run\__init__.py", line 48, in session_via_cli
    parser, elements = build_parser(args, options, setup_logging, env)
  File "C:\Users\tester\Downloads\python-3.9.13-embed-amd64\lib\site-packages\virtualenv\run\__init__.py", line 74, in build_parser
    CreatorSelector(interpreter, parser),
  File "C:\Users\tester\Downloads\python-3.9.13-embed-amd64\lib\site-packages\virtualenv\run\plugin\creators.py", line 15, in __init__
    creators, self.key_to_meta, self.describe, self.builtin_key = self.for_interpreter(interpreter)
  File "C:\Users\tester\Downloads\python-3.9.13-embed-amd64\lib\site-packages\virtualenv\run\plugin\creators.py", line 25, in for_interpreter
    meta = creator_class.can_create(interpreter)
  File "C:\Users\tester\Downloads\python-3.9.13-embed-amd64\lib\site-packages\virtualenv\create\via_global_ref\builtin\via_global_self_do.py", line 34, in can_create
    cls._sources_can_be_applied(interpreter, meta)
  File "C:\Users\tester\Downloads\python-3.9.13-embed-amd64\lib\site-packages\virtualenv\create\via_global_ref\builtin\via_global_self_do.py", line 39, in _sources_can_be_applied
    for src in cls.sources(interpreter):
  File "C:\Users\tester\Downloads\python-3.9.13-embed-amd64\lib\site-packages\virtualenv\create\via_global_ref\builtin\cpython\cpython3.py", line 67, in sources
    for ref in refs:
  File "C:\Users\tester\Downloads\python-3.9.13-embed-amd64\lib\site-packages\virtualenv\create\via_global_ref\builtin\cpython\cpython3.py", line 98, in dll_and_pyd
    for file in folder.iterdir():
  File "pathlib.py", line 1160, in iterdir
FileNotFoundError: [WinError 3] The system cannot find the path specified: 'C:\\Users\\tester\\Downloads\\python-3.9.13-embed-amd64\\DLLs'