Can't get stable-diffusion-webui to finish its installtion

[Zafflower]

Can't get stable-diffusion-webui installation to complete. I have python 3.10.6. Every attempt at running web-user.bat fails with the error message, "no module named pkg_resources'. I have deleted and rebuilt venv and downgraded setuptools to v81; I have installed setuptools seperately; I have tried reinstalling stable-diffusion-webui.

I want to get stable-diffusion-webui automatic 1111 working because I want install and use Deforum -- an old program I love. There is a discussion of the same problem in the General forum, but it doesn't look like the issue was resolved there.
https://github.com/AUTOMATIC1111/stable-diffusion-webui/discussions/17304
I am also trying to get Deforum installed in ComfyUI but have not succeeded there yet either. Any help will be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Zaffer

[sageliebi-maker]

Hello,
I need an error report from your command prompt.
...then I can help you.

[Zafflower]

Hi Sageliebi-maker,
Thanks for getting back to me. Here's the whole printout from the monitor:

`venv "G:\GenAI\stable-diffusion-webui\stable-diffusion-webui\venv\Scripts\Python.exe"
Python 3.10.6 (tags/v3.10.6:9c7b4bd, Aug 1 2022, 21:53:49) [MSC v.1932 64 bit (AMD64)]
Version: v1.10.1
Commit hash: 82a973c
Installing clip
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "G:\GenAI\stable-diffusion-webui\stable-diffusion-webui\launch.py", line 48, in
main()
File "G:\GenAI\stable-diffusion-webui\stable-diffusion-webui\launch.py", line 39, in main
prepare_environment()
File "G:\GenAI\stable-diffusion-webui\stable-diffusion-webui\modules\launch_utils.py", line 394, in prepare_environment
run_pip(f"install {clip_package}", "clip")
File "G:\GenAI\stable-diffusion-webui\stable-diffusion-webui\modules\launch_utils.py", line 144, in run_pip
return run(f'"{python}" -m pip {command} --prefer-binary{index_url_line}', desc=f"Installing {desc}", errdesc=f"Couldn't install {desc}", live=live)
File "G:\GenAI\stable-diffusion-webui\stable-diffusion-webui\modules\launch_utils.py", line 116, in run
raise RuntimeError("\n".join(error_bits))
RuntimeError: Couldn't install clip.
Command: "G:\GenAI\stable-diffusion-webui\stable-diffusion-webui\venv\Scripts\python.exe" -m pip install https://github.com/openai/CLIP/archive/d50d76daa670286dd6cacf3bcd80b5e4823fc8e1.zip --prefer-binary
Error code: 1
stdout: Collecting https://github.com/openai/CLIP/archive/d50d76daa670286dd6cacf3bcd80b5e4823fc8e1.zip
Using cached https://github.com/openai/CLIP/archive/d50d76daa670286dd6cacf3bcd80b5e4823fc8e1.zip (4.3 MB)
Installing build dependencies: started
Installing build dependencies: finished with status 'done'
Getting requirements to build wheel: started
Getting requirements to build wheel: finished with status 'error'

stderr: error: subprocess-exited-with-error

Getting requirements to build wheel did not run successfully.
exit code: 1

[17 lines of output]
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "G:\GenAI\stable-diffusion-webui\stable-diffusion-webui\venv\lib\site-packages\pip_vendor\pyproject_hooks_in_process_in_process.py", line 389, in
main()
File "G:\GenAI\stable-diffusion-webui\stable-diffusion-webui\venv\lib\site-packages\pip_vendor\pyproject_hooks_in_process_in_process.py", line 373, in main
json_out["return_val"] = hook(**hook_input["kwargs"])
File "G:\GenAI\stable-diffusion-webui\stable-diffusion-webui\venv\lib\site-packages\pip_vendor\pyproject_hooks_in_process_in_process.py", line 143, in get_requires_for_build_wheel
return hook(config_settings)
File "C:\Users\Barbara\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-n7xwgh85\overlay\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\build_meta.py", line 333, in get_requires_for_build_wheel
return self._get_build_requires(config_settings, requirements=[])
File "C:\Users\Barbara\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-n7xwgh85\overlay\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\build_meta.py", line 301, in _get_build_requires
self.run_setup()
File "C:\Users\Barbara\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-n7xwgh85\overlay\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\build_meta.py", line 520, in run_setup
super().run_setup(setup_script=setup_script)
File "C:\Users\Barbara\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-n7xwgh85\overlay\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\build_meta.py", line 317, in run_setup
exec(code, locals())
File "", line 3, in
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pkg_resources'
[end of output]

note: This error originates from a subprocess, and is likely not a problem with pip.
ERROR: Failed to build 'https://github.com/openai/CLIP/archive/d50d76daa670286dd6cacf3bcd80b5e4823fc8e1.zip' when getting requirements to build wheel

Press any key to continue . . .`

[rahullpostman]

same error

[sageliebi-maker]

This is basically the same root problem again, just showing up in a slightly different way.
Key error now: ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pkg_resources'

pkg_resources is part of setuptools.
So this confirms 100%: your venv’s setuptools is broken or missing.

Fix (for THIS environment)

1. Run this exact command
   G:\GenAI\stable-diffusion-webui\stable-diffusion-webui\venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install --upgrade --force-reinstall setuptools wheel pip

2. Then install pkg_resources explicitly (just to be safe)

G:\GenAI\stable-diffusion-webui\stable-diffusion-webui\venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install pkg_resources

(Even though it’s bundled, this forces it to exist properly.)

3. Start WebUI again

webui-user.bat

If it STILL fails (recommended clean fix)

Honestly, when setuptools breaks inside a venv, the cleanest solution is:
Delete and rebuild the venv
Delete this folder: G:\GenAI\stable-diffusion-webui\stable-diffusion-webui\venv

then run:
webui-user.bat

Stable Diffusion will:
recreate the venv
reinstall everything cleanly

Why this keeps happening

Both CLIP and open_clip install from GitHub (not PyPI wheels)
That means they must be built locally
Your environment is missing:
setuptools
or its internal module pkg_resources

This often happens if:
pip was interrupted
antivirus interfered
or partial installs occurred

[vVHattoriVv]

Hello, I have the same problem. Deleting \stable-diffusion-webui\venv and reinstalling doesn't help. When I try to install pkg_resources manually, I get the following error:
E:\StableDiff\venv\Scripts> python.exe -m pip install pkg_resources
ERROR: Could not find a version that satisfies the requirement pkg_resources (from versions: none)
ERROR: No matching distribution found for pkg_resources

[sageliebi-maker]

Reinstall setuptools correctly
Run:
E:\StableDiff\venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install --upgrade --force-reinstall setuptools

Also reinstall wheel + pip (important for builds)
E:\StableDiff\venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install --upgrade --force-reinstall pip wheel

Verify it works
Run:
E:\StableDiff\venv\Scripts\python.exe
Then inside Python:
import pkg_resources
print("OK")

If that prints OK, you're fixed

GL

[MadQil05]

I do every step and it do the same. it just keep installing clip

venv "venv\Scripts\Python.exe"
Python 3.10.6 (tags/v3.10.6:9c7b4bd, Aug 1 2022, 21:53:49) [MSC v.1932 64 bit (AMD64)]
Version: v1.10.1
Commit hash: 82a973c
Installing clip
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Users\Aqil-\stable diffusion\stable-diffusion-webui\launch.py", line 48, in
main()
File "C:\Users\Aqil-\stable diffusion\stable-diffusion-webui\launch.py", line 39, in main
prepare_environment()
File "C:\Users\Aqil-\stable diffusion\stable-diffusion-webui\modules\launch_utils.py", line 394, in prepare_environment
run_pip(f"install {clip_package}", "clip")
File "C:\Users\Aqil-\stable diffusion\stable-diffusion-webui\modules\launch_utils.py", line 144, in run_pip
return run(f'"{python}" -m pip {command} --prefer-binary{index_url_line}', desc=f"Installing {desc}", errdesc=f"Couldn't install {desc}", live=live)
File "C:\Users\Aqil-\stable diffusion\stable-diffusion-webui\modules\launch_utils.py", line 116, in run
raise RuntimeError("\n".join(error_bits))
RuntimeError: Couldn't install clip.
Command: "C:\Users\Aqil-\stable diffusion\stable-diffusion-webui\venv\Scripts\python.exe" -m pip install https://github.com/openai/CLIP/archive/d50d76daa670286dd6cacf3bcd80b5e4823fc8e1.zip --prefer-binary
Error code: 1
stdout: Collecting https://github.com/openai/CLIP/archive/d50d76daa670286dd6cacf3bcd80b5e4823fc8e1.zip
Using cached d50d76daa670286dd6cacf3bcd80b5e4823fc8e1.zip (4.3 MB)
Installing build dependencies: started
Installing build dependencies: finished with status 'done'
Getting requirements to build wheel: started
Getting requirements to build wheel: finished with status 'error'

stderr: error: subprocess-exited-with-error

Getting requirements to build wheel did not run successfully.
exit code: 1

[17 lines of output]
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "C:\Users\Aqil-\stable diffusion\stable-diffusion-webui\venv\lib\site-packages\pip_vendor\pyproject_hooks_in_process_in_process.py", line 389, in
main()
File "C:\Users\Aqil-\stable diffusion\stable-diffusion-webui\venv\lib\site-packages\pip_vendor\pyproject_hooks_in_process_in_process.py", line 373, in main
json_out["return_val"] = hook(**hook_input["kwargs"])
File "C:\Users\Aqil-\stable diffusion\stable-diffusion-webui\venv\lib\site-packages\pip_vendor\pyproject_hooks_in_process_in_process.py", line 143, in get_requires_for_build_wheel
return hook(config_settings)
File "C:\Users\Aqil-\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-m4u1nd96\overlay\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\build_meta.py", line 333, in get_requires_for_build_wheel
return self._get_build_requires(config_settings, requirements=[])
File "C:\Users\Aqil-\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-m4u1nd96\overlay\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\build_meta.py", line 301, in _get_build_requires
self.run_setup()
File "C:\Users\Aqil-\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-m4u1nd96\overlay\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\build_meta.py", line 520, in run_setup
super().run_setup(setup_script=setup_script)
File "C:\Users\Aqil-\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-m4u1nd96\overlay\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\build_meta.py", line 317, in run_setup
exec(code, locals())
File "", line 3, in
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pkg_resources'
[end of output]

note: This error originates from a subprocess, and is likely not a problem with pip.
ERROR: Failed to build 'https://github.com/openai/CLIP/archive/d50d76daa670286dd6cacf3bcd80b5e4823fc8e1.zip' when getting requirements to build wheel

Press any key to continue . . .

[sageliebi-maker]

The actual error is this:
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pkg_resources'

pkg_resources is part of setuptools. This usually means that setuptools is missing, corrupted, or incompatible in your virtual environment.

Solution 1: Reinstall setuptools in the venv

Open a Command Prompt in your stable-diffusion-webui folder and run:

venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools wheel

After it finishes, try starting the WebUI again:

webui-user.bat

Solution 2: Recreate the virtual environment

If the command above fails, delete the entire virtual environment:

rmdir /s /q venv

Then start the WebUI again:

webui-user.bat

Automatic1111 will create a fresh virtual environment and reinstall all required packages.

Solution 3: Install a known stable setuptools version

Sometimes newer versions of setuptools can cause issues with older WebUI releases. Try:

venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install setuptools==69.5.1

Then install wheel:

venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip install wheel

After that, run:

webui-user.bat

Additional observation

Your WebUI version:

Version: v1.10.1
Commit hash: 82a973c

is somewhat outdated. If recreating the virtual environment doesn't fix the problem, consider updating the repository:

git pull

and then launch the WebUI again.

To diagnose the issue more precisely, please run these commands and share the output:

venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip list

and

venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip --version

This will help determine whether the virtual environment is corrupted or if only setuptools is missing.

[stableartaistudio]

this issue is how the scripts your running from the package; they are no longer public so some areas break; there are a few ways to get it installed w/o errors. Are you still having issues?

[poolguyga]

I am having the same exact issues as above even after following the help provided. if it helps

stderr: error: subprocess-exited-with-error

Getting requirements to build wheel did not run successfully.
exit code: 1

[17 lines of output]
Traceback (most recent call last):
File "I:\stable-diffusion-webui-binary\stable-diffusion-webui-1.10.1\venv\lib\site-packages\pip_vendor\pyproject_hooks_in_process_in_process.py", line 389, in
main()
File "I:\stable-diffusion-webui-binary\stable-diffusion-webui-1.10.1\venv\lib\site-packages\pip_vendor\pyproject_hooks_in_process_in_process.py", line 373, in main
json_out["return_val"] = hook(**hook_input["kwargs"])
File "I:\stable-diffusion-webui-binary\stable-diffusion-webui-1.10.1\venv\lib\site-packages\pip_vendor\pyproject_hooks_in_process_in_process.py", line 143, in get_requires_for_build_wheel
return hook(config_settings)
File "C:\Users\mrdea\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-flkeohtt\overlay\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\build_meta.py", line 333, in get_requires_for_build_wheel
return self._get_build_requires(config_settings, requirements=[])
File "C:\Users\mrdea\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-flkeohtt\overlay\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\build_meta.py", line 301, in _get_build_requires
self.run_setup()
File "C:\Users\mrdea\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-flkeohtt\overlay\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\build_meta.py", line 520, in run_setup
super().run_setup(setup_script=setup_script)
File "C:\Users\mrdea\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-build-env-flkeohtt\overlay\Lib\site-packages\setuptools\build_meta.py", line 317, in run_setup
exec(code, locals())
File "", line 3, in
ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pkg_resources'
[end of output]

note: This error originates from a subprocess, and is likely not a problem with pip.
ERROR: Failed to build 'https://github.com/openai/CLIP/archive/d50d76daa670286dd6cacf3bcd80b5e4823fc8e1.zip' when getting requirements to build wheel

Press any key to continue . . .
(venv) I:\stable-diffusion-webui-binary\stable-diffusion-webui-1.10.1>venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip list
Package Version

---

certifi 2026.6.17
charset-normalizer 3.4.7
filelock 3.29.5
fsspec 2026.6.0
idna 3.18
Jinja2 3.1.6
MarkupSafe 3.0.3
mpmath 1.3.0
networkx 3.4.2
numpy 2.2.6
packaging 26.2
pillow 12.3.0
pip 26.1.2
requests 2.34.2
setuptools 69.5.1
sympy 1.14.0
torch 2.1.2+cu121
torchvision 0.16.2+cu121
typing_extensions 4.16.0
urllib3 2.7.0
wheel 0.47.0

(venv) I:\stable-diffusion-webui-binary\stable-diffusion-webui-1.10.1>venv\Scripts\python.exe -m pip --version
pip 26.1.2 from I:\stable-diffusion-webui-binary\stable-diffusion-webui-1.10.1\venv\lib\site-packages\pip (python 3.10)