# How to run a project with a specific virtual environment
**URL:** https://discuss.python.org/t/how-to-run-a-project-with-a-specific-virtual-environment/54209
**Category:** Python Help
**Created:** [May 25, 2024, 10:37am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/how-to-run-a-project-with-a-specific-virtual-environment/54209 "2024-05-25T10:37:40Z")
**Posts on this page:** 6
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@PanHo](https://discuss.python.org/u/PanHo)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2024, 10:37am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/how-to-run-a-project-with-a-specific-virtual-environment/54209/1 "2024-05-25T10:37:40Z")
Hi,
i have 2 projects with their own virtual environment. the ide is visual studio. OS is win11
c:\dir1\main1.py
c:\dir2\main2.py
running within VS the code runs without issues.
within cmd i run
py c:\dir1\main1.py
this will fire py.exe from the global environment according to the path settings.
in main1.py i have a
from bs4 import BeautifulSoup
bs4 is in the VE but not in the GE. So i get an error that bs4 is not found.
main1.py and main2.py is called from excel-VBA with shell()
So i can i run main1 and main2 ?
Thanks in advance
---
### Author:  [@FelixLeg](https://discuss.python.org/u/FelixLeg)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2024, 10:49am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/how-to-run-a-project-with-a-specific-virtual-environment/54209/2 "2024-05-25T10:49:03Z")
Well, this may be complicated. I know nothing about VBA, but I suspect `shell()` doesn’t store a _state_ so you can’t switch to an venv and execute your script _in one line_. ☹
There are 2 ideas that came into my mind right now:
- Install `BeautifulSoup` in GE too, or
- Make an small `.bat` or `PowerShell` script, where you put all necessary commands to set up the venv and run your python script, and _call that file_ from your `shell()`
---
### Author:  [@PanHo](https://discuss.python.org/u/PanHo)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2024, 11:51am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/how-to-run-a-project-with-a-specific-virtual-environment/54209/3 "2024-05-25T11:51:35Z")
thanks for the quick reply
With shell() i can run a batchfile
my batchfile so far:
(path)\python.exe -m venv c:\dir1\VirtualEnvironmentSFM
(path)\python.exe c:\dir1\main1.py
i get : ModuleNotFoundError: No module named ‘bs4’
what should the batchfile look like?
---
### Author:  [@FelixLeg](https://discuss.python.org/u/FelixLeg)
#### Post date: [May 25, 2024, 11:56am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/how-to-run-a-project-with-a-specific-virtual-environment/54209/4 "2024-05-25T11:56:10Z")
> [@PanHo](#):
>
> (path)\python.exe -m venv c:\dir1\VirtualEnvironmentSFM
This _creates_ a new venv everytime it is called. You rather need to run an _activation_ code from your venv. I’m not sure if this is the same on Windows, but when I create a new venv I need to `cd bin/` and run `activate` from there (on Windows probably there is an equivalent `.bat` script for this).
---
### Author:  [@cameron](https://discuss.python.org/u/cameron)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2024, 12:58am UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/how-to-run-a-project-with-a-specific-virtual-environment/54209/5 "2024-05-26T00:58:16Z")
You should not need to cd to source `activate` AIUI. But better, you
don’t even need to source the `activate` script, which is a convenience
thing for people’s sheels. I never use it.
Instead, it is enough to use the `python` command from inside the venv
to run the script. Example:
```
/path/to/venv/bin/python your_script.py
```
will run the script using a Python which uses the venv.
I haven’t tried any of this on Windows, but I expect it to be the same.
So I’d expect a batch file which went:
```
c:\dir1\VirtualEnvironmentSFM\bin\python c:\dir1\main1.py
```
should do the trick just fine, _after_ the OP has installed `bs4` into
the venv.
---
### Author:  [@PanHo](https://discuss.python.org/u/PanHo)
#### Post date: [May 26, 2024, 2:59pm UTC](https://discuss.python.org/t/how-to-run-a-project-with-a-specific-virtual-environment/54209/6 "2024-05-26T14:59:47Z")
Cameron,
Thank you. That works!!