ERROR: Could not build wheels for PyGObject, which is required to install pyproject.toml-based projects

Question

So I've been trying to install the PyGObject library but it keeps giving me this error while building the wheel:

    gi\gimodule.c: fatal error C1083: Cannot open include file: 'msvc_recommended_pragmas.h': No such file or directory
      error: command 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Visual Studio\\2022\\BuildTools\\VC\\Tools\\MSVC\\14.35.32215\\bin\\HostX86\\x64\\cl.exe' failed with exit code 2
      [end of output]

  note: This error originates from a subprocess, and is likely not a problem with pip.
  ERROR: Failed building wheel for PyGObject
Failed to build PyGObject
ERROR: Could not build wheels for PyGObject, which is required to install pyproject.toml-based projects

I've installed gtk3 and gtk4 and also checked in the actual directories and the 'msvc_recommended_pragmas.h' file exists, I even added the directory containing the file to the system variables path and running the command line with admin privileges incase it was a permissions issue, nothing seems to work.

A little more of the error for info:

 building 'gi._gi' extension
      creating build\temp.win-amd64-cpython-310
      creating build\temp.win-amd64-cpython-310\Release
      creating build\temp.win-amd64-cpython-310\Release\gi
      "C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.35.32215\bin\HostX86\x64\cl.exe" /c /nologo /O2 /W3 /GL /DNDEBUG /MD -DPY_SSIZE_T_CLEAN -IC:\Users\vibha\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-yehnxbt1\pygobject_f040809a65874c25ad61265906443b90 -IC:\Users\vibha\AppData\Local\Temp\pip-install-yehnxbt1\pygobject_f040809a65874c25ad61265906443b90\gi -IC:\Users\vibha\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\include -IC:\Users\vibha\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python310\Include "-IC:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.35.32215\include" "-IC:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.35.32215\ATLMFC\include" "-IC:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\VC\Auxiliary\VS\include" "-IC:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\include\10.0.22000.0\ucrt" "-IC:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\\include\10.0.22000.0\\um" "-IC:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\\include\10.0.22000.0\\shared" "-IC:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\\include\10.0.22000.0\\winrt" "-IC:\Program Files (x86)\Windows Kits\10\\include\10.0.22000.0\\cppwinrt" -Imsvc_recommended_pragmas.h /Tcgi\gimodule.c /Fobuild\temp.win-amd64-cpython-310\Release\gi\gimodule.obj -FImsvc_recommended_pragmas.h
      gimodule.c
      gi\gimodule.c: fatal error C1083: Cannot open include file: 'msvc_recommended_pragmas.h': No such file or directory
      error: command 'C:\\Program Files (x86)\\Microsoft Visual Studio\\2022\\BuildTools\\VC\\Tools\\MSVC\\14.35.32215\\bin\\HostX86\\x64\\cl.exe' failed with exit code 2
      [end of output]

  note: This error originates from a subprocess, and is likely not a problem with pip.
  ERROR: Failed building wheel for PyGObject
Failed to build PyGObject
ERROR: Could not build wheels for PyGObject, which is required to install pyproject.toml-based projects

Answer 1

The only accepted answer:

It's actually impossible to use PyGObject on Windows if you are mere mortal.

The best way: just use Python via WSL and everything magically works. Any other errors you encounter will be solved by sudo apt install something

Answer 2

I came across a similar issue before.

1. Install a Binary Distribution of PyGObject

   pip install pygobject-binary
   

2. Check your PATH: Make sure that the directory containing cl.exe is in your PATH. To add, use this:

   set PATH=%PATH%;"C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio\2022\BuildTools\VC\Tools\MSVC\14.35.32215\bin\HostX86\x64"
   

   Set the path to the location where cl.exe is on your machine.

Now try to install PyGObject again.