Update: Comments point out that the instructions here may be dangerous. Consider using the Visual C++ 2008 Express edition or the purpose-built Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler for Python (details) and NOT using the original answer below. Original error message means the required version of Visual C++ is not installed.
For Windows installations:
While running setup.py for package installations, Python 2.7 searches for an installed Visual Studio 2008. You can trick Python to use a newer Visual Studio by setting the correct path in VS90COMNTOOLS environment variable before calling setup.py.
Execute the following command based on the version of Visual Studio installed:
Visual Studio 2010 (VS10): SET VS90COMNTOOLS=%VS100COMNTOOLS%
Visual Studio 2012 (VS11): SET VS90COMNTOOLS=%VS110COMNTOOLS%
Visual Studio 2013 (VS12): SET VS90COMNTOOLS=%VS120COMNTOOLS%
Visual Studio 2015 (VS14): SET VS90COMNTOOLS=%VS140COMNTOOLS%
WARNING: As noted below, this answer is unlikely to work if you are trying to compile python modules.
See Building lxml for Python 2.7 on Windows for details.
I found the solution.
I had the exact same problem, and error, installing ‘amara’. I had mingw32 installed, but distutils needed to be configured.
I have Python 2.6 that was already installed.
I installed mingw32 to C:programsmingw
Add mingw32’s bin directory to your environment variable: append c:programsMinGWbin; to the PATH
Edit (create if not existing) distutils.cfg file located at C:Python26Libdistutilsdistutils.cfg to be:
[build]
compiler=mingw32
Now run easy_install.exe amara.
Make sure environment is set by opening a new cmd.exe.