Tensorflow installation on Windows: DLL load failed while importing _pywrap_tensorflow_internal

2
votes

I ran through the TensorFlow object detection installation on Windows.

https://medium.com/riow/tensorflow-object-detection-on-windows-ad10bfde217c

After successfully installing TensorFlow object detection,

I ran following command to test, and receiving error below. How can this be fixed?

python object_detection/builders/model_builder_test.py

Error: Traceback (most recent call last): File "C:\TestImage\models\venv\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\python\pywrap_tensorflow.py", line 64, in from tensorflow.python._pywrap_tensorflow_internal import * ImportError: DLL load failed while importing pywrap_tensorflow_internal: The specified module could not be found. Traceback (most recent call last): File "object_detection/builders/model_builder_test.py", line 21, in from object_detection.builders import model_builder File "c:\testimage\models\research\object_detection\builders\model_builder.py", line 23, in from object_detection.builders import anchor_generator_builder File "c:\testimage\models\research\object_detection\builders\anchor_generator_builder.py", line 23, in from object_detection.anchor_generators import flexible_grid_anchor_generator File "c:\testimage\models\research\object_detection\anchor_generators\flexible_grid_anchor_generator.py", line 17, in import tensorflow.compat.v1 as tf File "C:\TestImage\models\venv\lib\site-packages\tensorflow_init.py", line 41, in from tensorflow.python.tools import module_util as module_util File "C:\TestImage\models\venv\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\python_init.py", line 40, in from tensorflow.python.eager import context File "C:\TestImage\models\venv\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\python\eager\context.py", line 35, in from tensorflow.python import pywrap_tfe File "C:\TestImage\models\venv\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\python\pywrap_tfe.py", line 28, in from tensorflow.python import pywrap_tensorflow File "C:\TestImage\models\venv\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\python\pywrap_tensorflow.py", line 83, in raise ImportError(msg) ImportError: Traceback (most recent call last): File "C:\TestImage\models\venv\lib\site-packages\tensorflow\python\pywrap_tensorflow.py", line 64, in from tensorflow.python._pywrap_tensorflow_internal import * ImportError: DLL load failed while importing _pywrap_tensorflow_internal: The specified module could not be found.

Currently using Python 3.8 with latest tensorflow, with tensorflow-cpu

1
pythontensorflowtensorflow2.0
Idk. I do seem to have both a /usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/tensorflow_core/python/pywrap_tensorflow.py file and a /usr/local/lib/python3.6/dist-packages/tensorflow_core/python/pywrap_tensorflow_internal.py. Best I can tell, your error is coming from the first, while looking for the second? It also looks like one or both of these are generated from something called SWIG, which I guess generates python interfaces to C/C++ classes? This looks relevant. – xdhmoore
Maybe your tensorflow didn't install correctly. Did you get any errors there? This also looks relevant – xdhmoore
Again, to link to link back to the tensorflow install instructions, there is listed a requirement there for the visual C++ redistributable, which based on the above two SO posts sounds related. Could that be it? – xdhmoore
interesting, yeah, I already installed the C++ package, so not sure, I will keep looking – mattsmith5
Here's another stab in the dark: if you installed TF w/o the C++ package and then reinstalled TF, or if you installed the C++ package afterwards, it wouldn't surprise me if TF needs that C++ package at TF install time (based on a glance at the missing module) so that it can generate the module then, for whatever that speculation is worth... – xdhmoore

1 Answers

1
votes

tldr;

You need to install the C++ redistributable mentioned on the install page before installing TensorFlow so that TensorFlow can use it to generate code at install time.

Details:

I'm not an expert but it sounds like this was key:

The pywrap_tensorflow_internal.py module you are missing appears to me to be a SWIG-generated python interface to a C++ library, or something of that nature. My guess is, that file gets generated when you install TensorFlow (it reminds me of how some Ruby gems have to compile C++ when you install them, for whatever that's worth). Since you don't have that generated file, my guess is that the C++ package mentioned on the TensorFlow install page is needed for that code generation, so you need to have the C++ package installed before installing TensorFlow.

Totally a guess, but perhaps you installed the C++ package after TF. In that case, you should be able to uninstall TF, install the C++ package, and then install TF again.

Maybe a lingering question is if there were any indicative error messages on installing TF about the missing C++ package and if not, maybe there should be.