import matplotlib ImportError: DLL load failed: The specified procedure could not be found

Question

I'm using the Anaconda Python distribution: Python 2.7 x64 with Windows 7 SP1 x64 Ultimate. Today after conda update --all importing matplotlib has broken:

ImportError                               Traceback (most recent call last)
<ipython-input-4-6f467123fe04> in <module>()
----> 1 import matplotlib.pyplot

C:\Users\felagund\Anaconda\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\pyplot.py in <module>()
 27 from cycler import cycler
 28 import matplotlib
---> 29 import matplotlib.colorbar
 30 from matplotlib import style
 31 from matplotlib import _pylab_helpers, interactive

C:\Users\felagund\Anaconda\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\colorbar.py in <module>()
 34 import matplotlib.collections as collections
 35 import matplotlib.colors as colors
---> 36 import matplotlib.contour as contour
 37 import matplotlib.cm as cm
 38 import matplotlib.gridspec as gridspec

C:\Users\felagund\Anaconda\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\contour.py in <module>()
 19 import matplotlib.colors as colors
 20 import matplotlib.collections as mcoll
---> 21 import matplotlib.font_manager as font_manager
 22 import matplotlib.text as text
 23 import matplotlib.cbook as cbook

C:\Users\felagund\Anaconda\lib\site-packages\matplotlib\font_manager.py in <module>()
 56 
 57 import matplotlib
---> 58 from matplotlib import afm, cbook, ft2font, rcParams, get_cachedir
 59 from matplotlib.compat import subprocess
 60 from matplotlib.fontconfig_pattern import (

ImportError: DLL load failed: The specified procedure could not be found.

Do you have any ideas how to roll back to stable version or what to downgrade?

conda install anaconda and conda update anaconda do not change any packages. My current conda version is 4.3.30, matplotlib version is 2.1.0.

Answer 1

I got the same error. In my case it was Microsoft CNTK was the culprit. I uninstalled it and issue resolved. Platform : Windows 10 (64 Bit) Anaconda : 5 Python : 2.x