I don't see a difference in the WinPython scripts themselves. Did you root cause what may have caused this change ?

interesting: it seems related to Python-3.8 itself

WinPython-3.7.7.1 build1

Python 3.7.7 (tags/v3.7.7:d7c567b08f, Mar 10 2020, 10:41:24) [MSC v.1900 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
>>> Type "copyright", "credits" or "license()" for more information.
>>> from spyder.config.base import get_home_dir
>>> get_home_dir()
 'C:...\\WPy64-3771b1\\settings'
>>> import spyder
>>> spyder.__version__
'4.1.2'
import os.path as osp
>>> osp.expanduser('~')
 'C:...\\WPy64-3771b1\\settings'

WinPython-3.8.2.1 build1

Python 3.8.2 (tags/v3.8.2:7b3ab59, Feb 25 2020, 23:03:10) [MSC v.1916 64 bit (AMD64)] on win32
Type "copyright", "credits" or "license()" for more information.
>>> from spyder.config.base import get_home_dir
>>> get_home_dir()
'C:\\Users\\the_user'
>>> import spyder
>>> spyder.__version__
'4.1.2'
import os.path as osp
>>> osp.expanduser('~')
'C:\\Users\\the_user'

so were up to this problem in Python-3.8 not working as dreamed:

import os.path as osp
>>> osp.expanduser('~')

... where is that code on github ? ah , ok : python-3.7.7.amd64\Lib\os.py

Well, I don't truly find why under Python-3.8 , we get a different answer for

import os.path as osp;osp.expanduser('~')

@captaindet, could you inquire this, and look for a way to get it back to beloved 3.7 behavior ?

ok, found it. Now the variable looked for is USERPROFILE, no more HOME (at first).

so if you simply tune your scripts\env.bat as follow, that should solves the issue:

from

set HOME=%WINPYDIRBASE%\settings
rem set WINPYDIRBASE=

to:

set HOME=%WINPYDIRBASE%\settings
set USERPROFILE=%HOME%
rem set WINPYDIRBASE=

it's a change in cpython in lib\pathlib.y:
pathlib.py

apparently .... it's a correction of "considered bad behavior" that has been done January 28th 2020, on python-3.8.2 and 3.9.0a5 (and NOT on Python-3.7, unchanged):

https://bugs.python.org/issue36264

python/cpython@c45a2aa

so the apparent solution is to specify USERPROFILE=%HOME%

you can try in next build, or just apply the one-liner in your current WinPython-3.8 and 3.9

thanks stonebig for figuring out the root cause so fast.

it seems like just adding
USERPROFILE = %HOME%
to the winpython.ini will do the trick already, without messing around with the env.bat.

ultimately i wanted to redirect to my folder of choice anyway, which seems to work now if winpython.ini is changed to

...
[environment]
HOME =  path-to-my-python-stuff
USERPROFILE = %HOME%
...

good remark

set USERPROFILE=%HOME% makes VSCode not starting.
same error as here electron/electron#10054 (comment)

on VScode side, to get ipywidgets it needs settings.json change:

{
"python.pythonPath": "${env:WINPYDIR}\\python.exe",
"python.dataScience.widgetScriptSources": [
"jsdelivr.com",
"unpkg.com"
],

}

so... on Python-3.8 if we set USERPROFILE=%HOME% we have to pre-create:

• %WINPYDIRBASE%\settings\AppData\Roaming
• %WINPYDIRBASE%\settings\AppData\Local
• %WINPYDIRBASE%\settings\AppData\LocalLow

Otherwise VScode (Electron.js) blows-up

I don't dare setting USERPROFILE=%HOME% per default, as too much things then goes there.

But the option is just for you to un-comment the line on env.bat

as %WINPYDIRBASE%\settings\AppData\settings\Roaming is created, VSCode won't blow up like in electron/electron#10054 (comment)

there is also the scripts that we may invert the names, that can be of use or reworked later:

• make_working_directory_be_not_winpython.bat
• make_working_directory_be_winpython.bat

The problem is when Extracting the EXE (Installers) there is no configuration files in the Settings folder.
Where are they?

Is there a way to have the exact same experience with 3.8.3 as with previous releases?

So the reason that happened it is because you turn on the state and the wind python initiative files (winoython.ini) don't enabled the STATE, just let as it is or you can change the user profile to winpydirbase