fixes

owpengram-server.bat

@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ if errorlevel 1 (
 )
 
 rem --- Python -------------------------------------------------------------
+rem Just checking "where" isn't enough: on Windows, python.exe / python3.exe
+rem can resolve to the Microsoft Store app-execution-alias stub, which sits
+rem on PATH but fails as soon as it's actually run instead of launching real
+rem Python. Confirm each candidate's --version actually succeeds too.
 set "PYTHON="
 where py >nul 2>&1
 if not errorlevel 1 (
@@ -30,7 +34,10 @@ if not errorlevel 1 (
 )
 if not defined PYTHON (
   where python >nul 2>&1
+  if not errorlevel 1 (
+    python --version >nul 2>&1
     if not errorlevel 1 set "PYTHON=python"
+  )
 )
 
 if not defined PYTHON (

owpengram-server.sh

@@ -24,12 +24,20 @@ else
 fi
 
 # --- Python ---------------------------------------------------------------
+# Just checking `command -v` isn't enough: on Windows, `python3` (and
+# sometimes `python`) can resolve to the Microsoft Store app-execution-alias
+# stub, which exists on PATH but fails as soon as it's actually run instead
+# of launching real Python. Validate the version output too.
 PYTHON=""
+PYTHON_VERSION=""
 for cand in python3 python; do
   if command -v "$cand" >/dev/null 2>&1; then
+    if VER_OUT="$("$cand" --version 2>&1)" && [[ "$VER_OUT" == Python\ 3* ]]; then
       PYTHON="$cand"
+      PYTHON_VERSION="$VER_OUT"
       break
     fi
+  fi
 done
 
 if [[ -z "$PYTHON" ]]; then
@@ -37,7 +45,7 @@ if [[ -z "$PYTHON" ]]; then
   echo "       Install it from: https://www.python.org/downloads/"
   PROBLEMS=1
 else
-  ok "Python found: $("$PYTHON" --version 2>&1) (${PYTHON})"
+  ok "Python found: ${PYTHON_VERSION} (${PYTHON})"
 fi
 
 # --- Python dependencies ----------------------------------------------------