# Introductory tutorial - downloading sample dataset doesn't work **URL:** \ **Category:** Support & Discussions\ **Created:** [March 16, 2023, 9:34am UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/introductory-tutorial-downloading-sample-dataset-doesnt-work/6540 "2023-03-16T09:34:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![mrboot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3d9bf3/32.png) [@mrboot](https://mne.discourse.group/u/mrboot)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2023, 9:34am UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/introductory-tutorial-downloading-sample-dataset-doesnt-work/6540/1 "2023-03-16T09:34:03Z")
MNE version 1.3.0 / Windows 10 Hi, I installed MNE via the standard Windows installer. I’m trying to follow this tutorial my locally-run Jupyter notebook: [Overview of MEG/EEG analysis with MNE-Python — MNE 1.3.1 documentation](https://mne.tools/stable/auto_tutorials/intro/10_overview.html#sphx-glr-auto-tutorials-intro-10-overview-py). It seems like MNE is properly installed because when I retrieve the MNE system info all looks fine. But when trying to load the sample dataset, I get the error below. Seems like the sample dataset can not be downloaded, and that the function to download the data is not available. How to resolve this? Thx! ```python --------------------------------------------------------------------------- ModuleNotFoundError Traceback (most recent call last) ~\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\mne\utils\check.py in _soft_import(name, purpose, strict) 276 try: --> 277 mod = importlib.import_module(name) 278 return mod ~\Anaconda3\lib\importlib\ __init__.py in import_module(name, package) 126 level += 1 --> 127 return _bootstrap._gcd_import(name[level:], package, level) 128 ~\Anaconda3\lib\importlib\_bootstrap.py in _gcd_import(name, package, level) ~\Anaconda3\lib\importlib\_bootstrap.py in _find_and_load(name, import_) ~\Anaconda3\lib\importlib\_bootstrap.py in _find_and_load_unlocked(name, import_) ModuleNotFoundError: No module named 'pooch' During handling of the above exception, another exception occurred: RuntimeError Traceback (most recent call last) in ----> 1 sample_data_folder = mne.datasets.sample.data_path() 2 sample_data_raw_file = (sample_data_folder / 'MEG' / 'sample' / 3 'sample_audvis_filt-0-40_raw.fif') 4 raw = mne.io.read_raw_fif(sample_data_raw_file) in data_path(path, force_update, update_path, download, verbose) ~\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\mne\datasets\sample\sample.py in data_path(path, force_update, update_path, download, verbose) 22 verbose=None): # noqa: D103 23 ---> 24 return _download_mne_dataset( 25 name='sample', processor='untar', path=path, 26 force_update=force_update, update_path=update_path, ~\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\mne\datasets\utils.py in _download_mne_dataset(name, processor, path, force_update, update_path, download, accept) 161 162 # import pooch library for handling the dataset downloading --> 163 pooch = _soft_import('pooch', 'dataset downloading', strict=True) 164 dataset_params = MNE_DATASETS[name] 165 dataset_params['dataset_name'] = name ~\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\mne\utils\check.py in _soft_import(name, purpose, strict) 279 except (ImportError, ModuleNotFoundError): 280 if strict: --> 281 raise RuntimeError(f'For {purpose} to work, the {name} module is ' 282 'needed, but it could not be imported.') 283 else: RuntimeError: For dataset downloading to work, the pooch module is needed, but it could not be imported. ``` ---
**Author:** ![jstout211](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/jstout211/32/180_2.png) [@jstout211](https://mne.discourse.group/u/jstout211)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2023, 1:07pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/introductory-tutorial-downloading-sample-dataset-doesnt-work/6540/2 "2023-03-16T13:07:48Z")
You can try `pip install pooch` in your terminal when in the mne conda environment. Or `!pip install pooch` in ipython (note the exclamation mark). Although this should have been installed with your install. –Jeff ---
**Author:** ![cbrnr](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/cbrnr/32/1409_2.png) [@cbrnr](https://mne.discourse.group/u/cbrnr)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2023, 1:08pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/introductory-tutorial-downloading-sample-dataset-doesnt-work/6540/3 "2023-03-16T13:08:34Z")
> [@mrboot](#): > > It seems like MNE is properly installed because when I retrieve the MNE system info all looks fine. As @jstout211 mentioned, `pooch` is missing but should indeed have been installed. Can you show the output of `mne.sys_info()`? ---
**Author:** ![richard](https://yyz2.discourse-cdn.com/free1/user_avatar/mne.discourse.group/richard/32/15_2.png) [@richard](https://mne.discourse.group/u/richard)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2023, 3:29pm UTC](https://mne.discourse.group/t/introductory-tutorial-downloading-sample-dataset-doesnt-work/6540/4 "2023-03-16T15:29:24Z")
> [@mrboot](#): > > ```python > ModuleNotFoundError Traceback (most recent call last) > ~\Anaconda3\lib\site-packages\mne\utils\check.py > > ``` This indicates that you are actually not using the MNE version that was installed via our installers. So something is going wrong here.