Hey there! Since you've already tried the basic troubleshooting steps (new console, restart kernel/Spyder, reset to defaults), let's dive into more targeted fixes tailored to your setup without Anaconda:

• Verify Python & Spyder Compatibility
  Spyder 3.2.6 is designed to work with Python 3.6 or 3.7. First, check your Python version by running this in your terminal/command prompt:
  python --version (or python3 --version on Linux/macOS)
  If you're using a newer Python version (3.8+), that might be the root cause—older Spyder versions don't support newer Python releases.

• Reinstall/Upgrade IPython Kernel
  Spyder relies on the ipykernel package to connect to the kernel. It might be missing or outdated. Run these commands:

  1. Install it if not present: pip install ipykernel (use pip3 if needed)
  2. Upgrade to a compatible version: pip install --upgrade ipykernel==5.3.4 (this version works well with Spyder 3.x)

• Manually Set Python Interpreter in Spyder
  Sometimes Spyder picks the wrong Python environment. Here's how to fix it:

  1. Open Spyder, go to Tools > Preferences > Python interpreter
  2. Select the "Use the following interpreter" option, then browse to your system's Python executable path (e.g., C:\Python37\python.exe on Windows, /usr/bin/python3.7 on Linux)
  3. Click "Apply" and restart Spyder

• Check for Firewall/Antivirus Interference
  Security software can block the kernel's communication with Spyder. Temporarily disable your firewall or antivirus, then try launching the IPython console again. If it works, add Spyder and your Python executable to the allowed list.

• Clean Spyder's Configuration Files
  Resetting to defaults might not clear all cached data. Manually delete the config folder:

  • Windows: Go to %APPDATA%\Spyder3 and delete the config subfolder
  • Linux/macOS: Navigate to ~/.config/spyder3 (Linux) or ~/Library/Application Support/spyder3 (macOS) and delete the config folder
    Restart Spyder after doing this.

• Launch Spyder from Command Line to Debug
  Run spyder in your terminal/command prompt. Watch the output for error messages related to kernel startup (like missing modules or permission issues). These logs will help pinpoint exactly what's going wrong.

If none of these work, consider upgrading Spyder to a newer version that's compatible with your Python setup (using pip install --upgrade spyder), but note that Spyder 4.x+ requires Python 3.6+. Just make sure to back up your Spyder preferences first!

内容的提问来源于stack exchange，提问作者Pat