See the python-dev thread with the same name, at

<http://mail.python.org/pipermail/python-dev/2005-
March/051995.html>

The PATH we build, when compiling C extensions, 
keeps getting bigger until putenv() blows up.  Zope 
builds a lot of C extensions.

A simple but sane hack is adding a new:

.                if p not in self.__paths:

guard inside the:

.            for p in string.split(os.environ['path'], ';'):
.                self.__paths.append(p)

loop in 2.4.1c1's msvccompiler.py's initialize() function.

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On python-dev, AMK said:

"""
In distutils.msvccompiler:

   def __init__ (self, verbose=0, dry_run=0, force=0):
       ...
       self.initialized = False

   def compile(self, sources,
               output_dir=None, macros=None, 
include_dirs=None, debug=0,
               extra_preargs=None, extra_postargs=None, 
depends=None):

       if not self.initialized: self.initialize()
       ...

   def initialize(self):
       ... does not seem to set self.initialized to True!

I think the fix is to add 'self.initialized = True' to the
initialize() method, but can't test it (no Windows).  This fix 
should also go into 2.4.1-final, I expect.
"""

Adding that to the end of initialize() worked for me (and 
ripping out my hack).

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Assigned to me.  I'll check in Andrew's fix Friday, pending 
more testing.  (Anthony approved this plan, BTW.)

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Fixed, via AMK's suggestion:

Lib/distutils/msvccompiler.py 1.64.2.3
Misc/NEWS 1.1193.2.35

Not an issue for 2.5 (MSVCCompiler initialization is already 
OK there).