diff --git a/contrib/packaging/inno/readme.rst b/contrib/packaging/inno/readme.rst
--- a/contrib/packaging/inno/readme.rst
+++ b/contrib/packaging/inno/readme.rst
@@ -5,52 +5,35 @@ Building the Inno installer requires a W
 
 The following system dependencies must be installed:
 
-* Python 2.7 (download from https://www.python.org/downloads/)
-* Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler for Python 2.7
-  (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=44266)
 * Inno Setup (http://jrsoftware.org/isdl.php) version 5.4 or newer.
   Be sure to install the optional Inno Setup Preprocessor feature,
   which is required.
-* Python 3.5+ (to run the ``packaging.py`` script)
+* Python 3.6+ (to run the ``packaging.py`` script)
 
 Building
 ========
 
-The ``packaging.py`` script automates the process of producing an
-Inno installer. It manages fetching and configuring the
-non-system dependencies (such as py2exe, gettext, and various
-Python packages).
-
-The script requires an activated ``Visual C++ 2008`` command prompt.
-A shortcut to such a prompt was installed with ``Microsoft Visual C++
-Compiler for Python 2.7``. From your Start Menu, look for
-``Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler Package for Python 2.7`` then launch
-either ``Visual C++ 2008 32-bit Command Prompt`` or
-``Visual C++ 2008 64-bit Command Prompt``.
+The ``packaging.py`` script automates the process of producing an Inno
+installer. It manages fetching and configuring non-system dependencies
+(such as gettext, and various Python packages).  It can be run from a
+basic cmd.exe Window (i.e. activating the MSBuildTools environment is
+not required).
 
 From the prompt, change to the Mercurial source directory. e.g.
 ``cd c:\src\hg``.
 
-Next, invoke ``packaging.py`` to produce an Inno installer. You will
-need to supply the path to the Python interpreter to use.::
+Next, invoke ``packaging.py`` to produce an Inno installer.::
 
    $ py -3 contrib\packaging\packaging.py \
-       inno --python c:\python27\python.exe
-
-.. note::
-
-   The script validates that the Visual C++ environment is
-   active and that the architecture of the specified Python
-   interpreter matches the Visual C++ environment and errors
-   if not.
+       inno --pyoxidizer-target x86_64-pc-windows-msvc
 
 If everything runs as intended, dependencies will be fetched and
 configured into the ``build`` sub-directory, Mercurial will be built,
-and an installer placed in the ``dist`` sub-directory. The final
-line of output should print the name of the generated installer.
+and an installer placed in the ``dist`` sub-directory. The final line
+of output should print the name of the generated installer.
 
-Additional options may be configured. Run
-``packaging.py inno --help`` to see a list of program flags.
+Additional options may be configured. Run ``packaging.py inno --help``
+to see a list of program flags.
 
 MinGW
 =====
diff --git a/contrib/packaging/wix/readme.rst b/contrib/packaging/wix/readme.rst
--- a/contrib/packaging/wix/readme.rst
+++ b/contrib/packaging/wix/readme.rst
@@ -12,50 +12,36 @@ that do not have this requirement.
 Requirements
 ============
 
-Building the WiX installers requires a Windows machine. The following
-dependencies must be installed:
+Building the WiX installer requires a Windows machine.
 
-* Python 2.7 (download from https://www.python.org/downloads/)
-* Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler for Python 2.7
-  (https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=44266)
-* Python 3.5+ (to run the ``packaging.py`` script)
+The following system dependencies must be installed:
+
+* Python 3.6+ (to run the ``packaging.py`` script)
 
 Building
 ========
 
 The ``packaging.py`` script automates the process of producing an MSI
 installer. It manages fetching and configuring non-system dependencies
-(such as py2exe, gettext, and various Python packages).
-
-The script requires an activated ``Visual C++ 2008`` command prompt.
-A shortcut to such a prompt was installed with ``Microsoft Visual
-C++ Compiler for Python 2.7``. From your Start Menu, look for
-``Microsoft Visual C++ Compiler Package for Python 2.7`` then
-launch either ``Visual C++ 2008 32-bit Command Prompt`` or
-``Visual C++ 2008 64-bit Command Prompt``.
+(such as gettext, and various Python packages).  It can be run from a
+basic cmd.exe Window (i.e. activating the MSBuildTools environment is
+not required).
 
 From the prompt, change to the Mercurial source directory. e.g.
 ``cd c:\src\hg``.
 
-Next, invoke ``packaging.py`` to produce an MSI installer. You will need
-to supply the path to the Python interpreter to use.::
+Next, invoke ``packaging.py`` to produce an MSI installer.::
 
    $ py -3 contrib\packaging\packaging.py \
-      wix --python c:\python27\python.exe
-
-.. note::
-
-   The script validates that the Visual C++ environment is active and
-   that the architecture of the specified Python interpreter matches the
-   Visual C++ environment. An error is raised otherwise.
+       wix --pyoxidizer-target x86_64-pc-windows-msvc
 
 If everything runs as intended, dependencies will be fetched and
 configured into the ``build`` sub-directory, Mercurial will be built,
 and an installer placed in the ``dist`` sub-directory. The final line
 of output should print the name of the generated installer.
 
-Additional options may be configured. Run ``packaging.py wix --help`` to
-see a list of program flags.
+Additional options may be configured. Run ``packaging.py wix --help``
+to see a list of program flags.
 
 Relationship to TortoiseHG
 ==========================