Use a new computer

The ultimate isolated environment is an otherwise untouched computer. Some authors, or the IT departments in the institution that authors are affiliated with, may have a fresh, new, recently imaged computer lying around, with the relevant software (say, Stata or Python) already installed.

Tip

If you ever change institutions, employers, or simply buy a new laptop - this might be you!

Use such an “unblemished” computer to download the replication package, and see if it runs. Keep tabs of what additional configuration steps you need to do that you had not thought of.