Set path from command line

Users can run an executable from windows command prompt either by giving the absolute path of the file or just by the executable file name. In the latter case, Windows searches for the executable in a list of folders which is configured in environment variables. These environment variables are as below.

1. System path
2. User path

The values of these variables can be checked in system properties( Run sysdm.cpl from Run or computer properties). Initially user specific path environment variable will be empty. Users can add paths of the directories having executables to this variable. Administrators can modify the system path environment variable also.

How to set path from command line?

In Vista, Windows 7 and Windows 8 we can set path from command line using ‘setx’ command.

For example, to add c:\dir1\dir2 to the path variable, we can run the below command.

Alternative way is to use Windows resource kit tools ‘pathman.exe‘. Using this command we can even remove a directory from path variable. See download windows resource kit tools. This works for Windows 7 also.

Add directory to system path environment variable:

Open administrator command prompt
Run the below command

Remove path from system path environment variable:
Run the below command from elevated command prompt

Setting user path environment variable

For user environment varlables, admin privileges are not required. We can run the below command to add a directory to user path environment variable.

To remove a directory from user path, you can run the below command.

Default option is not allowed more than ‘2’ time(s)

You get this error if you have not enclosed ‘path’ in double quotes. See the below example for setting the path of firefox.

Now if you move %path% to be in the double quotes

Could a context entry be created for folders, perhaps an extended one… to add to path?

what about a multi-verb option, like copy as path?

hi, when i use setx at an administrator command line, it creates a USER variable, NOT the SYSTEM variable. What am i doing wrong? How do i change the SYSTEM path at command prompt? -thx

Johny Why
Answer: Try add the parameter /M

Hi, is there a way I can add an extra variable instead on deleting the currently one and put a new Variable on the Path.

I used the command setx /M “c:\Options”, and what it does is delete the current one and then puts that one there, all I want is to add the new variable to the current one. -thx

Nuno, pathman described above does exactly that. You can download the resource tools kit and get it.

setx path “%path%;C:\yourFolder”

To set path for java & javac, can I add the paths to PATH or do I need to create the environment variable JAVA_HOME. I don’t have this defined, but windows does not seem to be able to find java binaries on my system.

You can directly add the folder to PATH. No need to define JAVA_HOME. However, adding JAVA_HOME separately avoids cluttering and helps to easily understand what is added.

hello, can someone plz explain this result? After setting path, it did not change. This was run from an Administrator command-line:

C:\Windows\system32>setx path “C:\Windows\system32;C:\Windows;C:\Windows\System32\Wbem;C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\bin;D:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft VS Code\bin”

SUCCESS: Specified value was saved.

C:\Windows\system32>path
PATH=C:\Windows\system32;C:\Windows;C:\Windows\System32\Wbem;C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\;C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\bin;D:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft VS Code\bin;D:\Program Files (x86)\metapad36;D:\Program Files (x86)\metapad36″ /M

Why won’t this work?

SET EPO = D:\Program Files (x86)\McAfee\ePolicy Orchestrator
PATH = %PATH%;%EPO%\jre\bin;%EPO%\apache2\bin

In windows 10 set path %path%; not working. it’s work like :
setx “%path%;C:\Program Files\CodeBlocks\MinGW\bin”

By unfortunately I deleted my system default path. How could I able to find my system path?

Unfortunately I deleted several files with unremembered path names. This article was useful

The following used to work for me when I am in MSDOS environment. Lately I get error messages such as INCLUDE not found. Why is this so?

Used to work
SET PLL =c:\CL5\PLL
SET PLT =c:\CL5\PLL
SET INCLUDE =c:\CL5\INCLUDE
SET PRG =c:\IMS\PRG
SET LIB =c:\CL5\LIB
SET OBJ =c:\CL5\OBJ
PATH =c:\IMS\EXE;\CL5\BIN;\CL5\NG;\CL5\PLL

pathman is one of many tools of the Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools

Note: The Windows Server 2003 Resource Kit Tools are not supported on 64-bit platforms.

Huh.
When I did that on Windows 10 v1903, using setx, it replaced the USER scope paths with the SYSTEM scope paths.
Now I’m not sure what was in the old user path.
So, uh… Be careful out there.
And if anyone has a solution how to avoid that, please let me know
Thanks

How to set the path and environment variables in Windows

Setting the path and environment variables will differ depending on the version of Windows you have on your computer. Choose a link below for your version of Windows.

Administrator privileges are usually required to modify the path and environment variables.

Setting the path and variables in Windows 10

1. From the desktop, right-click the very bottom-left corner of the screen to get the Power User Task Menu.
2. From the Power User Task Menu, click System.
3. In the Settings window, scroll down to the Related settings section and click the System info link.
4. In the System window, click the Advanced system settings link in the left navigation pane.
5. In the System Properties window, click the Advanced tab, then click the Environment Variablesbutton near the bottom of that tab.
6. In the Environment Variables window (pictured below), highlight the Path variable in the System variables section and click the Edit button. Add or modify the path lines with the paths you want the computer to access. Each different directory is separated with a semicolon, as shown below.

You can edit other environment variables by highlighting the variable in the System variables section and clicking Edit. If you need to create a new environment variable, click New and enter the variable name and variable value.

To view and set the path in the Windows command line, use the path command.

Setting the path and variables in Windows 8

1. From the desktop, right-click the very bottom-left corner of the screen to get the Power User Task Menu.
2. From the Power User Task Menu, click System.
3. Click the Advanced System Settings link in the left column.
4. In the System Properties window, click the Advanced tab, then click the Environment Variablesbutton near the bottom of that tab.
5. In the Environment Variables window (pictured below), highlight the Path variable in the System variables section and click the Edit button. Add or modify the path lines with the paths you want the computer to access. Each different directory is separated with a semicolon, as shown below.

You can edit other environment variables by highlighting the variable in the System variables section and clicking Edit. If you need to create a new environment variable, click New and enter the variable name and variable value.

To view and set the path in the Windows command line, use the path command.

Setting the path and variables in Windows Vista and Windows 7

1. From the desktop, right-click the Computer icon and select Properties. If you don’t have a Computer icon on your desktop, click Start, right-click the Computer option in the Start menu, and select Properties.
2. Click the Advanced System Settings link in the left column.
3. In the System Properties window, click the Advanced tab, then click the Environment Variablesbutton near the bottom of that tab.
4. In the Environment Variables window (pictured below), highlight the Path variable in the System variables section and click the Edit button. Add or modify the path lines with the paths you want the computer to access. Each different directory is separated with a semicolon, as shown below.

You can edit other environment variables by highlighting the variable in the System variables section and clicking Edit. If you need to create a new environment variable, click New and enter the Variable name and Variable value.

To view and set the path in the Windows command line, use the path command.

Setting the path and variables in Windows 2000 and Windows XP

The path is now managed by Windows 2000 and Windows XP and not the autoexec.bat or autoexec.nt files, as was done with earlier versions of Windows. To change the system environment variables, follow the steps below.

1. From the desktop, right-click My Computer and click Properties. If you don’t have a My Computer icon on your desktop, click Start, right-click the My Computer option in the Start menu, and select Properties.
2. In the System Propertieswindow, click the Advancedtab.
3. In the Advanced section, click the Environment Variablesbutton.
4. In the Environment Variables window (as shown below), highlight the Path variable in the System Variable section and click the Edit button. Add or modify the path lines with the paths you want the computer to access. Each different directory is separated with a semicolon, as shown below.

You can edit other environment variables by highlighting the variable in the System variables section and clicking Edit. If you need to create a new environment variable, click New and enter the Variable name and Variable value.

To view and set the path in the Windows command line, use the path command.

What is the default Windows %PATH%?

The path is based on programs installed on the computer, so there is no «default path.» However, the Windows minimum path is often the path below.

Keep in mind that as you install programs, the path is updated with the paths for the newly installed programs. So, if you have erased your path after installing other programs, those programs may be affected.

Setting path in the MS-DOS and Windows command line

To view and set the path in MS-DOS and in the Windows command line, use the path command.

Setting Symbol and Executable Image Paths in KD

Symbol Path

The symbol path specifies the directories where the symbol files are located. For more information about symbols and symbol files, see Symbols.

NoteВ В If you are connected to the Internet or a corporate network, the most efficient way to access symbols is to use a symbol server. You can use a symbol server by using the srv* or symsrv* string within your symbol path. For more information about symbol servers, see Symbol Stores and Symbol Servers.

To control the symbol path in KD, do one of the following:

Enter the .sympath (Set Symbol Path) command. If you are using a symbol server, the .symfix (Set Symbol Store Path) command is similar to .sympath but saves you typing.

When you start the debugger, use the -y command-line option. See KD Command-Line Options.

Before you start the debugger, use the _NT_SYMBOL_PATH and _NT_ALT_SYMBOL_PATH environment variables to set the path. The symbol path is created by appending _NT_SYMBOL_PATH after _NT_ALT_SYMBOL_PATH. (Typically, the path is set through the _NT_SYMBOL_PATH. However, you might want to use _NT_ALT_SYMBOL_PATH to override these settings in special cases, such as when you have private versions of shared symbol files.)

NoteВ В If you use the -sins command-line option, the debugger ignores the symbol path environment variable.

Executable Image Path

An executable file is a binary file that the processor can run. These files typically have the .exe, .dll, or .sys file name extension. Executable files are also known as modules, especially when executable files are described as units of a larger application. Before the Windows operating system runs an executable file, it loads it into memory. The copy of the executable file in memory is called the executable image or the image.

NoteВ В These terms are sometimes used imprecisely. For example, some documents might use «image» for the actual file on the disk. Also, Windows-based applications refer to the executable name, which typically includes the file name extension. But these applications refer to the module name, which does not include the file name extension. Also, the Windows kernel and HAL have special module names. For example, the nt module corresponds to the Ntoskrnl.exe file.

The executable image path specifies the directories that the binary executable files are located in.

In most situations, the debugger knows the location of the executable files, so you do not have to set the path for this file.

However, there are situations when this path is required. For example, kernel-mode small memory dump files do not contain all of the executable files that exist in memory at the time of a stop error (that is, a crash). Similarly, user-mode minidump files do not contain the application binaries. If you set the path of the executable files, the debugger can find these binary files.

The debugger’s executable image path is a string that consists of multiple directory paths, separated by semicolons. Relative paths are supported. However, unless you always start the debugger from the same directory, you should add a drive letter or a network share before each path. Network shares are also supported. The debugger searches the executable image path recursively. That is, the debugger searches the subdirectories of each directory that is listed in this path.

To control the executable image path in KD, do one of the following:

When you start the debugger, use the -i command-line option. See KD Command-Line Options.

Before you start the debugger, use the _NT_EXECUTABLE_IMAGE_PATH environment variable to set the path.

NoteВ В If you use the -sins command-line option, the debugger ignores the executable image path environment variable.