setting the environment path permanently

Question

I want to make a batch file for setting the %PATH% environment variable permanently - ie adding a value to the path permanently (in Windows XP).

if so then I think this belongs on ServerFault. Or is writing a .BAT file considered programming? :-) — Warren P, Nov 10 '10 at 14:15

Joey · Answer 1 · 2009-11-05T07:10:00.370

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On more recent OSes you can use setx which allows pretty fine-grained control as for where the variables are stored. Not available on XP, though, unless you install the Windows Server 2003 Support Tools.

edited Nov 05 '09 at 07:10

answered Nov 05 '09 at 06:43

Joey

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SETX works but the syntax is really picky and so its easy to make a mistake. – djangofan Mar 26 '12 at 16:16
Yes, `setx` is not a drop-in replacement for `set`, despite the similar name. – Joey Mar 26 '12 at 18:36

score 1 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 05 '09 at 08:55

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you can use vbscript (or command line reg) to change the PATH environment variable

eg vbscript

    Set WshShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
    strReg = "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment\Path"
    strSetting = WshShell.RegRead(strReg)
    strNewSetting = strSetting&";c\test"  'insert path to current PATH
    WScript.Echo strNewSetting
    WshShell.RegWrite strReg, strNewSetting

answered Nov 05 '09 at 08:55

ghostdog74

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This is what programmers looking for this question will want to find. The accepted answer is a ServerFault (admin/batchfile) answer not a programming answer. – Warren P Nov 10 '10 at 14:15

score 0 · Answer 3 · answered Nov 05 '09 at 06:44

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My-Computer - Properties, Advanced system settings -> environment variables. Set it there. (I hope that I got the right path here)

answered Nov 05 '09 at 06:44

Dani

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you are missing a right-click (people will double-click on my computer by default) and the tab is named "advanced". another way: start menu/control panel/system then advanced/environment variables. of course this works only if the user uses classic view in the control panel... – Adrien Plisson Nov 05 '09 at 07:36
COuld you anser me how to optain exactly the result you describe in your answer, but doing it from a script file? – Jesper Rønn-Jensen May 06 '10 at 09:01
something like set path=%path%;new_path – Dani May 06 '10 at 20:32
that would last until you exit from that command prompt session. The question said "permanently". Setx (on systems that have it) works like SET but it's permanent. – Warren P Nov 10 '10 at 14:16

score 0 · Answer 4 · answered Nov 05 '09 at 07:12

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You can use setx.exe to set environment variables from a batch file or command line. I believe it's included with Vista and 7. For XP, you can find it in the SP2 Support Tools.

answered Nov 05 '09 at 07:12

Joel Baker

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setting the environment path permanently

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