Как задать path windows 10

Different programs and processes require different environments to run. On a single machine, Windows needs to make sure that all programs and processes can access the environments they need.

To do this, Windows needs to know the kind of environment every program requires to work. Windows must store this information somewhere for easier retrieval. Environment variables make that possible.

Environment variables are, in short, data storing mechanisms.

Let’s dig a little deeper to see how environment variables work and how you can create, edit, and delete them effectively.

What Are Environment Variables in Windows 10?

Environment variables are dynamic variables that store data related to creating different environments for different programs and processes.

To understand them better, let us take the example of a program that needs to use a built-in Windows tool to run.

For the program to use the tool, the program needs to know the tool’s location to access it. The program also needs to find out if it has permission to use the tool or not. Similarly, there are things that a program needs to know before it can use the tool.

So, a program can access all of this information by asking Windows. Windows then looks up environment variables (EVs) for this data and creates an environment in which that program can run.

In other words, EVs store data that is accessible to every program and process running on the system across all users. The data these variables store helps the programs run in the environment they were designed for.

Some of the most important EVs on Windows include PATH, HOMEPATH, and USERNAME. All of these variables contain values that any user and process of the system can access at any time. For instance, the USERNAME environment variable contains the name of the current user. Windows can look up this variable whenever it needs to find out the name of the current user.

How to Set Environment Variables in Windows 10?

First things first, if you want to set system-wide EVs, you need to have administrative privileges. So, if you are not the admin, inform your system administrator and ask for their help.

Now that you have admin privileges:

1. Type Advanced system settings in the Start menu search box and select the Best match.
2. In the System Properties box, click on Environment Variables to open the Environment Variables panel.

Картинка с сайта: www.makeuseof.com

The EVs panel lists two types of variables depending upon your need. If you want to change EVs for the current user only and don’t want the changes to reflect system-wide, you will change User variables.

On the contrary, if you want system-wide changes, you will change System variables.

Картинка с сайта: www.makeuseof.com

Let’s say you’ve just installed Java and want to add the java path to the EVs. To do this:

1. Click on New under the User/System variables. This will open up the New User Variable box.
2. Enter JAVA_HOME in the Variable name field and browse to the directory where you’ve installed Java to populate the path in Variable value.

Картинка с сайта: www.makeuseof.com

Pressing OK will add the JAVA_HOME variable to the PATH variable.

How to Edit Environment Variables

To edit different environment variables, select any variable from the list. Then, press Edit. This will open up the Edit environment variable panel. Here you can create, delete, and edit variables.

Картинка с сайта: www.makeuseof.com

From the list of variables, select the one that you want to modify and click on Edit. Afterward, you can change the variable value to anything you like.

You can also delete the variables in a similar fashion.

What Is the Windows PATH Variable and How Can I Change it?

In simple terms, the PATH variable is an address book of programs and commands on your computer. Whenever you have a new program on your computer that you want to run from the command line interface, you must specify its address in the PATH variable.

A thing to remember here, not all programs are in the PATH environment variable. Only the programs that are meant to be used from the command line interface appear in the PATH variable. So, programs intended to be used from a Graphical User Interface don’t have their addresses in the PATH variable.

The way the process works involves Windows looking up the address for a certain command. Whenever you issue a command on a command line, Windows first searches the current directory for the command. If the OS can’t find it in the current directory, it looks up the PATH variable to find the address.

To enter an address in the PATH variable, the process is the same as before. Open up the Environment Variable box, select the PATH variable, and click on Edit.

In the Edit box, you can add, remove, and edit directories.

One final thing to remember, the PATH variable is not the same for every user on a system. So different users can list different directories without changing the variable for every user. So, if you want a tool to be available for every user, you have to edit the PATH variable under the System Variables.

Environment Variables in Windows 10 Store Data that Programs Need to Work

Programs need data to work. To make sure that data is available efficiently, Windows stores this data in global variables that all programs can access. These global variables are Environment Variables.

You can add, edit, and remove Environment Variables inside the Advanced System Settings panel.

Furthermore, if you have more than one user on a machine, user Environment Variables will be different for each user. For instance, one user may have listed a command under the PATH variable that won’t be available for other users.

On the other hand, system EVs are available for all users. These variables require admin privileges to edit or delete.

In short, EVs are Windows’ way to store important data. So, be sure you know what you are doing before modifying them.

The Path environment variable feature in Windows is very important because it lets your computer know where to find the programs when you run them through Command Prompt. For example, if you add a folder path to the “Path” environment variable, you can run any program in that path by entering only its name (e.g. “name.exe”) instead of its whole address every time you want to run it.

This guide will show you how to add a folder to the Path environment variable in Windows 11 or 10. Doing this for a program you often run will save you a lot of hassle and time when executing commands that involve the program.

Картинка с сайта: www.windowsdigitals.com

What is the “Path” environment variable?

The Path environment variable is like a list inside your Windows operating system that helps your computer find and run programs directly from a command prompt or PowerShell without needing the full address of the program. It’s a bunch of folder addresses stuck together with semicolons (;). When you try to start a program, Windows looks through these folders in the order they’re listed to find the program’s executable file.

The big deal about the Path variable is it will truly save you a lot of time. Instead of typing the full path every time you want to run a program, you can just tell your computer to run it by typing only its name, and if the program’s folder is in the Path, Windows will know where to find it.

Related issue: Batch (.BAT) Files Not Running in Windows 11/10

Here’s what a Path environment variable look like:

C:\Windows\system32;C:\Windows;C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_281\bin

In this example, there are three directories listed. If you run a command, Windows will check these directories in this order to find the program you’re trying to start. If it’s not in any of these, you’ll see an error message.

“[Program] is not recognized as an internal or external command” error

If you’re trying to run a program called “custom-command,” but its folder isn’t listed in the Path. When you try to start it, you might see an error saying:

'custom-command' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.

Картинка с сайта: www.windowsdigitals.com

This error means Windows can’t find the program in any of the Path directories. To fix this, you need to add the program’s folder to the Path, which we’ll talk about next, or simply type the full path to the program.

Useful tip: How to List Installed Programs in Windows 11

How to add a folder to the “Path” environment variable in Windows 11 or 10

Adding a folder to the Path can be done through a few methods – the system properties, CMD or PowerShell. Choose a method that you’re comfortable with.

Using System Properties

This method should be the easiest and most friendly for people who are not very into commands because it uses the graphical interface of the System Properties window to add or change the Path.

1. Hit Windows + X and choose “System” from the menu that pops up.
2. In the System window, click on “Advanced system settings” on the right.
   

   Картинка с сайта: www.windowsdigitals.com

3. Go to the “Advanced” tab in the System Properties dialog and hit the “Environment Variables” button.
   

   Картинка с сайта: www.windowsdigitals.com

4. Find the “Path” variable under “System variables,” select it, and press “Edit.” This opens the “Edit environment variable” window.
   

   Картинка с сайта: www.windowsdigitals.com

5. Here, you’ll see all the folders already in the Path. To add a new one, click “New” and type or paste its address. Tip: Use the “Copy as Path” option to get the folder path right, starting from the root (like C:\Users\YourUsername\custom-folder).
   

   Картинка с сайта: www.windowsdigitals.com

6. Hit “OK” when you’re done. Your new folder is now part of the Path, and Windows will check it when looking for programs to run.

See also: Change File(s) Date & Timestamp via CMD or PowerShell

Using Command Prompt

In this method, you will use the Command Prompt to change the Path environment variable.

1. Start a Command Prompt with admin rights by right-clicking on the Start button, choosing “Windows Terminal (Admin)”, and then picking “Command Prompt” from the list.
   

   Картинка с сайта: www.windowsdigitals.com

2. Type this command, but use your own folder path instead of “YourFolderPath”:

   setx PATH "%PATH%;YourFolderPath"

   This adds your new folder path to the current Path variable. It’s important to keep the “%PATH%;” part to not lose the paths already there.
   To add the folder path in the system environment and prevents the system Path from being duplicated in the user Path, add the /M option like this:

   setx /M PATH "%PATH%;YourFolderPath"

   

   Картинка с сайта: www.windowsdigitals.com

3. Close the Command Prompt and open it again to see your changes. Your new folder should now be part of the Path environment variable.

Using PowerShell

This method involves PowerShell to update the Path environment variable.

1. Open PowerShell with admin rights by right-clicking on the Start button and choosing “Windows Terminal (Admin)”.
2. Type this command, swapping “YourFolderPath” with your folder path:

   [Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path",
   [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path",
   [EnvironmentVariableTarget]::Machine) + ";YourFolderPath",
   [EnvironmentVariableTarget]::Machine)
   

   

   Картинка с сайта: www.windowsdigitals.com

   This gets the current Path variable, adds your new folder path, and then updates the Path variable. The “;YourFolderPath” adds your new folder after the existing paths.

3. Close PowerShell and open it again to check the changes. Your new folder should now be in the Path environment variable.

Note: If you need to write a multi-line command in PowerShell, press Shift + Enter to go to a new line without running the command. Press Enter to run it after you’ve typed all of it. This can be helpful for long commands or scripts.

Checking the changes

To make sure the folder is now in the Path environment variable, open a new Command Prompt window and type:

echo %PATH%

Look at the output and check if the folder path you added is there.

Картинка с сайта: www.windowsdigitals.com

Some common issues

The below are some common problems you might encounter when adding a folder to the Path environment variable in Windows.

• If CMD still gives you error after adding the path of a program you want to run, double-check for typos or mistakes in the folder path. It should be a full path without special characters.
• Changes to the Path variable only affect new Command Prompt or PowerShell sessions. Restart them to see the changes.
• If there’s still a problem, there might be a conflict with other software. Look through the Path variable for any outdated or duplicate paths and remove them.

Other common mistakes

It’s easy to make a small mistake that can cause big problems when you’re updating the Path variable.

• Always back up the current state of the Path variable before making changes. This way, if something goes wrong, you can simply restore it to its original state.
• Never delete the existing entries in the Path variable unless you are certain they are no longer needed. Removing important paths can stop other programs from running properly.

One last thing: Knowing Path variable priorities

The order of paths in the Path variable matters a lot because Windows checks them in sequence to find the executable files.

If two folders in the Path contain an executable with the same name, Windows will run the one in the folder that appears first in the Path order. You might want to place frequently accessed program directories higher up in the Path to speed up their launch times.