Question

Setting PATH in Win XP does not change PATH in CMD.EXE execution

Asked by: tozysentosa

Hi!

I have added some commands (.exe files) that I would like to add to the PATH so that when I run CMD.EXE, it can find the exe file.
I have edited the PATH system variable using these instructions

1 From the desktop, right-click My Computer and click properties.
2 In the System Properties window, click on the Advanced tab.
3 In the Advanced section, click the Environment Variables button.
4 Finally, in the Environment Variables window, highlight the path variable in the Systems Variable section and click edit. Add or modify the path lines with the paths you wish the computer to access.

Then when I execute CMD.EXE and echo PATH, I get a different result.

Where should I change the system wide system variable then?

Thanks

From SYSTEM/ADVANCED/ENVIRONMENT_VARIABLES:
PATH
C:\Oracle\bin;%SystemRoot%\system32;%SystemRoot%;%SystemRoot%\System32\Wbem;C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\BINN;C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jdk1.6.0_06\bin;C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre1.6.0_06\bin;C:\Program Files (x86)\Subversion\bin;C:\Program Files\TortoiseSVN\bin;C:\UnxUtils\usr\local\wbin
 
From CMD.EXE:
Microsoft Windows [Version 5.2.3790]
(C) Copyright 1985-2003 Microsoft Corp.
 
C:\>echo %PATH%
C:\Oracle\bin;C:\WINDOWS\system32;C:\WINDOWS;C:\WINDOWS\System32\Wbem;C:\Program
 Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\BINN;C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jdk1
.6.0_06\bin;C:\Program Files (x86)\Java\jre1.6.0_06\bin;C:\Program Files (x86)\S
ubversion\bin;C:\Program Files\TortoiseSVN\bin

                                  
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Asked On
2009-01-08 at 22:22:33ID24037599
Tags

windows xp

Topic

DOS and Windows

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
4

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Answers

 

by: bluebelldiscoveryPosted on 2009-01-09 at 00:40:34ID: 23333696

After you have updated the path according to the <instructions>,

you have to launch a new command prompt to see the changes.

 

by: tozysentosaPosted on 2009-01-09 at 09:12:16ID: 23337702

Yes, I have launched the new command prompt.

 

by: AmazingTechPosted on 2009-01-23 at 09:10:18ID: 23450787

If you logout and back in you'll find you should get the new path.

Explorer.exe is what retrieves these values but you simply can't kill explorer and start it to get the new system environment path. There is some other process on logon to create the path you see.

It's a combination of 3 locations

SYSTEM Path, USER Path, USER VOLATILE path

reg query "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment" /v path

reg query "HKCU\Environment" /v path

reg query "HKCU\Volatile Environment" /v path

 

by: AmazingTechPosted on 2009-01-23 at 09:14:08ID: 23450822

Download Path Manager from:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/927229

Add your path using this tool and the tool will update the path on your newly opened cmd.exe

pathman /as C:\UnxUtils\usr\local\wbin

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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