Adding a directory to the PATH environment variable in Windows

Question

I am trying to add C:\\xampp\\php to my system PATH environment variable in Windows.

I have already added it using the Environment Varia

Answer 1

Safer SETX

Nod to all the comments on the @Nafscript's initial SETX answer.

• SETX by default will update your user path.
• SETX ... /M will update your system path.
• %PATH% contains the system path with the user path appended

Warnings

1. Backup your PATH - SETX will truncate your junk longer than 1024 characters
2. Don't call SETX %PATH%;xxx - adds the system path into the user path
3. Don't call SETX %PATH%;xxx /M - adds the user path into the system path
4. Excessive batch file use can cause blindness¹

The ss64 SETX page has some very good examples. Importantly it points to where the registry keys are for SETX vs SETX /M

User Variables:

HKCU\Environment

System Variables:

HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment

Usage instructions

Append to User PATH

append_user_path.cmd

@ECHO OFF
REM usage: append_user_path "path"
SET Key="HKCU\Environment"
FOR /F "usebackq tokens=2*" %%A IN (`REG QUERY %Key% /v PATH`) DO Set CurrPath=%%B
ECHO %CurrPath% > user_path_bak.txt
SETX PATH "%CurrPath%";%1

Append to System PATH

append_system_path.cmd. Must be run as administrator.

(It's basically the same except with a different Key and the SETX /M modifier.)

@ECHO OFF
REM usage: append_system_path "path"
SET Key="HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment"
FOR /F "usebackq tokens=2*" %%A IN (`REG QUERY %Key% /v PATH`) DO Set CurrPath=%%B
ECHO %CurrPath% > system_path_bak.txt
SETX PATH "%CurrPath%";%1 /M

Alternatives

Finally there's potentially an improved version called SETENV recommended by the ss64 SETX page that splits out setting the user or system environment variables.

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^{1. Not strictly true}