Remove unwanted path name from %path% variable via batch

Question

Scope: Windows XP or newer Tools: Batch script

I need to be able to remove an unneeded path name from the system %PATH% variable. I know how to add a new path name

Answer 1

I found the other solutions to this problem a bit awkward, I don't really want to rely on exact paths, complex 'delayed expansion' syntax, removing spaces for the 'for /f' loop and then adding them back in...

I think this is more elegant, and I commented the hell out of it so even someone new to the horrors of Batch can follow along.

::Turn off command display and allows environmental variables to be overridden for the current session
@echo off & setlocal

::Creates a unique file to use for the 'for loop'
set "TMPFILE="%temp%\tmp%RANDOM%%RANDOM%.txt""

::Duplicate PATH into OLDPATH
set "OLDPATH=%PATH%"

::Declare label for the 'goto' command
:Loop

::Extract the first text token with the default delimiter of semicolon
for /f "tokens=1 delims=;" %%G in ("%OLDPATH%") do (

REM Copy text token to TMPFILE unless what we want to remove is found
NUL 2>&1 || >%TMPFILE%

REM Remove text token from OLDPATH
set "OLDPATH=%OLDPATH:*;=%"
)

::Repeat loop until OLDPATH no longer has any delimiters, and then add any remaining value to TMPFILE
echo %OLDPATH% | findstr /C:";" >NUL && (goto :Loop) || >%TMPFILE%

::Set the path to TMPFILE
for /f "usebackq delims=" %%G in (%TMPFILE%) do (set "PATH=%%G")

::Clean-up
del %TMPFILE% >NUL 2>&1

::An echo and pause just for debug purposes
echo %PATH%
pause