Comments on: Update Windows Path Without Rebooting

By: Bobo

Bobo — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 12:08:00 +0000

I’ve been using setx.exe for several years now and today I noticed something new.

If you run setx in a bat script, it works and everything seems ok, start a new command prompt and i see the variable, it’s in the GUI and so on.

If I then start another bat script with double click after that, that can’t find the environment variable, if i start a command prompt and then start the bat script it finds the environment variables.

And of course, if I restart the computer it works.

So it seems like the interpreter for batch files doesn’t update it’s environment between you run the script.

It doesn’t help if I try to reload the bat script with a cmd /c ”
This is on Windows server 2008 R2.

Is there anyone that has a solution for this?

For now I’ve to read out the variables from the registry in the scripts I run after the one that sets the environment variables.

By: Celebritycircletv

Celebritycircletv — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 23:09:00 +0000

my computor is saying msiexec/update .path to the. msp file >/ buupdateep.msp
What am i supposed to do?

By: Hmli

Hmli — Mon, 12 Dec 2011 22:52:00 +0000

it is work in the cmd window. but not in a all other condition. I call a application from C# code, it does not work. I think it still need reboot to make it really work.

By: sliper123

sliper123 — Wed, 09 Nov 2011 07:49:00 +0000

Re-read “setx /?” again, coz
setx /M PATH “%PATH%;D:foobar”
will give u exactly what u need

By: Mark v

Mark v — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:23:00 +0000

I’m typing WAAAY too fast!

The change IS found in the GUI world – it’s in the USER environment variables, not in the system environment variables. This will limit its usefulness in some environments.

If someone can find a way to make this truly global (i.e. system level), we’d have a winner!

By: Mark v

Mark v — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:20:00 +0000

This is interesting: Although your command string does work in the command windows, the change is not visible in the usual Windows Environment Variables, as viewed through My Computer/Properties, as described above. If the %PATH% variable is echoed at a command line, the change is seen. It’s just not there in the GUI world.

By: Mark v

Mark v — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:11:00 +0000

I spoke too soon. After re-reading the setx help file, I learned that the change is NOT effective on the command window in which it is issued, but IS effective on all other command windows. I have verified that the change is in effect in other command windows, and after reboot.

You da man!

By: Mark v

Mark v — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 19:08:00 +0000

Jan, that doesn’t work at ALL for me, globally or even in the command window where I issue the command. I get “SUCCESS: Specified value was saved.”, but if I echo the PATH, my change is not there.

By: Jan-Stefan Janetzky

Jan-Stefan Janetzky — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:09:00 +0000

yay. i got it working global with a pure cmd command

setx path “%path%;D:foobar”

type setx /? for more information about it.

By: Jan-Stefan Janetzky

Jan-Stefan Janetzky — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:43:00 +0000

i have tested this. it appears it does not reload the path variable :/ (i used visual studio 2010 c++ to compile it)