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  • When you change variables you often have to completely restart Windows. Changing a variable in the settings will not change running processes. New processes copy the environment from running processes (depending on how they are started), so simply starting a process doesn't mean you get a new environment.
    – Zoredache
    Commented Jan 20, 2015 at 16:30
  • 1
    I rebooted and still when I run "echo %path%" from a cmd.exe window, it displays my system env variable, not the value of the user variable. So, I deleted the User variable, o Admin access, changed my System path variable and the did teh same echo cmd. The updated env value was displayed w/o rebooting. This tells me that USER vars do not override system vars and that a reboot isn't necessary. Neitehr is what I expected.
    – Ivan
    Commented Jan 20, 2015 at 17:56
  • What procedure used for adding a user variable of the same name as a system variable? Something like?
    – JosefZ
    Commented Jan 20, 2015 at 21:53
  • JosefZ: yes, I added the two environment variables, one USER the other SYSTEM, both with the same name, using teh Windows 7 GUI similar to the screens shown inyour link.
    – Ivan
    Commented Jan 21, 2015 at 17:55
  • @Chad Isn't the answer you accepted below the exact opposite of your experience? How do you explain the discrepancy?
    – End Antisemitic Hate
    Commented Sep 5, 2015 at 1:02