Windows 10 System environment variables don't stick

Question

I am unable to update my system environment variable PATH. I don't receive any error message when editing PATH, but the change doesn't take. I have Windows 10. I am an admin user. Here are the steps I take to edit PATH.

1. I Search for and open "View advanced system settings".
2. Click the "Environment Variables" button.
3. Locate "Path" under the System variables section. Click to highlight it.
4. Click "Edit". The "Edit environment variable" modal window pops up.
5. There are lots of paths listed in the listbox. Click New to add a new item.
6. A blank space for the new folder is highlighted in the listbox. Click Browse. Select a folder. Click OK. The browsed path is in the listbox.
7. Click "OK" on the Edit environment variable modal.
8. Close all existing cmd windows if any are open. Open a new cmd window.
9. type echo %PATH%

I expect my added PATH to be shown, but it is not. If I repeat the steps above, my newly added folder is not in the listbox on the "Edit environment variable" model when I click to edit the PATH system environment variable the second time. I also expected Windows to prompt me for elevated admin privileges at some point when editing the environment variable, but this never happens. What am I doing wrong?

Answer 1

Did you try hitting OK to close the main Environment Variables window too? I just tried and when I edit the path and hit OK to close the Edit window, it doesn't show up. When I then hit OK and close the Environment Variables window, it shows up (after closing any existing CMD windows and opening a new one).

FYI, be careful with the steps you listed though. I find that when I hit New, then click browse and select a path, it ends up overwriting the previous path on the list instead of adding a new one. I've been hitting New, then typing something like "x". Then clicking Browse while "x" is highlighted to select the path. This looks like a bug with the new path editor.

Answer 2

If you use any variable within another variable, this variable type must be set as REG_EXPAND_SZ in the Windows Registry. (Ex: PATH = %JAVA_HOME%\bin;...)

You can check it on the Registry (for User variables):

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Environment\PATH 

For System Variables, check on

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment

I had the same problem and changing it solved this issue for me.

Answer 3

I was having the same problem. I think it's a bug. But I found a solution: On the environment variables window chose the path which you want to add or change (either system or user one) and click edit. on the edit windows however dont chose modify or new. instead click the edit text button below. add a new path or change and existing one (don't forget to use ";" if you are adding a new path) and click accept. when you back to environment variables windows click the path again and hit enter since there is no accept or ok button on this window. (I m not sure if this last step was necessary or not but I did it this way and it worked. did not try again without this last step.) hope it helps.

Answer 4

Do the following:

1. setx PATH "C:\myfolder;%PATH%"

2. Open a new cmd session. (As setx activates from new session)

Credit: https://www.opentechguides.com/how-to/article/windows-10/113/windows-10-set-path.html

Answer 5

I had the same problem and found that closing the cmd window and opening a new one forces it to read the new environment variables.