How to configure environment variables in Windows 10

windows 10 supports a number of features inherited from previous versions of the operating system. One of those inherited features is the environment variable. Environment variables offer a useful way to control how Windows operates with an extremely small footprint in terms of memory usage.

For example, a common environment variable is called PATH, which is simply an ordered text string containing a list of directories that Windows should look for when calling an executable file. The PATH environment variable allows users to quickly launch programs without having to know where those programs are located on the hard drive.

Setting environment variables is very useful and, fortunately, very simple. In this article, we will see how to find and configure environment variables in Windows 10.

How do I set environment variables in Windows 10?

1. Once you’re signed in to Windows, right-click the Windows button in the bottom left corner of the screen and click System from the Power User Task Menu displayed on the screen.
2. Under the System menu, you must click on the Advanced system settings.
   • If you can’t find Advanced system settings there, write “advanced system settings” in the search box and press return to bring it out.
3. Once Advanced system settings is open, click the Advanced tab, then look at the bottom right for the Environment Variables.
4. Next, to create a new environment variable, click New. You may need to do a system variable depending on what you are doing.
5. A dialog box will appear allowing you to enter a new variable name and set its initial value:
   • New adds a new environment variable.
   • Edit allows you to edit any environment variables you have selected.
   • Delete allows you to remove the selected environment variable.
6. Save the changes you make by clicking OK.

How to find the PATH variable in Windows 10

1. Under the Environment Variables window, choose or highlight the PATH variables in the System variables section displayed in the window.
2. After highlighting the PATH variable from System Variables, click the Edit button.
3. You can add or modify path lines with the directories in which you want your computer to search for executable files.
   • You will find that each different directory is separated by a semicolon, for example: C:Program Files;C:Winnt;C:WinntSystem32
4. There are other environment variables in the System variables section that you can examine by clicking Edit.
5. Likewise, there are different environment variables, such as PATH, HOME, USER PROFILE, HOME and APPLICATION DATA, TERM, PS1, MAIL, TEMPERATURE,etc. These Windows environment variables are very useful and can be used both in scripts and on the command line.
6. Once finished, you can test your changes by opening a new PowerShell window and entering the following: $env:PATH

Frequent questions

Here you will find more information about environment variables:

How do I find environment variables in Windows 10?

To find environment variables in Windows 10, you can follow the steps outlined above to find the environment variable information hidden within the advanced system settings.

Alternatively, if you just need to see what the variables are but don’t need to change them, you can simply open a command line interface by pressing Ctrl+Esc and writing “cmd” in the command box, then type “place” in the command window. This prints all the environment variables configured on your system.

Why can’t I edit environment variables?

There are several reasons why you may not be able to set these variables.

1. The first of your problems could be that you do not have administrator rights. To configure or edit this feature, you must be the System Administrator.

2. If you are the administrator, but the editing function is grayed out, try accessing the Environment Variables accessing the control Panel from the Start menu. Click on Advanced system settingsthen click Environment Variables.

Final thoughts

Windows 10 environment variables make it incredibly easy to take control of your Windows device and make it run more efficiently. To find and configure environment variables in Windows 10, follow the simple steps outlined in this article to get started.