How to Set Environment Variable in Windows

January 26, 2021

Introduction

Environment variables are key-value pairs a system uses to set up a software environment. The environment variables also play a crucial role in certain installations, such as installing Java on your PC or Raspberry Pi.

In this tutorial, we will cover different ways you can set, list, and unset environment variables in Windows 10.

How to set environment variables in Windows

Prerequisites

  • A system running Windows 10
  • User account with admin privileges
  • Access to the Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell

Check Current Environment Variables

The method for checking current environment variables depends on whether you are using the Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell:

List All Environment Variables

In the Command Prompt, use the following command to list all environment variables:

set
List all environment variables using the Command Prompt

If you are using Windows PowerShell, list all the environment variables with:

Get-ChildItem Env:
List all environment variables using Windows PowerShell

Check A Specific Environment Variable

Both the Command Prompt and PowerShell use the echo command to list specific environment variables.

The Command prompt uses the following syntax:

echo %[variable_name]%
Checking a specific environment variable using the Command Prompt

In Windows PowerShell, use:

echo $Env:[variable_name]
Checking a specific environment variable using Windows PowerShell

Here, [variable_name] is the name of the environment variable you want to check.

Set Environment Variable in Windows via GUI

Follow the steps to set environment variables using the Windows GUI:

1. Press Windows + R to open the Windows Run prompt.

2. Type in sysdm.cpl and click OK.

Run sysdm.cpl

3. Open the Advanced tab and click on the Environment Variables button in the System Properties window.

Find the Environment Variables button in the Advanced tab

4. The Environment Variables window is divided into two sections. The sections display user-specific and system-wide environment variables. To add a variable, click the New… button under the appropriate section.

Click on the New... button to add a variable

5. Enter the variable name and value in the New User Variable prompt and click OK.

Enter the new variable name and value

Set Environment Variable in Windows via Command Prompt

Use the setx command to set a new user-specific environment variable via the Command Prompt:

setx [variable_name] "[variable_value]"

Where:

  • [variable_name]: The name of the environment variable you want to set.
  • [variable_value]: The value you want to assign to the new environment variable.

For instance:

setx Test_variable "Variable value"
Setting a user-specific environment variable via the Command Prompt

Note: You need to restart the Command Prompt for the changes to take effect.

To add a system-wide environment variable, open the Command Prompt as administrator and use:

setx [variable_name] "[variable_value]" /M
Setting a system environment variable via the Command Prompt

Unset Environment Variables

There are two ways to unset environment variables in Windows:

Unset Environment Variables in Windows via GUI

To unset an environment variable using the GUI, follow the steps in the section on setting environment variables via GUI to reach the Environment Variables window.

In this window:

1. Locate the variable you want to unset in the appropriate section.

2. Click the variable to highlight it.

3. Click the Delete button to unset it.

Unset environment variables in Windows via GUI

Unset Environment Variables in Windows via Registry

When you add an environment variable in Windows, the key-value pair is saved in the registry. The default registry folders for environment variables are:

  • user-specific variables: HKEY_CURRENT_USEREnvironment
  • system-wide variables: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerEnvironment

Using the reg command allows you to review and unset environment variables directly in the registry.

Note: The reg command works the same in the Command Prompt and Windows PowerShell.

Use the following command to list all user-specific environment variables:

reg query HKEY_CURRENT_USEREnvironment
Listing all user-specific environment variables in the registry

List all the system environment variables with:

reg query "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerEnvironment"
Listing all system environment variables in the registry

If you want to list a specific variable, use:

reg query HKEY_CURRENT_USEREnvironment /v [variable_name]
Listing a specific user environment variable in the registry

or

reg query "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerEnvironment" /v [variable_name]
Listing a specific system environment variable in the registry

Where:

  • /v: Declares the intent to list a specific variable.
  • [variable_name]: The name of the environment variable you want to list.

Use the following command to unset an environment variable in the registry:

reg delete HKEY_CURRENT_USEREnvironment /v [variable_name] /f
Unsetting a user-specific environment variable from the registry

or

reg delete "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlSession ManagerEnvironment" /v [variable_name] /f
Unsetting a system environment variable from the registry

Note: The /f parameter is used to confirm the reg delete command. Without it, entering the command triggers the Delete the registry value EXAMPLE (Yes/No)? prompt.

Run the setx command again to propagate the environment variables and confirm the changes to the registry.

Note: If you don’t have any other variables to add with the setx command, set a throwaway variable. For example:

setx [variable_name] trash

Conclusion

After following this guide, you should know how to set user-specific and system-wide environment variables in Windows 10.

Looking for this tutorial for a different OS? Check out our guides on How to Set Environment Variables in Linux and How to Set Environment Variables in MacOS.

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Aleksandar Kovačević
With a background in both design and writing, Aleksandar Kovacevic aims to bring a fresh perspective to writing for IT, making complicated concepts easy to understand and approach.
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