▷ How to customize and add environment variables windows 10

In this new step-by-step we will help you learn more about Windows 10 environment variables. We will see how to access them and how to modify them or add new ones. This is very useful to customize the PATH that you use in CMD or for example to change the path where Windows 10 temporary files are stored.

Index of contents

Windows 10 environment variables are paths or strings that define aspects of the system environment for the user who is currently logged in to the system at all times. These variables define aspects such as the location of personal files, temporary files, or where we are when we start CMD.

Where are the Windows 10 environment variables

The first thing we must do is locate where these environment variables are located and how to edit them:

• We go to the start menu and write " System ". We must select and access the featured search result

• Once inside the system information window, click on the option located on the left side " Advanced system settings "

• In the system properties window we are located in the " Advanced options " tab Press the " Environment variables " button

In this way we will have accessed the Windows 10 environment variables configuration window

Types of environment variables

In the variables window, we can distinguish two types of variables, which are divided into two sections:

• User variables: These variables will be configured specifically for the user who is logged in to the system. Its modification will only affect this user and not the rest that exists in the equipment. System variables: These variables do affect all users of the system, since they are directly applicable to its operation. If what we want is to apply a variable to all users, for example, modify the PATH to directly run applications, we will have to do it here.

The procedure for modifying and editing environment variables is exactly the same for both cases.

Add or edit new environment variable

In our example, we will try to facilitate the use of the application that VirtualBox brings to configure parameters in command mode of virtual machines (VBoxManage). Initially, to run this application we would have to manually go to the folder where the application is installed on the system.

If we run a command prompt and type " BVoxManage " we will get absolutely nothing in return, just an error message.

In order to run this application anywhere we are located in CMD we will do the following:

• Select the user variable " Path " and click on " Edit "

• To add a new environment variable, click on " New ". A new line will appear where we will have to enter the path where the application that we want to execute is located. We place the path to it

• Now click on " Accept " and then " Accept " for the changes to be applied

If we now open a CMD window and try to run the application directly as " VBoxManage.exe ", we will see that it now responds perfectly to our request without being located within the direct.

Modify environment variables

This procedure already has little mystery. To edit a Windows 10 environment variable, we will only have to click on it and choose " Edit ".

A window will open where we can change both the name and the directory that is assigned to it. For example, if we want to place the temporary files in another storage unit than the one of the system, we will only have to put the directory in question here.

The procedure is the same for any type of modification that we want to make of the Windows 10 environment variables.

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