Adding new top-level foldeer to PATH: what can I do that I could not

x509 · 2 Weeks Ago

I have a bunch of portable programs that I have collected into a top level folder called \bin" with subdirectories for various categories like batch cmds, general utilities, photo utilities, etc. On a different forum, someone said that I should add this to my PATH variable
c:\bin

So I did this and then rebooted my system. I checked PATH to see that my addition was now part of PATH. However, when I typed the name of one of these portable programs I got a web search for that program, but the program itself did not run.

Was I expecting too much? Did I skip any steps? I like the idea of typing (or clicking on a shortcut icon) for a program instead of having to navigate to the right subfolder, and then double-click on the program file.

Win 10 2H22 V 19045 (plus all MS patches)

skeptic mike · 2 Weeks Ago

Adding a directory to the path will enable you to run programs in that directory without specifying the full path. So, it won't help you to run programs (or scripts) in subdirectories.

If you have a directory which contains command line programs or scripts you could add that to the path. This does work for GUI programs, but there is a better way of doing this: using 'App Paths'

look in the registry at:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths

and

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths

any of the programs listed there can be started from the Run box, or from a command or powerShell prompt by using start progname

eg:

start wordpad

will run wordpad, whereas simply typing wordpad will produce the normal message for an unknown program. As a bonus using write (the forerunner of wordpad) will also start wordpad. If you examine the entry under write.exe you'll see that it points to wordpad. So you can set up aliases if you like.

Some entries will also have path value. This is only useful or needed if the program wants or needs additions to the path when it is running. This is added at the front of the path, so these folder(s) are searched first which enables the program to find them by name only. This is rarely necessary.

Whether you set the App Paths entries in HKLM or HKCU is up to you. I keep such programs in the user programs folder, normally \users\username\appdata\local\programs (you can access this as shell:userprogramfiles if it already exists) to keep them away from other users.

Try3 · 2 Weeks Ago

x509 said:

I like the idea of typing (or clicking on a shortcut icon) for a program instead of having to navigate to the right subfolder, and then double-click on the program file

This is not the same as your question about changing the Path but is, I think, a much better approach.
Just browse through the \bin subfolders once and right-click on the executables you want shortcuts for, select Create shortcut then move the shortcut to your Desktop [unless you have set up suitable folder permissions that force that choice on you anyway.

Adding new top-level foldeer to PATH: what can I do that I could not-create-shortcut-desktop-instead.png

By "suitable folder permissions", I mean Set up my Tools folder ditty - TenForums

When you have made them all, you can sort them out however you want. Personally, I use Taskbar Toolbars to organise my shortcuts.
Taskbar Toolbars - Creating and naming, customising, moving [post #20] - TenForumsTutorials

If you really do want to fart about with the Path, see
Edit User and System Environment Variables - TenForumsTutorials

Best of luck,
Denis

Samuria · 2 Weeks Ago

from a cmd prompt type

set
is the bin in the path?