How do I set a system environment variable in Windows XP without using the "My Computer" Dialog

Question

I'm switching between different Java SDKs (1.4.2, 1.5.0 and 1.6.0) for various projects. I would like to set the JAVA_HOME environment variable on my Windows XP machine without going through the tedious My Computer -> Advanced -> [Select System Variable] -> Edit -> Ok -> Ok

Is it possible to do this from the command line, or is there a utility that can do this?

(Note that I am not referring to the standard batch file "SET" command - I want to set the environment variable "globally," not just for the life of a console window).

Answer 1

From http://vlaurie.com/computers2/Articles/environment.htm:

Using the add-on tool Setx.exe

It is not part of the standard Windows XP setup but a command-line tool called setx.exe is included in the Windows XP Service Pack 2 Support Tools. This tool extends the set command so that permanent changes in the environment variables can be made. For example, to add a folder C:\New Folder to the path, the command would be setx path "%PATH%;C:\New Folder"

Answer 2

Service Pack 2 Support Tools has a tool called "setx.exe" that can do what you are looking for. setx path "%PATH%;C:\New Folder"

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