How can I display the contents of an environment variable from the command prompt in Windows 7?

Question

In Windows 7, when I start the Command prompt, is there any command to display the contents of an environment variable (such as the JAVA_HOME or PATH variables)?

I have tried with echo $PATH, echo PATH and $PATH but none of these work.

@Daniel: I know how to set environment variables in Windows, I simply open "System properties" > "Advanced" and "Environment Variables". So I don't expect the answer to my question in a question titled with **"How do I set PATH and other environment variables?"**, because I know that! I'm **not** asking about how to set them. — Jonas, Oct 01 '11 at 12:00
Perhaps relevant: https://stackoverflow.com/questions/1884071/windows-echo-command-cant-echo-a-user-set-variable — Technophile, Oct 30 '17 at 21:51
`echo %path:;=&echo.%` gets the pretty list of semicolon separated paths. Works if a variable does not contain special characters like `&` or `^`. — Andry, Jul 05 '18 at 17:22
the command to print path in Windows command shell is: `path` — Vyacheslav Lanovets, May 02 '19 at 05:46

score 820 · Accepted Answer · edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:17

820

In Windows Command-Prompt the syntax is echo %PATH%

To get a list of all environment variables enter the command set

To send those variables to a text file enter the command set > filename.txt

How to list global environment variables separately from user-specific environment variables?

edited Mar 20 '17 at 10:17

Community

1

answered Sep 29 '11 at 11:26

RedGrittyBrick

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Why is this value different from what I've specified in computer properties? – Johnny_D Sep 19 '13 at 09:45
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@Johnny_D It is likely that either you have a user scoped variable or you have a session scoped variable (using the `set` command inside a command prompt does not keep the change after you close the console window) that is overriding it. – Scott Chamberlain Dec 07 '13 at 09:09
@RedGrittyBrick, How do you differentiate those set throughout the system vs those that are only for the current user? – Pacerier Feb 16 '17 at 06:31
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@Pacerier, that would be [a separate question](http://superuser.com/q/1179433/52492) – RedGrittyBrick Feb 16 '17 at 10:31
Works on Windows 8, 10 and 11 too. – Welyngton Dal Prá Aug 05 '22 at 01:49

score 262 · Answer 2 · answered Jul 05 '13 at 05:54

262

To complement the previous answer, if you're using Powershell echo %PATH% would not work. You need to use the following command instead: echo $Env:PATH

answered Jul 05 '13 at 05:54

Gerard Yin

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Also in PS: `ls env:` for listing all environment variables – George Mauer Aug 08 '15 at 16:24
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Since PowerShell is now the default shell in modern Windows OS's this needs to be up-voted higher. Way too many answers out there that simply no longer work on modern Windows. – SikoSoft May 14 '18 at 10:35
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@Lev. What version do you have that does not have cmd? – Mad Physicist May 24 '18 at 18:20
so how one shows a variable if its name contains a dot? Like `artifactory.user.name`? `echo $Env:artifactory.user.name` doesn't work (highlighting suggests that it tries to show the `artifactory` variable) – YakovL May 15 '19 at 14:52

score 39 · Answer 3 · answered Oct 28 '14 at 20:44

As an additional bit of information: While SET works with global or system variables, sometimes you want to write and read User variables, and this is done with the SETX command. SETX is included in the base installs of Windows beginning with Vista, but was also available in Windows XP by installing the Resource Pack.

One difference about SETX though is that you cannot read the variable out in the same command window you wrote it in. You have to write the SETX command in one Command or Powershell window, and then open a new window to read it using ECHO.

SETX can also write global or system variables.

To Set a user variable using SETX:

setx variable value

To set a global or system variable using SETX:

setx /m variable value

To read a user or global variable:

Remember, you must open a new Command or Powershell window to read this variable.

echo %variable%

score 15 · Answer 4 · answered Jul 03 '14 at 11:22

From SET /?:

SET P
would display all variables that begin with the letter 'P'

So for example if you want to find value of environment variable %PATH%, you can just type set path.

This is 3 characters shorter than echo %PATH%, but note that it also lists other variables starting with "path" (e.g. PATHEXT).

score 9 · Answer 5 · answered Mar 18 '19 at 11:14

To display contents of an environment variable eg. path, at command prompt type: echo %path%
To display the values in separate lines, type: set
To display all variables starting with "h", type: set h
(Press enter after typing to get computer response, duh!)

Above commands are for cmd, not powershell. In powershell, type: echo $env:path or ls env:path
To display on separate lines, type: ls env:
To display all variables starting with "h", type: ls env:h*
To display contents/values of all variables containing "java", type: ls env:*java*

score 8 · Answer 6 · answered Feb 04 '20 at 09:06

8

Powershell:

echo $Env:PATH

Command Prompt:

echo $Env:%PATH%

on the Command Prompt %PATH% will also work

answered Feb 04 '20 at 09:06

Bar Horing

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There is no `$Env` on `cmd.exe`. Just use the `path` command or `echo %PATH%`. – Amit Naidu Apr 01 '21 at 01:30

score 5 · Answer 7 · answered Sep 15 '20 at 01:56

5

On powershell if you want to list all the values splitter by semicolon delimiter, then use:

$env:Path-split';'

answered Sep 15 '20 at 01:56

Wasif

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score 5 · Answer 8 · edited Feb 29 '20 at 02:22

The solution was a bit different for me: it won't recognize the system environment variable JAVA_HOME, so I had to set JAVA_HOME as User environment variable, so that i can use %JAVA_HOME% in system environment variable setting up.

Resuming, I had to:

add a user environment variable: %JAVA_HOME% as:
```
"C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_25";
```
add to %PATH% system environment variable:
```
"%JAVA_HOME%\bin;"
```
latter on command line:

echo %JAVA_HOME%, and it retrieved the correct path (before it wasn't recognizing);

echo %PATH%, and it retrieved the "C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_25\bin" composed with %JAVA_HOME% user variable;

And it worked for me. I hope it helps!!

How can I display the contents of an environment variable from the command prompt in Windows 7?

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