How do I add Python to the Windows PATH?

Question

I want to be able to run Python commands from the Windows CMD. However, if I don't specify Python's full path for each command, I get an error saying "*Python is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.*"How do I add Python to the Windows PATH permanently?

Answer 1

This is pretty much the same in Windows 7 through 10 ....

Go to [Start] and search for PATH. You should see something like "Edit Environment Variables for your Account" ... selecting that should present a "Environment Variables" Panel with 2 scroll-able lists - "User Variables ..." at the top and "System Variables" at the bottom.

Find and select the "PATH" variable in the top list, and click the [Edit] button.

A Sub-Panel will be presented with 2 Text Boxes: Variable Name and Variable value.

For convenience, copy / paste the Variable Value content into your favorite text-editor (e.g., mine is notepad++).

You should see something that looks like this - a semicolon separated sequence of fully qualified directory paths:

C:\ProgramData\Oracle\Java\javapath;C:\MyScripts;%GOPATH%\bin

Find where your Python executables are and prepend the value in your text editor with that directory path along with a terminating semicolon - for example:

C:\Users\lji\AppData\Local\Programs\Python\Python37-32\;C:\ProgramData\Oracle\Java\javapath;C:\MyScripts;%GOPATH%\bin

Now copy / paste your modified PATH value, replacing the Variable Value text box in the Edit User Variable Panel ... and click [OK] ... click [OK] again on the Environment Variables Panel

Launch a new CMD prompt ... you should be able to run your Python interpreter without rebooting

C:\Users\lji>python someScript.py ...