Windows 8 In Depth

Setting Environment Variables

Using environment variables is one of the ways that Windows communicates information such as the location of system files and folders—as set up on your particular computer—to programs. Environment variables indicate where temporary files are stored, what folders contain Windows program files, and other settings that affect program operation and system performance. In addition, they can be used in batch files to temporarily hold information about the job at hand.

In Windows 8, the initial environment variables defined when every Command Prompt window is first opened are set up using the GUI shown in Figure 30.2.