Setting An Account's Environment Variables?

Question

_{Friday, April 27, 2018 1:23 PM}

Hello Folks:

   I've defined environment variables to identify some paths for Visual Studio. 

   The only tool to define environment variables that I know of is accessed by Control Panel - System - Advanced System Settings - Enter Admin Password - Environment Variables - System Variables.

   While this works, I'm defining system variables with values that only my non-admin working account needs. 

   It seems there should be a method to set a non-admin user'r environment variables.  But I can't find it.

   I've been unable to open up a window like this to set environment variables for anything but the administrator account.

   I know environment variables are represented in the registry sub key:

       Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment

   I can't find a corresponding sub key in HKEY_CURRENT_USER key. And I'm not sure if that would do what I want even if I could.

   Is there a method for setting environment variables for a non-admin account? 

Thanks
Larry

All replies (2)

_{Saturday, April 28, 2018 7:14 AM ✅Answered | 1 vote}

Hi Larry,

Based on my search, Mr Happy’s reply gave an explanation for you.

https://social.technet.microsoft.com/Forums/windows/en-US/bbe5ece1-75b8-42f0-8095-6246bd247f7b/setting-nonadmin-users-environmental-variable?forum=win10itprogeneral

Please check the links below if they are helpful.

Change environment variables as standard user

https://superuser.com/questions/25037/change-environment-variables-as-standard-user

Windows 10: How do I change environment variables in regular User account???

https://www.tenforums.com/general-support/30455-how-do-i-change-environment-variables-regular-user-account.html

Please Note: Since the website is not hosted by Microsoft, the link may change without notice. Microsoft does not guarantee the accuracy of this information.

Hope it will be helpful to you

Please remember to mark the replies as answers if they help.
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_{Sunday, April 29, 2018 12:27 PM}

Thanks Carl:

   That first reference was to a thread I started a year and a half ago.  Mr. Happy's answer was valid, but I couldn't budget the time to learn PowerShell at the time.  I'm still in that situation.

   The second reference is golden. 

   There is a window for setting user's environment variables that corresponds to the one I mention in this thread's original post. 

   In that SuperUser thread bk1e recommended: Control Panel - User Accounts - Change my environment variables. 

   This opens up the exact same window I had, except this is for the user.  This window allows the user to set environment variable local to themselves.

   Thanks for finding this Carl.

Larry