Brightrev

I like to create a directory that contains all my system utilities, which I call c:\support. Then I add c:\support to my system path so I don't have to type the whole directory name every time I use a utility. This article shows you how to create the directory and add it to your system path on Windows XP and Windows Vista.

To create the directory, click Start->Run on Windows XP or Start->Start search on Windows Vista. In the Run or Search box, type c:\ making sure to include the backslash at the end, and press your Enter key. The Local disk c:\ window will open. Right-click an empty space in the C:\ drive window and click New->Folder. I'll name my folder support, but you can choose a name that makes sense to you.

Windows XP - Add to path

Add your new directory to the Windows XP system path by right-clicking My Computer and clicking Properties. Click the Advanced tab and then the Environment Variables button.

In the System Variables box, double-click the Path entry and type a semicolon followed by your directory name, which in my case is:

;c:\support

Click OK three times and now every utility you put in the c:\support directory will be available by just typing its name in the Run command or on the command line.

Windows Vista - Add to path

Change your system path on Windows Vista by clicking Start->Control Panel. In Control Panel's search box at the top right, type system env and click the Edit the system environment variables entry.

From here on, the instructions are the same as those on Windows XP. Click the Advanced tab and then the Environment Variables button.

In the System Variables box, double-click the Path entry and type a semicolon followed by your directory name, which in my case is:

;c:\support

Click OK three times and now every utility you put in the c:\support directory will be available by just typing its name in the Start search box or on the command line.

I put command line utilities and anything that doesn't create a Start menu entry into the C:\support folder. I'll cover specific utilities in other articles.

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