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

command lineenvironment-variables

In Windows (e.g. version 10) you can list environment variables using the command

set

How do you list just the environment variables that are the same for all users or just the environment variables that are for the current user or session?

Best Answer

Things are a little more complicated than Microsoft sometimes make it seem.

A lot of the environment variables are stored in the Registry. This means you can query them using the reg command

Common to all users

reg query "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment"

Specific to current user session

reg query HKCU\Environment
reg query "HKCU\Volatile Environment"

Set by user

If you permanently set your own environment variable using the setx variable value command it is stored in the registry but not made immediately available.

C:\>setx test removeme

SUCCESS: Specified value was saved.

C:\>reg query "HKCU\Environment"

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Environment
    Path    REG_EXPAND_SZ    %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps;
    TEMP    REG_EXPAND_SZ    %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp
    TMP    REG_EXPAND_SZ    %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Temp
    test    REG_SZ    removeme

If you use the set variable=value command, the variable is available immediately but is not stored in the registry. You cannot use the reg command to list them although they are shown by set. These temporary environment variables do not persist after you end the command-prompt session.

Dynamic Environment Variables

There are constructs that act like environment variables that are not stored in the registry in this way. For example:

echo %TIME%
Related Question