AddToPath

A Windows utility for managing your PATH environment variable through both a context menu and command line interface.

AddToPath context menu integration in Windows Explorer

Table of Contents

• Requirements
• Quick Start
• Features
• Installation
• CLI Usage
• Uninstall
• Troubleshooting
• Development
• License

Requirements

• Windows 10 or later
• .NET Framework 4.7.2 (pre-installed on Windows 10)
• Administrator rights for system PATH modifications

Quick Start

1. Download latest release
2. Run AddToPath.exe as administrator
3. Click "Install Tools"
4. Right-click any folder → Path → Add to PATH

Features

• Two ways to manage PATH:

  1. Context Menu (GUI)

     • Right-click any folder and use the "Path" menu
     • Add folders to system or user PATH
     • Remove folders from PATH
     • Check if folders are in PATH
     • View all PATH entries

  2. Command Line (CLI)

     • Use a2p command from any terminal
     • Simple commands for PATH management:

       # Add current directory to user PATH
       a2p add .
       
       # Add a directory to system PATH (needs admin)
       a2p add -s "C:\Tools"
       
       # Remove from user PATH
       a2p remove "C:\Tools"
       
       # Check if directory is in PATH
       a2p check "C:\Tools"

• No external dependencies - everything is embedded

• UAC elevation for admin operations

• Works with both user and system PATH

• Changes take effect immediately in new terminals

• Includes scripts to refresh PATH in existing terminals

Installation

1. Download the latest release
2. Run AddToPath.exe as administrator and choose "Install Tools"
   • Both tools will be installed to Program Files
   • Creates context menu entries
   • Adds installation directory to system PATH
   • Creates updatepath command for refreshing PATH in current terminals
3. You can now:
   • Right-click folders and use the "Path" menu
   • Use a2p commands in any terminal
   • Use updatepath to refresh PATH in current terminal

CLI Usage

The a2p command supports the following operations:

a2p add <path>      # Add to user PATH
a2p add -s <path>   # Add to system PATH (needs admin)
a2p remove <path>   # Remove from user PATH
a2p remove -s <path># Remove from system PATH (needs admin)
a2p check <path>    # Check if path is in PATH
a2p list           # List all PATH entries

After modifying PATH, you can either:

• Open new terminals to see the changes, or
• Refresh PATH in current terminal:

  updatepath
  

Uninstall

To completely remove both tools, you can either:

1. Run AddToPath.exe and choose "Uninstall"
2. Run AddToPath.exe --uninstall as administrator

Either way:

• Removes context menu entries
• Removes both tools from Program Files
• Removes installation directory from PATH

Troubleshooting

The tool automatically detects common issues and will show a "Reinstall Tools" button if it finds any problems. This can fix:

• Missing context menu entries
• Missing PATH entries
• Incorrect installation directory
• Missing or outdated components

For specific issues:

1. "Access denied" when modifying system PATH

   • Run the tool as administrator
   • For CLI, use an elevated command prompt

2. Changes not visible in current terminal

   • PATH changes only affect new terminals
   • Close and reopen your terminal
   • Use updatepath to refresh PATH

3. Any other issues

   • Run AddToPath.exe - it will detect problems and offer to fix them
   • Click "Reinstall Tools" if offered
   • The tool will repair all components and restore functionality

Development

This project is built using:

• C# Windows Forms & Console Apps
• .NET Framework 4.7.2
• Visual Studio 2022 or later

See CONTRIBUTING.md for development setup and guidelines.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.