How to use setx command in a windows batch file

Question

I am trying to create a windows batch file to automatically set the environment variable to use python 2.4 or python 3.3.

Both python 2.4 and 3.3 are installed on my sys

Answer 1

The Windows command line error:

ERROR: Invalid syntax. Default option is not allowed more than '2' time(s).
Type "SETX /?" for usage.

Summary:

You are using a setx command and assigning it multiple tokens when only one is allowed.

How to reproduce this error on Windows:

Open a windows cmd terminal and enter these commands. This throws the error:

C:\Users\Charity>setx FANCYPANTS string with spaces

ERROR: Invalid syntax. Default option is not allowed more than '2' time(s).
Type "SETX /?" for usage.

Do the same command, but quote your string like this:

C:\Users\Charity>setx FANCYPANTS "string with spaces quoted"
SUCCESS: Specified value was saved.
C:\Users\Charity>

The variable was set, restart the cmd terminal here to load changes.

C:\Users\Charity>echo %FANCYPANTS%
string with spaces quoted

The environment variable is saved. Now delete it.

C:\Users\Charity>setx FANCYPANTS ""
SUCCESS: Specified value was saved.

restart the cmd terminal here to load changes. Print contents again.

C:\Users\Charity>echo %FANCYPANTS%
%FANCYPANTS%

the variable FANCYPANTS was deleted and no longer exists.