Remove unwanted path name from %path% variable via batch

Question

Scope: Windows XP or newer Tools: Batch script

I need to be able to remove an unneeded path name from the system %PATH% variable. I know how to add a new path name

Answer 1

After trying SachaDee's answers I got errors with paths like

C:\Program Files (x86)

with brackets: Program Files (x86)\Directory gave me

Directorywas unexpected at this time. (no matter what time I tried it)

I added

set $line=%$line:)=^^)%

before the for-loop and

set $newpath=!$newpath:^^=!

after the loop (not sure if it is necessary)

@echo off
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
set path
set $line=%path%
set $line=%$line: =#%
set $line=%$line:;= %
set $line=%$line:)=^^)%

for %%a in (%$line%) do echo %%a | find /i "oracle" || set $newpath=!$newpath!;%%a
set $newpath=!$newpath:#= !
set $newpath=!$newpath:^^=!
set path=!$newpath:~1!

And it is now working.

Answer 2

You can try something like this :

@echo off&cls
setlocal EnableDelayedExpansion
set $line=%path%
set $line=%$line: =#%
set $line=%$line:;= %

for %%a in (%$line%) do echo %%a | find /i "oracle" || set $newpath=!$newpath!;%%a
set $newpath=!$newpath:#= !
echo set path=!$newpath:~1!

I putted an echo to the last line. Check the result and If it's OK for you, remove it.

Answer 3

This removes the substring C:\Program Files (x86)\Git\bin; from the PATH string and re-assigns:

set PATH=%PATH:C:\Program Files (x86)\Git\bin;=%

You might use this to see the change:

echo %PATH:C:\Program Files (x86)\Git\bin;=% | tr ; \n

Note: be exact on the substring. It's case-sensitive and slash-sensitive.

If you need to make it a persistent change use setx instead of set and open another console for changes to take effect.

setx /M PATH "%PATH:C:\Program Files (x86)\Git\bin;=%"

Answer 4

I found the other solutions to this problem a bit awkward, I don't really want to rely on exact paths, complex 'delayed expansion' syntax, removing spaces for the 'for /f' loop and then adding them back in...

I think this is more elegant, and I commented the hell out of it so even someone new to the horrors of Batch can follow along.

::Turn off command display and allows environmental variables to be overridden for the current session
@echo off & setlocal

::Creates a unique file to use for the 'for loop'
set "TMPFILE="%temp%\tmp%RANDOM%%RANDOM%.txt""

::Duplicate PATH into OLDPATH
set "OLDPATH=%PATH%"

::Declare label for the 'goto' command
:Loop

::Extract the first text token with the default delimiter of semicolon
for /f "tokens=1 delims=;" %%G in ("%OLDPATH%") do (

REM Copy text token to TMPFILE unless what we want to remove is found
<NUL set /p="%%G" | find /i "StRiNgThAtMaTcHeSwHaTtOrEmOvE" >NUL 2>&1 || <NUL set /p="%%G;" >>%TMPFILE%

REM Remove text token from OLDPATH
set "OLDPATH=%OLDPATH:*;=%"
)

::Repeat loop until OLDPATH no longer has any delimiters, and then add any remaining value to TMPFILE
echo %OLDPATH% | findstr /C:";" >NUL && (goto :Loop) || <NUL set /p="%OLDPATH%" >>%TMPFILE%

::Set the path to TMPFILE
for /f "usebackq delims=" %%G in (%TMPFILE%) do (set "PATH=%%G")

::Clean-up
del %TMPFILE% >NUL 2>&1

::An echo and pause just for debug purposes
echo %PATH%
pause