Update Path Environment Variable Using PowerShell In Windows 10 Creators Edition

#Update Path Environment Variable Using PowerShell In Windows 10 Creators Edition

#These are the two PowerShell commands you need to permanently update the Path environment variable in Windows 10 Creators Edition and Windows 10 Anniversary Edition.  If that is all you want to do then you do not need to read further than the following two commands. These commands all work in both PowerShell and PowerShell Direct.

$Old_Path=(Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment' -Name Path).Path #Save old Path variable value
Set-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment' -Name PATH -Value ($Old_Path += ';c:\Important Executables') #Append new path to existing path variable

#The Longer Story…

#Setx is the old way to modify registry entries and set environment variables. It still works if needed but PowerShell commands are all I am attempting to use at this point.

#Check mounted drives and filesystems

#You do not need to run the command below. Is just to prove a point about accessing different mount points.

#Run Get-PSDrive to see the drives available in PowerShell.

Get-PSDrive

#▲You will see Env listed under the Name column and Provider is Environment meaning that the environment variables are an actual mounted file system to PowerShell and the same commands you use to manage other filesystems will work when modifying or adding environment variables manually.

#Add c:\Important Executables to the existing environment path for the current session only.

#Disconnecting your PowerShell session loses these changes when you reconnect to a new session. You instead need to update the registry to make the change permanent. There is no output for the following command but you would need to change c:\Important Executables to the directory you would like to include in your system path. This command has no results or confirmation.

$env:Path += ';c:\Important Executables'

#Check current permanent Path variable

#Check the registry key value for the Path variable to see what it is currently set to.  Any changes so far are still not there after running the last command. The path will revert to the results of the command below once you disconnect and reconnect your PowerShell session.

(Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment' -Name Path).Path|fl

#Get-ItemProperty before updating the registry value.

 

#▲Get-ItemProperty after updating the registry value.

 

#Use Get-Item Env:Path  to get the currently loaded Path environment variable value

Get-Item Env:Path|fl

#$Env:Path also works as a shortcut for Get-Item Env:Path

#$Env:Path after exiting PowerShell and reconnecting again.

#Perserve old path to $Old_Path and a new path to the existing path

#To save the current registry value for combining with the new path or at least have the original value stored in case you screw something up by typing:

$Old_Path=(Get-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment' -Name Path).Path

#Set registry key to the old registry value combined with the new directory

#Modify HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment|Path properties to include a new directory.

Set-ItemProperty -Path 'Registry::HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment' -Name PATH -Value ($Old_Path += ';c:\Important Executables') -Verbose -PassThru|fl

#Delete Environment Variables

#Setting a variable = to an empty string will remove it completely.

$Env:VariableName = ''

#Default Path In Windows 10 Creators Edition

#For reference in case something gets screwed up. This is not a commnad
C:\Windows\system32;C:\Windows;C:\Windows\System32\Wbem;C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\

Enable File And Printer Sharing In Windows 10 Creators Edition Without Using The netsh Command In PowerShell

#Enable File And Printer Sharing In Windows 10 Without Using The netsh Command in PowerShell

#It is as simple as enabling  the pre-configured rule in Windows Firewall to enable File and Printer Sharing in Windows 10 but using netsh is the old fashion way.

#Run this command in an elevated PowerShell prompt and you are done.

Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup 'File and Printer Sharing'|Set-NetFirewallRule -Profile 'Private, Domain' -Enabled true -PassThru|select Name,DisplayName,Enabled,Profile|ft -a

#The Long Story…

#Allow File and Printer Sharing services through the Windows Firewall to access shared information and to share information of your own. These commands all work in both in PowerShell and PowerShell Direct.

#Get Firewall rules for File and Printer Sharing

#This command shows the individual rules and the network connection profiles that  are explicitly enabled and disabled for the File and Printer Sharing services.

Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup 'File and Printer Sharing'|select Name,DisplayName,Enabled,Profile|ft -a

#Enable File and Printer Sharing for Private and Domain network profiles

#Enable the  File and Printer Sharing services for the Private and Domain network connection profiles by applying the preconfigured Windows Firewall group rule called File and Printer Sharing by typing this:

Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup 'File and Printer Sharing'|Set-NetFirewallRule -Profile 'Private, Domain' -Enabled true -PassThru|select Name,DisplayName,Enabled,Profile|ft -a

#▲That is what it looks like under Advanced Sharing Settings when the File and Printer Sharing firewall rule is enabled.

#Set Network Connection Profile to Private.

#I set the variable $InterfaceAlias to automatically query my primary network interface or NIC. The -NlMtuBytes 1500 switch is what makes it work. If you have changed the Maximum Transmission Unit (MTU) from the defaults then this command will need to be modified:

$InterfaceAlias = (Get-NetIPInterface -AddressFamily IPv4 -ConnectionState Connected -NlMtuBytes 1500 -Verbose) #this works for me to automatically identify my nic - mtu 1500 may vary
Set-NetConnectionProfile -InterfaceIndex $InterfaceAlias.ifIndex -Ne

#Disable File and Printer Sharing on all network profiles

Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup 'File and Printer Sharing'|Set-NetFirewallRule -Enabled false -PassThru|select Name,DisplayName,Enabled,Profile|ft -a

#▲It will look like this when File and Printer Sharing is disabled.

Enable Network Discovery In Windows 10 Without Using the netsh Command In PowerShell

#Enable Network Discovery In Windows 10 Without Using the netsh Command In PowerShell

#It is as simple as enabling  the pre-configured rule in Windows Firewall to enable Network Discovery in Windows 10 but using netsh is the old fashion way.

#Run just this one command in an elevated PowerShell prompt to enable Network Discovery

Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup 'Network Discovery'|Set-NetFirewallRule -Profile 'Private, Domain' -Enabled true -PassThru|select Name,DisplayName,Enabled,Profile|ft -a

#The Longer Story…

#Enabling the Network Discovery services it what makes the Network icon (formally My Network Places) work properly. These commands all work in both PowerShell and PowerShell Direct.

#Get Firewall rules for Network Discovery

#This command shows the individual rules and the network connection profiles that  are explicitly enabled and disabled for Network Discovery.

Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup 'Network Discovery'|select Name,DisplayName,Enabled,Profile|ft -a

#Enable Network Discovery for Private and Domain network profiles

#Enable the Network Discovery service for the Private and Domain network profiles by applying the preconfigured Windows Firewall group rule called Network Discovery by typing this:

Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup 'Network Discovery'|Set-NetFirewallRule -Profile 'Private, Domain' -Enabled true -PassThru|select Name,DisplayName,Enabled,Profile|ft -a

#▲It will look like that in the GUI setup when Network Discovery is enabled.

#Set Network Connection Profile to Private.

Set-NetConnectionProfile -NetworkCategory Private -PassThru

#Disable Network Discovery for all network profiles

#Run this command to disable Network Discovery on all network profiles if you do not wish to keep the service available.

Get-NetFirewallRule -DisplayGroup 'Network Discovery'|Set-NetFirewallRule -Enabled false -PassThru|select Name,DisplayName,Enabled,Profile|ft -a

#▲It will look like that in the GUI setup when Network Discovery is disabled.