Setting the PATH variable in Windows XP

Setting the PATH Environment Variable

If you can not run a Java class or JAR file on your system without pointing to the location of the JDK or JRE on your system, you might need to modify the value of your system's PATH variable.

If you are running on a Microsoft Windows system, the procedure for setting the PATH variable depends the version of Windows you are using.

The following are the steps for setting the PATH variable on a Windows XP system:

Choose Start > Control Panel and double-click System.
In the System Properties dialog box, click the Advanced tab.
Click the Environment Variables tab.
In the list of user variables, select PATH and click Edit.
(If it is not there, then create one!)
Add the location of the JDK to the end of the list of paths. The locations in this list are separated by semicolons (;).

For example, if your JDK is located at
C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.5.0_7
you would add the following to the end of the PATH variable:
C:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.5.0_7\bin
Click OK to exit the Environment Variables dialog box, and click OK to exit the System Properties dialog box.