# win_path – Manage Windows path environment variables

- Synopsis

- Parameters

- Notes

- See Also

- Examples

- Status

## Synopsis

- Allows element-based ordering, addition, and removal of Windows path environment variables.

## Parameters

Parameter | Choices/Defaults | Comments
--- | --- | ---

elements
list / required

A single path element, or a list of path elements (ie, directories) to add or remove.
When multiple elements are included in the list (and `state` is `present`), the elements are guaranteed to appear in the same relative order in the resultant path value.
Variable expansions (eg, `%VARNAME%`) are allowed, and are stored unexpanded in the target path element.
Any existing path elements not mentioned in `elements` are always preserved in their current order.
New path elements are appended to the path, and existing path elements may be moved closer to the end to satisfy the requested ordering.
Paths are compared in a case-insensitive fashion, and trailing backslashes are ignored for comparison purposes. However, note that trailing backslashes in YAML require quotes.

name string | Default: "PATH" | Target path environment variable name.

scope
string

Choices:
- machine ←
- user

The level at which the environment variable specified by `name` should be managed (either for the current user or global machine scope).

state
string

Choices:
- absent
- present

Whether the path elements specified in `elements` should be present or absent.

## Notes

Note

- This module is for modifying individual elements of path-like environment variables. For general-purpose management of other environment vars, use the win_environment module.

- This module does not broadcast change events. This means that the minority of windows applications which can have their environment changed without restarting will not be notified and therefore will need restarting to pick up new environment settings.

- User level environment variables will require an interactive user to log out and in again before they become available.

## See Also

See also

win_environment – Modify environment variables on windows hosts

  The official documentation on the win_environment module.

## Examples

    - name: Ensure that system32 and Powershell are present on the global system path, and in the specified order
      win_path:
        elements:
        - '%SystemRoot%\system32'
        - '%SystemRoot%\system32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0'

    - name: Ensure that C:\Program Files\MyJavaThing is not on the current user's CLASSPATH
      win_path:
        name: CLASSPATH
        elements: C:\Program Files\MyJavaThing
        scope: user
        state: absent

## Status

- This module is not guaranteed to have a backwards compatible interface. [preview]

- This module is maintained by the Ansible Core Team. [core]

### Red Hat Support

More information about Red Hat’s support of this module is available from this Red Hat Knowledge Base article.

### Authors

- Matt Davis (@nitzmahone)

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