%windir% not recognized error
I am trying to run the command %windir% in a command prompt, but I am getting an below error:
4 Answers
Strangely enough, no one has explained the entire story, i.e. the error.
Indeed %windir% is an variable, and its contents on your system are C:\Windows.
So when you 'execute' %windir% its contents are substituted and your command is C:\Windows, which, as Windows informs you is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file.
A fun experiment would be to place an executable named windows.exe in your C:\ root ;-)
%windir% is a variable and should be used in conjunction with standard commands or actions.
For example CD %WINDIR% will take you to the windows directory...
You must be used to a different shell (in particular 4DOS/4NT/TakeCommand) where a directory name is treated as a command to change to that directory. That’s not the case with CMD, and you have to use CD before it (if it is already on the same drive. I don’t know if CMD has cdd command to change drive and directory).
when you do %windir% you are meant to use it with other commands with it. so that is why there is an error. for example if you do cd %windir%, you will not get an error
