Setting the System Path Variable

[hurricane766]

Hi,

I'm trying to add a path to the windows system environment variable:

prototype INT KERNEL32.SetEnvironmentVariable(BYVAL STRING, BYVAL STRING); 

function AddPath(svYourPath)  
     
        string svPath, , svSubStr, szAppPath;

begin	
		
	if (GetEnvVar ( "Path", svPath)==0) then

		if !(svPath % svYourPath) then
			
			if (StrSub(svSubStr, svPath, StrLengthChars(svPath) - 1, 1) = 1) then
				
				if (svSubStr = ';') then
					svPath = svPath  + svYourPath;
				else
					svPath = svPath  + ";" + svYourPath;
				endif;
				
			endif;
			
		endif;
		
		if (SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", svPath) = 0) then
			MessageBox ("Could not add path to environment!", WARNING);	
		endif;
		
	else
		MessageBox("Error retrieving environment!", WARNING);
	endif;

end;

I'm testing this on a Windows 7 Professional 64-bit with UAC turned off. The code seems to execute without issue when I step through with the debugger but the system path does not get updated...

Am I going about this the wrong way? Does anyone have any ideas about this?

Thanks

[phill_mn]

Look at:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms682653(v=vs.85).aspx

SetEvironmentVariable only modifies the current processes copy of the environment variables. The above doc says to persist a change to the registry.

I think at one time I used the code at:
see www.installsite.org > InstallScript Samples > Operating System > Handle PATH Environment on NT.

But that was a while ago and I do not know how it would play on Win 7.

[jhrlim]

Depending on what variant of InstallShield and what project you're using, InstallShield should have a built-in tool to help you set any environment variable. The tool will also take care of your rollback and uninstall actions.

For my own project, I was able to add a directory to the system wide Path variable. For reference, I have the Professional edition and am developing an InstallScript MSI project.

[hurricane766]

jhrlim wrote:
Depending on what variant of InstallShield and what project you're using, InstallShield should have a built-in tool to help you set any environment variable.

I am using Installshield 2012 Spring and this is a Installscript project. I was not able to find anything built into Installshield to set an environment variable... the closest thing I could find was GetEnvVar.

I am going to try setting the path in the registry like phill_mn suggests.

Thanks

[phill_mn]

A link to this example is at the bottom of the help doc for GetEnvVar
http://kb.flexerasoftware.com/doc/Helpnet/installshield15helplib/GetresEnv_variable_example.htm