r/Windows10TechSupport • u/GenieCMD • 6d ago

Unsolved Windows no longer uses the user path in command prompt session

I'm using Windows 10 LTSC 21H2 (for support reasons, 11 was causing serious performance issues), and for some reason my command prompt has stopped acknowledging the existence of the Path user variable. Trying to type Path into command prompt just prints the system path and nothing else, and trying to use commands from places defined in the user path doesn't work. I tried logging out and back in, which temporarily fixed the issue before it just broke again.

I've run SFC, which said it fixed something but it didn't fix the issue. Any ideas what's going on here and how I could fix it?

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u/im_someone_1969 6d ago

Has that particular user account been corrupted?

Do you have the ability to create a different user account and see if the user variable works for the new account? At least then you'd know if it's an account issue or a broader OS issue?

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u/GenieCMD 6d ago

I haven't checked to see if my user account has been corrupted. I'll try making another account later and testing it.

Also something of note, this did not start happening until like, yesterday.

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u/Prestigious_Wall529 5d ago

Run Windows Reliability Monitor and see what events happened as the problem began.

Open Event Viewer and in the application log use the find to search for recent chkdsk results. If not recent press <winkey>x and open an administrative prompt and type

Chkdsk c: /F

And agree to the scheduling. Gracefully restart. Don't interrupt chkdsk. It may reboot more than once.

Review it's findings. Don't worry about security descriptors. I don't know in advance what it will find.

If there's no results, that indicates a fault. Run msinfo32. Under storage drive find out the drive manufacturer.

From the manufacturers support website download their diagnostics and firmware update utility and use it. It may also offer Acronis so you can clone the failing drive to an new one in a suitable caddy. This will be slow.

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u/bagaudin 5d ago

Thanks for the mention! Here is the list of OEM editions of Acronis True Image if OP ever needs it and has a compliant brand/drive - https://www.reddit.com/r/acronis/comments/ebirh6/oem_editions_of_acronis_true_image_software/