# Environment Variables and \`PATH\`

Environment variables are settings Windows hands to every program, read and set in PowerShell with $env:, and PATH is the one that lists the folders searched for a command, which is why a program outside them is not recognized until you run it by its path or add its folder for this session.

![Cheat sheet for the lesson Environment Variables and \`PATH\`: Environment variables are settings Windows hands to every program, read and set in PowerShell with $env:, and PATH is the one that lists the folders searched for a command, which is why a program outside them is not recognized until you…](https://fsdtrainingmedia.blob.core.windows.net/public/images/2026/11/7c631fd401da458c8ca39c7fdf03b34d.webp)

- Category: PowerShell
- Level: Apprentice
- Tags: env, environment-variable, path, powershell
- Updated: November 10, 2026

Source: https://www.ask-codey.com/cheat-sheets/powershell-environment-variables-cheat-sheet