Environment Variables and System Tools

In Windows, similar to Linux, environment variables play a crucial role in influencing how the operating system and its applications behave.

They can be accessed through the Command Prompt, PowerShell, and other methods, and can be identified because they start and end with the % symbol.

Here is a list of some of the most usual environment variables:

• %WINDIR%/ %SystemRoot%: Location for the operating system files (C:\Windows)

• %PATH%: Specifies directories to search for executable files

• %TEMP%: Designates the location where temporary files are stored

• %USERPROFILE%: Path to the current user's profile directory, which contains user-specific files and settings (C:\Users\$username)

• %APPDATA%: Path to the application data folder for the current user, used by applications to store user-specific data (C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming)

• %LOCALAPPDATA%: Specifically points to the local application data folder, which is typically used for non-roaming application settings (C:\Users\username\AppData\Local)

• %PROGRAMFILES%: The default installation directory for 32-bit applications on a 64-bit version of Windows (C:\Program Files)

• %PROGRAMFILES(X86)%: The default installation directory for 32-bit applications on a 64-bit version of Windows (usually C:\Program Files (x86))

• %SystemDrive%: Drive letter where Windows is installed (usually C:)

• %COMPUTERNAME%: The name of the computer on the network

• %USERNAME%: The name of the currently logged-in user

• %DATE%: The current system date which is formatted based on the regional settings

• %TIME%: The current system time which is formatted based on the regional settings

• %NUMBER_OF_PROCESSORS%: The number of processors installed on the machine

• %PROCESSOR_ARCHITECTURE%: The architecture of the processor, such as AMD64 for 64-bit or x86 for 32-bit

• %SESSIONNAME%: The name of the current session, useful for differentiating between multiple user sessions

• %PSExecutionPolicyPreference%: Specifies the execution policy for PowerShell scripts, which determines the level of trust for running scripts

Also, Windows provides a variety of system tools that allow users to configure settings, monitor system performance, and manage system resources. Here is a list of some of them:

• msconfig: System configuration, related to startup options

• taskmgr: Task Manager

• msinfo32: System information, view of your hardware, system components, and software environment

• resmon: Resource Monitor, shows the process and aggregate CPU, memory, disk, and network usage information

• compmgmt.msc: Computer Management

• lusrmgr.msc: Information about local users and groups of the device

• control.exe: Control Panel

• UserAccountControlSettings.exe: Change UAC settings

• regedit/regedt32: Registry Editor, a central database used to store information necessary to configure the system for users, applications, and hardware devices

• cmd: Command Prompt, execute commands from the console

• control /name Microsoft.WindowsUpdate: Access to Windows Update

• wf.msc: Access to Windows Firewall

All of them can be easily accessed via the Run application, which can be opened with Windows+R