The `PATH` environment variable in Windows is a critical part of the system configuration. It tells the operating system where to look for executable files. Over time, this variable can become cluttered with duplicate or obsolete entries, especially after installing or uninstalling various applications.
Luckily, with PowerShell, you can quickly clean up duplicate entries in the `PATH` without manually editing it through the system interface. Here’s a simple script to help you do just that:
### 💻 PowerShell Script
```powershell
$paths = [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "Machine") -split ";" | Select-Object -Unique
[System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", ($paths -join ";"), "Machine")
```
### 📌 How It Works
1. **Read the Existing PATH**
```powershell
[System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "Machine")
```
This retrieves the current system-wide `PATH` variable.
2. **Split into an Array**
```powershell
-split ";"
```
The `PATH` variable is a semicolon-separated list of directories. This line splits the string into an array.
3. **Remove Duplicates**
```powershell
| Select-Object -Unique
```
This filters the array to keep only unique entries, removing any duplicates.
4. **Join and Save**
```powershell
[System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", ($paths -join ";"), "Machine")
```
Finally, the unique paths are joined back into a single string and saved as the new `PATH` variable.
### ⚠️ Important Notes
* **Run PowerShell as Administrator**: Since you're modifying the system-wide environment variable, elevated privileges are required.
* **Backup First**: Always back up your current PATH before making changes:
```powershell
[System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "Machine") | Out-File "path-backup.txt"
```
### ✅ When Should You Use This?
* After installing or uninstalling a lot of software that modifies your `PATH`.
* When your `PATH` becomes long and messy.
* To avoid conflicts caused by duplicate or outdated entries.