It is really nice to be able to call these tools from the 'Run' window and within DOS. To do this we need to let Windows know where they live. Unlike GNU/Linux where all programs are already added to the system path, Windows needs a little more help.

You do not have to do this now. Skipping it and coming back later is fine too, however there will come a point where you will find it annoying if you do not do this eventually.

This guide will only work for Windows XP, 2000, and NT. For older versions of Windows, you have to add a line to your Autoexec.bat instead.

So let's get started.

Adding the PuTTY directory to your system path

• Click on the Control Panel

• Click on 'System' Icon

• Click on the 'Advanced' tab, then on the button at the bottom called 'Environment Variables'. See image below:

  

• This brings up another wizard. under System Variables, click on New.

• In the 'New System Variable' window, add the following values into the two boxes.

PuTTYPath C:\Program Files\PuTTY

See the screenshot below:

• 6. Here comes the fun part. You need to add this new variable to your system path.

Note. If you are heavy handed and kill your system or cause the end of the world as we know it then it is your own fault. It is at your own risk. You probably will not cause any problems but do not blame me if you are an idiot and remove other things from your path.

Basically the different entries in the path are seperated by semicolons, i.e. one of these things -> ;;;;;. So you need to add your new variable into the list. So if the last entry does not end with a semicolon then add one, then type the variable:

%PuTTYPath%

Notice that it has a %percent sign% at the %start% and at the %end%.

• Then press okay, if your system is a little older than mine then Windows may think for a little while.

Now you can just type putty for PuTTY, psftp for PSFTP and so on.