The Command Prompt in Windows is a handy utility. It allows you to perform many tasks quickly; however, the command processor may show the "not recognized as an internal or external command" error when you try to execute a command. Show
It is a common error and usually occurs due to incorrect command execution. This article explains the causes and a few troubleshooting steps to help you fix this error. Why the Not Recognized as an Internal or External Command Error Occurs?Windows OS keeps a list of paths known as Windows Environment Variables to launch and execute programs quickly. Any issues with it can cause the error. Potential issues that cause this error include:
How to Fix the "Not Recognized as an Internal or External Command" ErrorThis error is often triggered when you run a program or CMD command, and something goes wrong. We have listed fixes for both versions of the error, so follow the relevant one to your case. 1. Verify if the Program Is Installed
Command Prompt can’t run a program that does not exist. If you are trying to execute a newly installed program, ensure it is correctly installed. To verify the installation:
Alternatively, you can also view installed apps by accessing Apps and Features in Settings. To do this, press Windows key + I, click on Apps and locate the installed app. By default, when you try to launch a program or a script from CMD, the command processor looks for the related files and paths in the System32 folder or environment variables. If the file is missing, it will return the not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program, or batch file error. This is likely because Windows does not install most apps in the System32 folder, but C:\Program Files instead. You can resolve this issue in three ways:
2. Use the Full File Path to Execute the Command
First, let's try the full path method. Here, we will use the full file path instead of the app name to launch programs from Command Prompt. Here's how to do it:
3. Use the Full File Path Within Double Quotes
Command Prompt reads the white spaces as the end of a command and treats anything after the space as a separate command. Let’s say you want to launch the Internet Explorer app located in C:\Program Files\Internet Explorer\iexplore.exe via CMD. However, running this file path will return an error due to the space between Program Files and Internet Explorer. To avoid this, you can insert the file path within a double quote. Here, the command to launch Internet Explorer will look like this:
4. Add the File Path to the Windows Environment VariablesYou can edit the Environment Variables and add the file path of your application to its directory. This way, Command Prompt will identify the path for the entered command and execute it without the error. Adding a full file path to the Windows Environment Variable can help you resolve the not recognized as an internal or external command error for the Flex, nmake, make, cobra, Is, terraform, gcc, code, Android Studio, Python, Fastboot, and ADB commands. To edit Windows Environment Variable:
Once you have added the new environment variable, restart your PC to apply the changes. After the PC restarts, open Command Prompt, enter the program's name, and CMD will open it without any error. If you experience issues with the commands like ipconfig, netsh, cipher, etc., then add the Windows system root folder file path in the Environment Variable dialog. Here's how to do it.
5. Move Files to System32 Folder
System32 is a protected system folder, and it is protected for a good reason. When you try to launch a program as an administrator, Command Prompt looks for the executable file in the System32 folder. However, since all the programs are not installed in the System32 folder, you may end up with an error. If you still want to run the program from CMD and don’t want to type a full file path, you can move the program files to the System32 folder. To move program files to the System32 folder:
Fixing the CMD Not Recognized as an Internal or External Command ErrorCommand Prompt commands are not case-sensitive, but it does not forgive the use of extra spaces. To resolve this error, check if the commands are correct and use file paths with spaces within double-quotes. For the programs not installed in the System32 folder, add an environment variable with your application’s full file path to launch apps through CMD. |