3 Ways to Fix ‘Not Recognized as an Internal or External Command’ Error in Windows

Abhishek stuck to the Windows operating system ever since he bought the Lenovo G570. As obvious as it is, he loves to write about Windows and Android, the two most common yet fascinating operating systems available to mankind. When he is not drafting a post, he loves to binge OnePiece and whatever Netflix has to offer.

Basic Fixes

Fix 1: Switch to the Correct Drive and Directory

TheCommand Prompt may not recognize commandsif you are trying to access the program from the wrong directory. Command Prompt lets you access any system tool from any directory. But, if you are trying to access a third-party tool, you will need to switch to the directory where the tool is present and then run commands related to it.

Step 1:Press theWindows keyto open the Start menu. Typecmdin the search box and press Enter to open theCommand Prompt.

Step 2:You need to switch to the drive where the tool is present. Let’s say you are trying to access the Vivetool present in a folder in the D drive. So, first, switch to the D drive using this command:

Step 3:After you are in the correct drive, you need to navigate to the correct folder location. The command structure for that is:

So, the command to access the tool which is present inside a sub-folder is:

Step 4:Close the Command Prompt window.

Enclose the Command in Quotes

If the command you are trying to run has a path that has spaces in it, you can get a command not recognized error. The simple reason is that the Command Prompt doesn’t understand that you intentionally left a space and if that is the actual folder or file name.

To eliminate this problem, you can encapsulate the complete path and the command inside double quotes. So the command format becomes:

For example, if we want to access the Vivetool located inside a subfolder called ‘vive efr’ in the D drive, our command will become:

Fix 2: Add the Environment Variable

If the path of the program you are trying to access is missing from the Environment Variables, then you have to manually add it.

Step 1:Press theWindows + Rkeyboard shortcut to open the Run dialog box. Type the following path and pressEnterto open the Advanced System Properties:

Step 2:Click on theEnvironment Variablesoption.

Step 3:Go to theSystem Variablessection. Find thePathvalue and double-click on it.

Step 4:Click on theNewbutton.

Step 5:A new environment variable entry will be created. Click on theBrowsebutton.

Step 6: Navigate to the directorywhere the program you want to add is present.Selectit and click on theOKbutton.

Step 7:Click on theOKbutton.

Step 8:Click onOKto close the Environment Variables window.

Step 9:Now, open theCommand Promptand try running the program or any command associated with it.

If you face an issue while accessing the system tools, you need to modify the Path. Firstly, retrace the first four steps of this method, mentioned above, and create a new environment variable entry.

Step 1: Paste the following textinto the new entry:

Step 2:Click on theOKbutton to apply the changes.

Step 3:Close the Environment Variables window.

Fix 3: Perform a System Restore

System Restore can be a lifesaver when your PC isn’t working like before. If you weren’t facing any issues while running the internal commands, you can use System Restore to revert to an earlier state.

Step 1:Press the Windows key to open theStart menu. Typerstruiin the search bar and pressEnterto launchSystem Restore.

Step 2:Click on theNextbutton.

Step 3:Pick arestore pointfrom the list. Follow the on-screen instructions to apply the restore point on your PC.

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Last updated on 21 July, 2024

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