As I sometimes have path problems, where one of my own cmd scripts is hidden (shadowed) by another program (earlier on the path), I would like to be able to find the full path to a program on the Windows command line, given just its name.
Is there an equivalent to the UNIX command 'which'?
On UNIX, which command prints the full path of the given command to easily find and repair these shadowing problems.
26 Answers
Windows Server 2003 and later (i.e. anything after Windows XP 32 bit) provide the where.exe program which does some of what which does, though it matches all types of files, not just executable commands. (It does not match built-in shell commands like cd.) It will even accept wildcards, so where nt* finds all files in your %PATH% and current directory whose names start with nt.
Try where /? for help.
Note that Windows PowerShell defines where as an alias for the Where-Object cmdlet, so if you want where.exe, you need to type the full name instead of omitting the .exe extension. Alternatively, you can set an alias for it:
Set-Alias which where.exeUpdate: Using Get-Command (alias: gcm) is recommended since it's native to PS and will get all command types: aliases, cmdlets, executables, and functions. Example:
gcm notepad*While later versions of Windows have a where command, you can also do this with Windows XP by using the environment variable modifiers, as follows:
c:\> for %i in (cmd.exe) do @echo. %~$PATH:i C:\WINDOWS\system32\cmd.exe
c:\> for %i in (python.exe) do @echo. %~$PATH:i C:\Python25\python.exeYou don't need any extra tools and it's not limited to PATH since you can substitute any environment variable (in the path format, of course) that you wish to use.
And, if you want one that can handle all the extensions in PATHEXT (as Windows itself does), this one does the trick:
@echo off
setlocal enableextensions enabledelayedexpansion
:: Needs an argument.
if "x%1"=="x" ( echo Usage: which ^<progName^> goto :end
)
:: First try the unadorned filenmame.
set fullspec=
call :find_it %1
:: Then try all adorned filenames in order.
set mypathext=!pathext!
:loop1 :: Stop if found or out of extensions. if "x!mypathext!"=="x" goto :loop1end :: Get the next extension and try it. for /f "delims=;" %%j in ("!mypathext!") do set myext=%%j call :find_it %1!myext!
:: Remove the extension (not overly efficient but it works).
:loop2 if not "x!myext!"=="x" ( set myext=!myext:~1! set mypathext=!mypathext:~1! goto :loop2 ) if not "x!mypathext!"=="x" set mypathext=!mypathext:~1! goto :loop1
:loop1end
:end
endlocal
goto :eof
:: Function to find and print a file in the path.
:find_it for %%i in (%1) do set fullspec=%%~$PATH:i if not "x!fullspec!"=="x" @echo. !fullspec! goto :eofIt actually returns all possibilities but you can tweak it quite easily for specific search rules.
7Under PowerShell, Get-Command will find executables anywhere in $Env:PATH.
$ Get-Command eventvwr
CommandType Name Definition
----------- ---- ----------
Application eventvwr.exe c:\windows\system32\eventvwr.exe
Application eventvwr.msc c:\windows\system32\eventvwr.mscAnd since powershell let's you define aliases, which can be defined like so.
$ sal which gcm # short form of `Set-Alias which Get-Command`
$ which foo
...PowerShell commands are not just executable files (.exe, .ps1, etc). They can also be cmdlets, functions, aliases, custom executable suffixes set in $Env:PATHEXT, etc. Get-Command is able to find and list all of these commands (quite akin to Bash's type -a foo). This alone makes it better than where.exe, which.exe, etc which are typically limited to finding just executables.
Finding executables using only part of the name
$ gcm *disk*
CommandType Name Version Source
----------- ---- ------- ------
Alias Disable-PhysicalDiskIndication 2.0.0.0 Storage
Alias Enable-PhysicalDiskIndication 2.0.0.0 Storage
Function Add-PhysicalDisk 2.0.0.0 Storage
Function Add-VirtualDiskToMaskingSet 2.0.0.0 Storage
Function Clear-Disk 2.0.0.0 Storage
Cmdlet Get-PmemDisk 1.0.0.0 PersistentMemory
Cmdlet New-PmemDisk 1.0.0.0 PersistentMemory
Cmdlet Remove-PmemDisk 1.0.0.0 PersistentMemory
Application diskmgmt.msc 0.0.0.0 C:\WINDOWS\system32\diskmgmt.msc
Application diskpart.exe 10.0.17... C:\WINDOWS\system32\diskpart.exe
Application diskperf.exe 10.0.17... C:\WINDOWS\system32\diskperf.exe
Application diskraid.exe 10.0.17... C:\WINDOWS\system32\diskraid.exe
...Finding custom executables
Unlike UNIX, where executables are files with the executable (+x) bit set, executables on windows are files present in one of the directories specified in the $PATH env. variable whose filename suffixes are named in the $PATHEXT env. variable (defaults to .COM;.EXE;.BAT;.CMD;.VBS;.VBE;.JS;.JSE;.WSF;.WSH;.MSC;.CPL).
As Get-Command also honours this env. variable, it can be extended to list custom executables. e.g.
$ $Env:PATHEXT="$Env:PATHEXT;.dll;.ps1;.psm1;.py" # temporary assignment, only for this shell's process
$ gcm user32,kernel32,*WASM*,*http*py
CommandType Name Version Source
----------- ---- ------- ------
ExternalScript Invoke-WASMProfiler.ps1 C:\WINDOWS\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Invoke-WASMProfiler.ps1
Application http-server.py 0.0.0.0 C:\Users\ME\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\http-server.py
Application kernel32.dll 10.0.17... C:\WINDOWS\system32\kernel32.dll
Application user32.dll 10.0.17... C:\WINDOWS\system32\user32.dllSee Get-Command for more options and examples.
In Windows PowerShell:
set-alias which where.exeIf you have PowerShell installed (which I recommend), you can use the following command as a rough equivalent (substitute programName for your executable's name):
($Env:Path).Split(";") | Get-ChildItem -filter programName*More is here:My Manwich! PowerShell Which
5The GnuWin32 tools have which, along with a whole slew of other Unix tools.
In Windows CMD which calls where:
$ where php
C:\Program Files\PHP\php.exeCygwin is a solution. If you don't mind using a third-party solution, then Cygwin is the way to go.
Cygwin gives you the comfort of *nix in the Windows environment (and you can use it in your Windows command shell, or use a *nix shell of your choice). It gives you a whole host of *nix commands (like which) for Windows, and you can just include that directory in your PATH.
In PowerShell, it is gcm, which gives formatted information about other commands. If you want to retrieve only path to executable, use .Source.
For instance: gcm git or (gcm git).Source
Tidbits:
- Available for Windows XP.
- Available since PowerShell 1.0.
gcmis an alias ofGet-Commandcmdlet.- Without any parameters, it lists down all the available commands offered by the host shell.
- You can create a custom alias with
Set-Alias which gcmand use it like:(which git).Source. - Official docs:
I have a function in my PowerShell profile named 'which'
function which { get-command $args[0]| format-list
}Here's what the output looks like:
PS C:\Users\fez> which python
Name : python.exe
CommandType : Application
Definition : C:\Python27\python.exe
Extension : .exe
Path : C:\Python27\python.exe
FileVersionInfo : File: C:\Python27\python.exe InternalName: OriginalFilename: FileVersion: FileDescription: Product: ProductVersion: Debug: False Patched: False PreRelease: False PrivateBuild: False SpecialBuild: False Language:Go get unxutils from here:
gold on windows platforms, puts all the nice unix utilities on a standard windows DOS. Been using it for years.
It has a 'which' included. Note that it's case sensitive though.
NB: to install it explode the zip somewhere and add ...\UnxUtils\usr\local\wbin\ to your system path env variable.
3If you can find a free Pascal compiler, you can compile this. At least it works and shows the algorithm necessary.
program Whence (input, output); Uses Dos, my_funk; Const program_version = '1.00'; program_date = '17 March 1994'; VAR path_str : string; command_name : NameStr; command_extension : ExtStr; command_directory : DirStr; search_dir : DirStr; result : DirStr; procedure Check_for (file_name : string); { Check existence of the passed parameter. If exists, then state so } { and exit. } begin if Fsearch(file_name, '') <> '' then begin WriteLn('DOS command = ', Fexpand(file_name)); Halt(0); { structured ? whaddayamean structured ? } end; end; function Get_next_dir : DirStr; { Returns the next directory from the path variable, truncating the } { variable every time. Implicit input (but not passed as parameter) } { is, therefore, path_str } var semic_pos : Byte; begin semic_pos := Pos(';', path_str); if (semic_pos = 0) then begin Get_next_dir := ''; Exit; end; result := Copy(Path_str, 1, (semic_pos - 1)); { return result } { Hmm! although *I* never reference a Root drive (my directory tree) } { is 1/2 way structured), some network logon software which I run } { does (it adds Z:\ to the path). This means that I have to allow } { path entries with & without a terminating backslash. I'll delete } { anysuch here since I always add one in the main program below. } if (Copy(result, (Length(result)), 1) = '\') then Delete(result, Length(result), 1); path_str := Copy(path_str,(semic_pos + 1), (length(path_str) - semic_pos)); Get_next_dir := result; end; { Of function get_next_dir }
begin { The following is a kludge which makes the function Get_next_dir easier } { to implement. By appending a semi-colon to the end of the path } { Get_next_dir doesn't need to handle the special case of the last entry } { which normally doesn't have a semic afterwards. It may be a kludge, } { but it's a documented kludge (you might even call it a refinement). } path_str := GetEnv('Path') + ';'; if (paramCount = 0) then begin WriteLn('Whence: V', program_version, ' from ', program_date); Writeln; WriteLn('Usage: WHENCE command[.extension]'); WriteLn; WriteLn('Whence is a ''find file''type utility witha difference'); Writeln('There are are already more than enough of those :-)'); Write ('Use Whence when you''re not sure where a command which you '); WriteLn('want to invoke'); WriteLn('actually resides.'); Write ('If you intend to invoke the command with an extension e.g '); Writeln('"my_cmd.exe param"'); Write ('then invoke Whence with the same extension e.g '); WriteLn('"Whence my_cmd.exe"'); Write ('otherwise a simple "Whence my_cmd" will suffice; Whence will '); Write ('then search the current directory and each directory in the '); Write ('for My_cmd.com, then My_cmd.exe and lastly for my_cmd.bat, '); Write ('just as DOS does'); Halt(0); end; Fsplit(paramStr(1), command_directory, command_name, command_extension); if (command_directory <> '') then begin
WriteLn('directory detected *', command_directory, '*'); Halt(0); end; if (command_extension <> '') then begin path_str := Fsearch(paramstr(1), ''); { Current directory } if (path_str <> '') then WriteLn('Dos command = "', Fexpand(path_str), '"') else begin path_str := Fsearch(paramstr(1), GetEnv('path')); if (path_str <> '') then WriteLn('Dos command = "', Fexpand(path_str), '"') else Writeln('command not found in path.'); end; end else begin { O.K, the way it works, DOS looks for a command firstly in the current } { directory, then in each directory in the Path. If no extension is } { given and several commands of the same name exist, then .COM has } { priority over .EXE, has priority over .BAT } Check_for(paramstr(1) + '.com'); { won't return if file is found } Check_for(paramstr(1) + '.exe'); Check_for(paramstr(1) + '.bat'); { Not in current directory, search through path ... } search_dir := Get_next_dir; while (search_dir <> '') do begin Check_for(search_dir + '\' + paramstr(1) + '.com'); Check_for(search_dir + '\' + paramstr(1) + '.exe'); Check_for(search_dir + '\' + paramstr(1) + '.bat'); search_dir := Get_next_dir; end; WriteLn('DOS command not found: ', paramstr(1)); end;
end.Not in stock Windows but it is provided by Services for Unix and there are several simple batch scripts floating around that accomplish the same thing such this this one.
1The best version of this I've found on Windows is Joseph Newcomer's "whereis" utility, which is available (with source) from his site.
The article about the development of "whereis" is worth reading.
1None of the Win32 ports of Unix which that I could find on the Internet are satistactory, because they all have one or more of these shortcomings:
- No support for Windows PATHEXT variable. (Which defines the list of extensions implicitely added to each command before scanning the path, and in which order.) (I use a lot of tcl scripts, and no publicly available which tool could find them.)
- No support for cmd.exe code pages, which makes them display paths with non-ascii characters incorrectly. (I'm very sensitive to that, with the ç in my first name :-))
- No support for the distinct search rules in cmd.exe and the PowerShell command line. (No publicly available tool will find .ps1 scripts in a PowerShell window, but not in a cmd window!)
So I eventually wrote my own which, that suports all the above correctly.
Available there:
1This batch file uses CMD variable handling to find the command that would be executed in the path. Note: that the current directory is always done before the path) and depending on which API call is used other locations are searched before/after the path.
@echo off
echo.
echo PathFind - Finds the first file in in a path
echo ======== = ===== === ===== ==== == == = ====
echo.
echo Searching for %1 in %path%
echo.
set a=%~$PATH:1
If "%a%"=="" (Echo %1 not found) else (echo %1 found at %a%)See set /? for help.
You can first install Git from Downloading Git, and then open Git Bash and type:
which app-nameI am using GOW (GNU on Windows) which is a light version of Cygwin. You can grab it from GitHub here.
GOW (GNU on Windows) is the lightweight alternative to Cygwin. It uses a convenient Windows installer that installs about 130 extremely useful open source UNIX applications compiled as native win32 binaries. It is designed to be as small as possible, about 10 MB, as opposed to Cygwin which can run well over 100 MB depending upon options. - About Description(Brent R. Matzelle)
A screenshot of a list of commands included in GOW:
I have created tool similar to Ned Batchelder:
Searching .dll and .exe files in PATH
While my tool is primarly for searching of various dll versions it shows more info (date, size, version) but it do not use PATHEXT (I hope to update my tool soon).
Just have to post this Windows' one liner batch file:
C:>type wh.cmd
@for %%f in (%*) do for %%e in (%PATHEXT% .dll .lnk) do for %%b in (%%f%%e) do for %%d in (%PATH%) do if exist %%d\%%b echo %%d\%%bA test:
C:>wh ssh
C:\cygwin64\bin\ssh.EXE
C:\Windows\System32\OpenSSH\\ssh.EXENot quite a one-liner if you wrap the code in setlocal enableextensions and endlocal.
For you Windows XP users (who have no where command built-in), I have written a "where like" command as a rubygem called whichr.
To install it, install Ruby.
Then
gem install whichrRun it like:
C:> whichr cmd_here
3TCC and TCC/LE from JPSoft are CMD.EXE replacements that add significant functionality. Relevant to the OP's question, which is a builtin command for TCC family command processors.
I have used the which module from npm for quite a while, and it works very well:
It is a great multi platform alternative.
Now I switched to the which that comes with Git. Just add to your path the /usr/bin path from Git, which is usually at C:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin\which.exe. The which binary will be at C:\Program Files\Git\usr\bin\which.exe. It is faster and also works as expected.
try this
set a=%~$dir:1
If "%for%"=="" (Echo %1 not found) else (echo %1 found at %a%)It is possible to download all of the UNIX commands compiled for Windows, including which from this GitHub repository:
Here is a function which I made to find executable similar to the Unix command 'WHICH`
app_path_func.cmd:
@ECHO OFF
CLS
FOR /F "skip=2 tokens=1,2* USEBACKQ" %%N IN (`reg query "HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\App Paths\%~1" /t REG_SZ /v "Path"`) DO ( IF /I "%%N" == "Path" ( SET wherepath=%%P%~1 GoTo Found )
)
FOR /F "tokens=* USEBACKQ" %%F IN (`where.exe %~1`) DO ( SET wherepath=%%F GoTo Found
)
FOR /F "tokens=* USEBACKQ" %%F IN (`where.exe /R "%PROGRAMFILES%" %~1`) DO ( SET wherepath=%%F GoTo Found
)
FOR /F "tokens=* USEBACKQ" %%F IN (`where.exe /R "%PROGRAMFILES(x86)%" %~1`) DO ( SET wherepath=%%F GoTo Found
)
FOR /F "tokens=* USEBACKQ" %%F IN (`where.exe /R "%WINDIR%" %~1`) DO ( SET wherepath=%%F GoTo Found
)
:Found
SET %2=%wherepath%
:EndTest:
@ECHO OFF
CLS
CALL "app_path_func.cmd" WINWORD.EXE PROGPATH
ECHO %PROGPATH%
PAUSEResult:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Office\Office15\
Press any key to continue . . .
