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Installing Atlas on Windows and Setting up PATH

Question​

How do I install Atlas on Windows and set up the PATH environment variable so I can run atlas from any directory?

Answer​

Installing Atlas on Windows involves two main steps: downloading the binary and adding it to your system's PATH environment variable.

Step 1: Download Atlas Binary​

  1. Download the latest Atlas binary for Windows from the official release page.

  2. Choose a permanent location for the Atlas binary. We recommend creating a dedicated directory such as:

    • C:\Program Files\Atlas\ (requires admin privileges)
    • C:\atlas\ (simpler, no admin needed)
    • %USERPROFILE%\atlas\ (user-specific installation)

  3. Move or save the downloaded atlas-windows-amd64-latest.exe file to your chosen directory.

  4. Rename the file to atlas.exe for convenience (optional but recommended).

Step 2: Add Atlas to PATH​

You can add Atlas to your PATH using either the GUI or PowerShell/Command Prompt.

Method 1: Using Windows GUI

  1. Open System Properties:

    • Press Win + R, type sysdm.cpl, and press Enter
    • Or right-click This PC → Properties → Advanced system settings

  2. Click Environment Variables at the bottom of the System Properties window.

  3. In the User variables section (for current user only) or System variables section (for all users), find and select the Path variable.

  4. Click Edit.

  5. Click New and add the directory path where you saved atlas.exe (e.g., C:\atlas).

  6. Click OK on all windows to save the changes.

  7. Important: Close and reopen any open Command Prompt or PowerShell windows for the changes to take effect.

Method 2: Using PowerShell

For the current user only:

# Add to user PATH
$atlasPath = "C:\atlas"
$currentPath = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "User")
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "$currentPath;$atlasPath", "User")

For all users (requires running PowerShell as Administrator):

# Add to system PATH (run as Administrator)
$atlasPath = "C:\atlas"
$currentPath = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "Machine")
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "$currentPath;$atlasPath", "Machine")

Method 3: Using Command Prompt

For the current user only:

setx PATH "%PATH%;C:\atlas"

Note: The setx command permanently adds the directory to the user's PATH. You need to close and reopen Command Prompt for changes to take effect.

Step 3: Verify Installation​

After adding Atlas to your PATH, verify the installation:

  1. Open a new Command Prompt or PowerShell window.

  2. Run the following command:

atlas version

If the installation was successful, you should see the Atlas version information displayed.

If you get an error like 'atlas' is not recognized as an internal or external command, double-check that:

  • The directory containing atlas.exe is correctly added to your PATH
  • You've closed and reopened your terminal window
  • The atlas.exe file exists in the specified directory

Troubleshooting​

PATH changes not taking effect

If you've added the directory to PATH but the atlas command still isn't recognized:

  • Make sure you've closed and reopened all Command Prompt or PowerShell windows
  • Try logging out and logging back in to Windows
  • Verify the PATH was updated by running echo %PATH% (Command Prompt) or $env:Path (PowerShell)

Permission issues

If you encounter permission errors when downloading or moving files:

  • Choose a directory where you have write permissions (e.g., %USERPROFILE%\atlas\)
  • Or run Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator

Multiple Atlas versions

If you have multiple versions of Atlas or installed it in multiple locations, Windows will use the first one it finds in the PATH. To check which one is being used:

where atlas

This command shows all locations where atlas.exe is found in your PATH.

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