If you happen to run into a scenario when using the ping utility in which a normal DOS command prompt results in either of the following errors, there’s a fix for that!
- ‘ping’ is not recognized as an internal or external command operable program or batch file
- ‘ipconfig’ is not recognized as an internal or external command operable program or batch file.
It’s possible that the installation of another application or an update has changed the priority of the system’s environmental variables. To address this:
- Type the Windows key once
- Type “View advanced system settings” and click on the icon that should appear
- Click on “Environment Variables”
- Under the “System variables” section, click “PATH” and then click the “Edit” button
- Ensure that you move the value for “%SystemRoot%\system32” to the very top by using the “Move Up” buttons
- Click OK to all dialog boxes, close your command prompt and then try running a ping from the command prompt again!
If you’ve taken these steps already, then this was not the underlying cause and merits further investigation.