Do I need SQL Server paths in my PATH environment variable for it to work?

SQL Server adds things to my PATH environment variable, and over time that bloat makes me hit the 2048-char limit in Windows 7. Do I really need them there for SQL Server to run? This is on a development machine so I want to have several versions installed. I'm only worrying about normal day-to-day use rather than edge-cases that might arise, i.e. I probably wouldn't do this on a production machine but wouldn't need to as it'd only have one version installed.

For example I have:

c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\DTS\Binn\
c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\
c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE\
c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\110\DTS\Binn\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Tools\Binn\
c:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Tools\Binn\ManagementStudio\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\120\DTS\Binn\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\120\Tools\Binn\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\120\Tools\Binn\ManagementStudio\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\80\Tools\Binn\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\90\DTS\Binn\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Tools\binn\
C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SQL Server\90\Tools\Binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE\
c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\DTS\Binn\
c:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\100\Tools\Binn\
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\DTS\Binn\
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\110\Tools\Binn\
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\120\DTS\Binn\
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\120\Tools\Binn\
C:\Program Files\Microsoft SQL Server\Client SDK\ODBC\110\Tools\Binn\

Solution 1:

In fact, you do not need all the environment variables for each the instance SQL Server. And well, if you check the environment variables needed to install and run queries or tasks.

However, the problem can be solved directly.

SET App32=c:\Program Files (x86)\
SET App64=c:\Program Files\
SET SQL32=%App32%Microsoft SQL Server\
SET SQL64=%App64%Microsoft SQL Server\
SET SQL32IDE=Tools\Binn\VSShell\Common7\IDE\
SET Studio32=Tools\Binn\ManagementStudio\

%SQL32%100\DTS\Binn\
%SQL32%100\Tools\Binn\
%SQL32%100\%SQL32IDE%
%SQL32%110\DTS\Binn\
%SQL32%110\Tools\Binn\
%SQL32%110\%Studio32%
%SQL32%120\DTS\Binn\
%SQL32%120\Tools\Binn\
%SQL32%120\%Studio32%
%SQL32%80\Tools\Binn\
%SQL32%90\DTS\Binn\
%SQL32%90\Tools\binn\
%SQL32%90\%SQL32IDE%

%SQL64%100\DTS\Binn\
%SQL64%100\Tools\Binn\
%SQL64%110\DTS\Binn\
%SQL64%110\Tools\Binn\
%SQL64%120\DTS\Binn\
%SQL64%120\Tools\Binn\
%SQL64%Client SDK\ODBC\110\Tools\Binn\

Hrrr... )))