Just an update because I was trying it on Windows 10 you do need to set the path to the following:
;C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\14\bin ;C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\9.5\lib
PS : 14 is the current version, check whatever version you are on.
You can do that either through the CMD by using set PATH [the path]
or from my
computer => properties => advanced system settings=> Environment
Variables => System Variables
Then search for path.
Important: don't replace the PATHs that are already there just add one beside them as follows ;C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\9.5\bin ;C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\9.5\lib
Please note: On windows 10, if you follow this: computer => properties => advanced system settings=> Environment Variables => System Variables> select PATH, you actually get the option to add new row. Click Edit, add the /bin and /lib folder locations and save changes.
Then close your command prompt if it's open and then start it again
try psql --version
If it gives you an answer then you are good to go if not try echo %PATH% and see if the path you set was added or not and if it's added is it added correctly or not.
Important note:
Replace 9.5 with your current version number. As of 2021, that is 13.
For 2022 is 14.
I had your issue and got it working again (on windows 7).
My setup had actually worked at first. I installed postgres and then set up the system PATH variables with C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\9.6\bin; C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\9.6\lib. The psql keyword in the command line gave no errors.
I deleted the PATH variables above one at a time to test if they were both really needed. Psql continued to work after I deleted the lib path, but stopped working after I deleted the bin path. When I returned bin, it still didn't work, and the same with lib. I closed and reopened the command line between tries, and checked the path. The problem lingered even though the path was identical to how it had been when working. I re-pasted it.
I uninstalled and reinstalled postgres. The problem lingered. It finally worked after I deleted the spaces between the "; C:..." in the paths and re-saved.
Not sure if it was really the spaces that were the culprit. Maybe the environment variables just needed to be altered and refreshed after the install.
I'm also still not sure if both lib and bin paths are needed since there seems to be some kind of lingering memory for old path configurations. I don't want to test it again though.
It could be that your server doesn't start automatically on windows 10 and you need to start it yourself after setting your Postgresql path using the following command in cmd:
Go to Edit environment variables for your account (search for it on the start menu)
It will open the System Properties form — click the Environment Variables
Under the User variables for <username> (or you can add it in system variables), find the path variables and click edit, and add the path to your Postgres bin file address (in my case it's C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\15\bin).