Milind Daraniya

Resolving "Git Is Not Recognized as an Internal or External Command" Error - A Step-by-Step Guide

Published October 20th, 2023 24 min read

Hello fellow developers! 👋

Are you encountering the dreaded "Git is not recognized as an internal or external command" error in your terminal? Don't worry; it's a common issue and can be easily resolved. Let's walk through the steps to get Git working smoothly on your system.

1. Check Git Installation:

First things first, ensure that Git is installed on your system. Open your terminal and run:

git --version

If Git is installed, you should see the version information. If not, download and install Git from https://git-scm.com/.

2. Verify System Path:

The error often occurs when Git is not added to the system's PATH. Confirm if Git is in your system's PATH by running:

echo $PATH

If Git is not listed, you need to add it.

3. Add Git to PATH (Windows):

If you're on Windows, follow these steps:

  1. Find the location where Git is installed. Typically, it's in C:\Program Files\Git or C:\Program Files (x86)\Git.
  2. Copy the path to the Git bin directory. For example, C:\Program Files\Git\bin.
  3. Right-click on "This PC" or "Computer" on your desktop or in File Explorer and select "Properties."
  4. Click on "Advanced system settings" and then "Environment Variables."
  5. In the "System variables" section, find the "Path" variable, select it, and click "Edit."
  6. Click "New" and paste the path to the Git bin directory.
  7. Click "OK" to close all the windows.

4. Add Git to PATH (Linux/Mac):

If you're on Linux or Mac, open your terminal and run:

export PATH=$PATH:/path/to/git/bin

Replace /path/to/git/bin with the actual path where Git is installed. To make the change permanent, add the above line to your shell profile file (e.g., ~/.bashrc, ~/.zshrc, or ~/.profile).

5. Restart Your Terminal:

Close and reopen your terminal to apply the changes. This is essential to make sure the updated PATH is recognized.

6. Verify Git Installation Again:

Run the following command to verify that Git is now recognized:

git --version

You should see the Git version without any errors.

7. Bonus Tip - Use Git Bash (Windows):

If you're on Windows, consider using Git Bash, which comes with the Git installation. It provides a Unix-like terminal, making Git commands more comfortable to use.

That's it! You should now be able to use Git without encountering the "not recognized as an internal or external command" error. If you still face issues, feel free to ask for help in the comments below.