In this guide, we will show you the steps to fix the “sqlplus is not recognized as Internal or External command” error. SQL Plus is one of the most widely used Oracle Database utilities and comes with its own set of commands. You could use it to execute various SQL, PL/SQL, SQL*Plus, and OS command. As far as the associated tasks are concerned, it could be used to format, perform calculations, store, and print from query results. However, its setup seems to be giving out a tough time to the end users.
Many users have voiced their concern that they are getting a “sqlplus is not recognized as Internal or External command” error when trying to execute a command in the CMD window. So why is this happening? Well, it’s just because the Oracle installation directory has not been added to the Windows environmental variable path. As a result of which, the system is unable to acknowledge either SQL or its associated commands. So to rectify it, you just need to add it to the said path, as explained below.
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Fix sqlplus is not recognized as Internal or External command
There exist two different methods of adding the SQLPlus to the environmental path- via Command Prompt or using the Environment Variables menu. The first one is shorter but slightly technical, whereas the second one is easier to execute but slightly lengthier. We have listed both these approaches below, you may refer to the one that is in sync with your requirement.
Via Command Prompt
- Launch CMD as an administrator from the Start Menu.
- Then execute the below command, replacing ORACLE_INSTALL_DIRECTORY accordingly
set PATH=C:\ORACLE_INSTALL_DIRECTORY\bin;%PATH
- That’s it. SQL is added to the path variable and the issue stands rectified.
Via Environment Variables
- Launch Advanced system settings from the Start Menu.
- Then click on the Environment Variables button.
- Now click on New under System Variable.
- Type in SQLPlus under Variable Name. Then click on Browse Directory.
- Now navigate to the folder where you have installed Oracle and select it.
That’s it. Now try executing the desired SQL Command and you will no longer get the “sqlplus is not recognized as Internal or External command” error. If you have any queries concerning the aforementioned steps, do let us know in the comments. We will get back to you with a solution at the earliest.
