How to Resolve "'python' not recognized as a command" Error in Windows XP

When attempting to execute Python commands in a command prompt (cmd) window, users may encounter the error message "'python' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file." This error typically arises when the Python executable path is not recognized by the Windows environment variables.

To resolve this issue and add Python to your PATH, follow these steps:

1. Right-click on "My Computer" from the desktop and select "Properties."
2. Navigate to the "Advanced" tab in the "System Properties" window.
3. Click the "Environment Variables" button in the "Advanced" section.
4. Highlight the "Path" variable in the "System Variables" section and click "Edit."
5. Append the path to your Python executable (e.g., "C:\Python27\") to the end of the variable, separating each directory with a semicolon (;). Note: Avoid spaces between elements in the PATH.
6. Click "Apply" and "OK" to save the changes.
7. Restart your command prompt (cmd.exe) to load the updated environment variables.

After completing these steps, you should be able to successfully execute Python commands within the command prompt. The error message "'python' not recognized as a command" should no longer appear.