%SystemRoot% seems to be C:\Windows. %windir% is another environment variable that also points to this location. %SystemRoot% is also found in the registry as value of Directory under the registry key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Windows. %SystemRoot% can be queried with wmic os get WindowsDirectory
%SYTEMROOT% can be opend in cmd.exe with start (if %SystemRoot% is in %PATH% which it usually is). The following example opens the fonts folder below C:\windows C:\> start fonts
Win+R and then typing the folder name. %SystemRoot%. %SystemRoot% is not a real environment variable but is kind of hardcoded into the kernel while %windir% is an ordinary whose value is set in the registry under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Environment and usually assigned the value of %SystemRoot%. %SystemRoot% is determined when Windows is installed. %CSIDL_WINDOWS% also points to %SystemRoot%. However, I found that not to be the case. | bfsvc.exe | Boot File Servicing Utility |
| bootstat.dat | |
| DtcInstall.log | |
| explorer.exe | Windows Explorer |
| HelpPane.exe | Microsoft Help and Support |
| hh.exe | Microsoft® HTML Help Executable |
| lsasetup.log | |
| mib.bin | |
| notepad.exe | Notepad |
| PFRO.log | |
| Professional.xml | |
| regedit.exe | GUI based registry editor. |
| setuperr.log | |
| splwow64.exe | Print driver host for applications |
| system.ini | |
| twain_32.dll | Twain_32 Source Manager (Image Acquisition Interface) |
| win.ini | |
| WindowsUpdate.log | |
| winhlp32.exe | Windows Winhlp32 Stub |
| WMSysPr9.prx | |
| write.exe | Windows Write |
%windir% include bcdedit.exe: C:\> bcdedit.exe /enum … Windows Boot Loader ------------------- … osdevice partition=C: systemroot \WINDOWS
KEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows NT\CurrentVersion. System.Environment+SpecialFolder. msinfo32.exe get-computerInfo | select-object osWindowsDirectory