windows-cmd shell doesn't reflect _winreg changes

[haughki]

hi

i'm using _winreg to 'hard-change' and environmental variable in
windows.  the change is 'successful': regedit correctly reflects the
changes, and crtl panel > system > properties envronmental vars have
been correctly changed.  but, when i start a cmd shell (dos), the
shell evironment still reflects the old values until i manually open
the env vars cntrl panel and click 'ok'.  anyone?

thanks
hawkeye