BrowserUK has it right. I've done this a bizillion times, starting with Win95. System environment variables are "inherited" by a command shell and not updated in any way, so you just have to close it and open a new one. Once ActivePerl is installed, you can verify the path this way:

In a newly opened command shell, type "path" to list the current path.

In the Windows system:

1. Right-click on the Computer icon.
2. Select Properties.
3. Select the Advanced tab (depends on version of Windows).
4. Click the Environment Variables button. Look for the PATH entry.

No reboots necessary.

--marmot