title: Qt application failed to start because not finding the plugin "windows" directory
body: <p>I know there are several answers reagarding this problem with Qt (like this one <a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/20495620/qt-5-1-1-application-failed-to-start-because-platform-plugin-windows-is-missi">Qt 5.1.1: Application failed to start because platform plugin &quot;windows&quot; is missing</a>). I'm using Qt 5, but it seems this problem is also in other versions.</p>
  
  <p>The accepted answer was not my problem, but following the links the solution to copy the platforms directory to the executable works fine. However I find this solution quite unsatisfactory, because it means that I have to distribute this same directory all over the place. In the project I have to copy it into the Debug/Release branches for EACH AND EVERY project that I create. Running <code>designer.exe</code> I also have this problem, so I have to copy it there as well, and so on.</p>
  
  <p>Putting the plugin directory from my QT installation directory into the PATH didn't solve the problem, though I don't really understand why. Apparently there is some custom code loading the required plugin DLLs.</p>
  
  <p>So I wonder if there is not some acceptable way of doing this properly, like setting a QT_HOME variable or similar, so I don't have to copy the DLLs all over the place.</p>