How to Install Claude on Windows | Choosing Between Desktop and Code

Two Versions of Claude for Windows — Desktop and Code, Each with Its Own Role

When people say "install Claude" on Windows, the target falls into two broad categories source.

1. Claude Desktop app — A native chat app that launches locally without opening a browser. Distributed as an MSIX package.
2. Claude Code (CLI) — A developer-focused command-line tool for generating, editing, and testing code in the terminal. Installable with a single PowerShell one-liner.

The two are separate binaries with different purposes and distribution channels. If chat is all you need, Desktop alone is sufficient. If you want to use it for development alongside an IDE, Claude Code is required. If you want both, installing Desktop first and then Claude Code is the safest order. For a detailed look at Desktop app features, see Claude Desktop App: 5 Key Features Explained. For a comparison of Claude Code installation paths on Windows, see How to Use Claude Code on Windows.

System Requirements — Windows 10 or Later, Pro Plan or Higher

Requirements differ slightly between Desktop and Claude Code, but in practice they are nearly identical source.

• OS: Windows 10 or later (Desktop) / Windows 10 1809 or later, or Windows Server 2019 or later (Claude Code)
• Architecture: x64 or arm64 (Desktop also provides an arm64 MSIX build)
• RAM: 4 GB or more (as specified by Claude Code)
• Plan: Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise (Free plan cannot use Claude Code or in-app Cowork)
• Network: Anthropic-supported countries (Japan is included)

Fastest Installation Steps for Claude Desktop

The official Anthropic instructions complete in 3 steps source.

1. Go to claude.com/download and select Windows
2. Open the downloaded MSIX file and complete the installation
3. Launch Claude from the Start menu and sign in with your Anthropic account

The download is provided as an MSIX (a signed package format also used by the Microsoft Store). Because both x64 and arm64 builds are available, be sure to select the arm64 build for arm-based devices like the Surface Pro X source.

Cowork Requires Admin Privileges and Virtualization

To enable Cowork — the flagship Claude Desktop feature for direct local file access and long-running autonomous tasks — additional requirements apply source.

• Administrator privileges during installation (select "Yes" at the UAC prompt)
• A Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise plan
• VirtualMachinePlatform feature enabled (Cowork runs inside an isolated VM)

If virtualization is disabled, open PowerShell as administrator and run the following command. A restart is not required immediately.

Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName VirtualMachinePlatform -All -NoRestart

If you installed without administrator privileges, Claude Desktop itself will still work, but only Cowork will be disabled. Re-installation is required to enable it later.

Enterprise Deployment via Intune / SCCM / Group Policy

For organization-wide deployment, distribute the MSIX via Intune, Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager (SCCM), Group Policy Software Installation, DISM, or a PowerShell script source.

• Deploy to a single user: Add-AppxPackage -Path "Claude.msix"
• Provision for all users: Run Add-AppxProvisionedPackage with the Online parameter

In enterprise environments, enabling VirtualMachinePlatform via Group Policy in advance prevents setup errors when users first try Cowork.

Installing Claude Code on Windows — PowerShell Is Recommended

Since 2025, Claude Code runs natively on Windows — WSL is no longer required. There are three installation paths source.

Path 1: Native PowerShell (Recommended — Includes Automatic Updates)

Open PowerShell and run the following single line. No administrator privileges are required.

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

Only this path supports background automatic updates. Claude Code detects updates at launch and during execution, switching to the new version on the next startup.

Path 2: Native CMD

If you prefer CMD, use a different command.

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd

Automatic updates also work via CMD. The behavior is equivalent to the PowerShell version — the only difference is the installation command itself.

Path 3: WinGet (No Automatic Updates — Manual Upgrade Required)

You can also install via WinGet from the Microsoft Store, but automatic updates are not available.

winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode

Update by running winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode periodically. Since the binary may be locked while Claude Code is running, causing the upgrade to fail, close Claude Code first and try again.

npm Is a Last Resort

Installing via npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code is also possible and places the same binary as the native installer. Node.js 18 or later is required. Avoid using elevated permissions equivalent to sudo npm install -g, as this can lead to permission issues and security risks.

Install Git for Windows — Unlocks Bash Tools

Claude Code works natively on Windows, but installing Git for Windows significantly improves the experience source.

• Includes Git Bash — Claude Code uses Git Bash internally to run Bash tools, regardless of which shell you launched it from
• Without Git for Windows — Falls back to PowerShell tools, with some features restricted
• If the Bash path cannot be found — Set CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH in settings.json

{
  "env": {
    "CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH": "C:\\Program Files\\Git\\bin\\bash.exe"
  }
}

If you are using WSL, Git for Windows is not needed. Run the Linux installer inside your WSL distribution (curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash). Note that sandbox functionality is only supported on WSL 2.

Confusing PowerShell and CMD Causes Most Errors

The vast majority of Claude Code installation issues stem from using the wrong shell source.

You can tell them apart just by looking at the start of the prompt.

• PS C:\Users\YourName> → PowerShell
• C:\Users\YourName> (no PS) → CMD

Rather than going by the window title, confirm which shell you have by looking at the actual prompt — that is the most reliable method.

Post-Installation Check and claude doctor

Once installation is complete, run a version check and a health check in sequence.

claude --version
claude doctor

If claude --version fails with command not found, the cause is usually one of the following.

1. PATH not set — Add %USERPROFILE%\.local\bin to the PATH environment variable and restart the terminal
2. Installed via npm globally — Run npm ls -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code to locate the binary
3. Shell cache — Open a new PowerShell window and try again

claude doctor diagnoses your runtime environment and reports any missing dependencies (Git Bash, PATH, model access permissions) all at once. When troubleshooting, run this first before addressing individual issues — it is the fastest path to a solution.

Authentication — Browser Login on First claude Launch

After installation, launching claude will open a browser and prompt you to log in to your Anthropic account. Claude Code is not available on the Free plan source. You will need a Pro ($20/month), Max, Team, or Enterprise plan, a Console account (pay-as-you-go API), or access via Amazon Bedrock, Google Vertex AI, or Microsoft Foundry.

On the Desktop app side, chat works on the Free plan, but the Code tab for Claude Code integration and Cowork are limited to Pro and above. For a breakdown of what each plan includes, see the Complete Guide to Claude Pricing Plans.

Standard Practices for Updates and Uninstallation

The native installer version updates automatically, but you can adjust the behavior for your workflow source.

• Release channel: Choose autoUpdatesChannel as latest (immediate new features) or stable (approximately 1-week delay, skips regressions)
• Manual update: claude update
• Disable automatic updates: Set DISABLE_AUTOUPDATER=1 in the env section of settings.json
• Full uninstallation: Delete ~/.local/bin/claude.exe and ~/.local/share/claude; to also remove configuration, delete %USERPROFILE%\.claude and .claude.json

Since WinGet does not support automatic updates, PowerShell native + stable channel is the lowest-maintenance combination for ongoing use.

Next Steps — Using Both Desktop and Code

With both installed, the most productive setup is to call Claude Code from the Desktop app's Code tab via GUI. The built-in file tree and diff editor give you better visibility than working in the terminal alone, and long-running tasks can be delegated to Cowork.

For how to use Claude Code itself, see the Claude Code Quickstart. For IDE integration, see Claude Code VS Code Extension. The typical Windows setup is: "PowerShell native Claude Code + Git for Windows + operated from the Claude Desktop Code tab." With all of this in place, you get an experience on par with Mac or Linux.