Claude Download for PC | Quickest Steps for Windows & Mac Sign-In

Claude for PC Comes in Two Flavors: Desktop and Code

Setting aside the browser-based claude.ai, there are two main ways to run Claude on your PC. The first is the Claude Desktop app, and the second is Claude Code (CLI)Source. Desktop is designed for chat-centric use, bundling file attachments and desktop extension features into a single app. Code is a command-line tool for developers who want to interact via terminal for coding and file operations.

Most people searching "download Claude" are referring to Claude Desktop. Whether you want Cowork (local file operations) or Computer Use to handle tasks on your PC, the starting point is installing the Desktop app. This article focuses primarily on Desktop setup, with a supplementary section at the end covering terminal installation for those who need Claude Code.

Quickest Download Steps for Windows

Installing on Windows is as simple as downloading the .exe from the official download page and running itSource. You'll be prompted to choose an architecture during the process, so it helps to know in advance whether your PC is x64 or arm64.

1. Open https://claude.com/download in your browser
2. Choose either "Windows" or "Windows (arm64)"
3. Run the downloaded .exe and follow the on-screen instructions to complete installation
4. Launch "Claude" from the Start menu
5. Sign in with the same account (Google or email) you use on claude.ai

To determine whether your PC is x64 or arm64, go to Windows Settings → System → About and check "System type." Most standard laptops and desktops with Intel or AMD processors are x64; Surface Pro X and some Snapdragon-based devices are arm64. Installing the wrong build may still launch but can result in reduced performance or certain features not working, so taking care with this initial choice will save you trouble later.

Quickest Download Steps for Mac

Mac uses a single universal .dmg that works on both Intel and Apple Silicon — there is no need to separately select an ARM buildSource.

1. Open https://claude.com/download in your browser
2. Select "macOS" and download the .dmg
3. Double-click the .dmg to open it
4. Drag the Claude icon into the Applications folder
5. Launch Claude from Launchpad or the Applications folder and sign in

Right after downloading, macOS Gatekeeper may prompt you that the app was "downloaded from the internet." This appears even for properly signed apps on first launch and is completely normal — just proceed to open it. If you see a message saying it is "damaged and can't be opened," the download likely did not complete properly; re-downloading the .dmg is the first thing to try.

System Requirements and Supported OS Versions

The official help center specifies the following requirementsSource:

• Windows: Version 10 or later
• macOS: Version 11 (Big Sur) or later
• Linux: Desktop app not supported (use the browser version or Claude Code)

Windows 10 is supported, but the Cowork (local PC operations) feature depends on Virtual Machine Platform — a virtualization layer that runs apps in a secure isolated environment — which may not be available on older PCs or lightweight editions. "The download worked but Cowork won't run" is a common scenario, so if you're choosing a PC specifically for Cowork, Windows 11 with a CPU that supports virtualization (VT-x / AMD-V — the hardware virtualization support built into Intel and AMD processors) is the safer choice.

On the Mac side, any machine running Big Sur or later will work, regardless of whether it is Intel or Apple Silicon. An older MacBook Pro from 2015 running Big Sur is technically supported, but Apple Silicon machines offer noticeably better responsiveness. If you plan to use Claude long-term, M1 or later is recommended.

Sign-In and Account Setup

Once download and installation are complete, a sign-in screen appears immediately on launch. The account you use here is the same one you use on claude.ai — choose either Google account login or email address + password. If you're on a business plan (Team or Enterprise), sign in through the SSO path issued by your organization's administratorSource.

After signing in, your conversation history syncs with claude.ai. You can pick up a conversation you started in a browser on Mac's Claude Desktop, or switch to Claude Desktop on Windows and see the same history — all because you're signed in with the same account. To use multiple accounts (personal and work, for example), switch between them by signing out or using separate windows.

Adding Claude Code (CLI)

If you want to use Claude for coding work on your PC, you'll need to install Claude Code (CLI) separately, in addition to the Desktop app. The installation process differs by OSSource.

For Windows

1. Open PowerShell as "Run as administrator"
2. Run the following one-liner (fetches and launches the installer)

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

3. After installation completes, open a new PowerShell window and verify with claude --version
4. Run claude doctor to check dependencies and authentication status
5. On first launch, a browser will open for you to sign in with your Anthropic account

A common stumbling point is confusing PowerShell with CMD — running irm in CMD will produce an error like 'irm' is not recognized. If your prompt starts with PS C:\, you're in PowerShell.

For Mac

1. Open Terminal
2. Run the following one-liner (fetches and launches the installer)

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

3. Reopen your shell and verify with claude --version
4. Run claude doctor to check your PATH and dependencies
5. On first launch, a browser will open for you to complete sign-in

The native installer runs background automatic updates, so once installed you'll stay on the latest version with minimal effort. You can also install via Homebrew or npm, but be aware that the auto-update behavior differs.

Common Stumbling Points After Download

Here are three typical issues that arise between download and first launch.

Crashes immediately after launch

On both Windows and Mac, a crash on first launch usually indicates the installer download was incomplete. Re-downloading the .exe or .dmg and reinstalling typically fixes this — simply reopen the download page and grab the same build again.

"Can't sign in" or "verification code not arriving"

If a verification code sent by email doesn't arrive, check your spam folder. If it's still not there, try a different email address or sign in via Google account. In SSO environments, the browser-side sign-in session is often expired, so signing in to claude.ai in your browser first and then reopening the app sometimes resolves the issue.

Cowork is not selectable / grayed out

Cowork requires both the plan conditions of your signed-in account and Virtual Machine Platform being enabled — it won't appear as an option if either condition is unmetSource. The Free plan has Cowork disabled outright; the same applies if virtualization is disabled on Windows 10 Home. To fix this: upgrade your plan to Pro or higher, and enable VirtualMachinePlatform via "Turn Windows features on or off," then restart.

Uninstalling and Reinstalling

It's good to know the clean reinstall process for when things aren't working right.

• Windows: Go to Settings → Apps → Installed apps, find Claude, and uninstall it. Then delete any leftover files in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Claude before re-downloading.
• Mac: Move Claude from the Applications folder to Trash, then delete the contents of ~/Library/Application Support/Claude. Re-download the .dmg and install fresh.

When you get a new PC, simply download and sign in on the new device and your conversation history will be restored. Since only minimal settings are stored locally, the migration cost is low — a hallmark of Claude Desktop's design.

Summary — The Fastest Way to Get Claude Running on PC

The quickest route to setting up Claude on PC comes down to three steps: open claude.com/download, select your OS, run the installer, and sign inSource. The difference is that Windows requires choosing between x64 and arm64, while Mac uses a single universal build — but either way, the whole process takes just a few minutes. Developers who want Claude Code in the terminal should install it separately via the additional path. If you plan to use Cowork or Computer Use in earnest, confirming your plan conditions and OS settings beforehand will save you any confusion right after download.