# Install Claude Code on Windows: Download, Setup, Run

> irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex installs Claude Code on Windows 10 1809+. WinGet and npm alternatives, Git Bash setup, and the first login.

- Canonical: https://guides-ai.pages.dev/guides/install-claude-code-windows/
- Plate 01.01 · Topic: Install & set up (https://guides-ai.pages.dev/topics/setup/)
- Published: 10 Jun 2026 · Updated: 06 Sept 2026 · 3 min read
- Source site: guides-ai — https://guides-ai.pages.dev/

Open PowerShell and run `irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex`. That is the whole install on
Windows: no administrator rights, no Node.js, no WSL. WinGet and npm are the alternatives on
Anthropic's [setup page](https://code.claude.com/docs/en/setup).

## 1. Check what you need

Windows 10 1809+ (or Server 2019+), 4 GB of RAM, x64 or ARM64, and PowerShell or CMD. The account
matters more: Claude Code needs a Pro, Max, Team, Enterprise or Console plan — the free Claude.ai
plan does not include it.

## 2. Run the installer

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

What it does: downloads the install script and runs it, placing `claude.exe` in `%USERPROFILE%\.local\bin`.

CMD has no `irm` — `PS C:\` in your prompt is PowerShell, `C:\` alone is CMD:

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

What it does: saves the installer, runs it, deletes it.

| Route | Command | Updates |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Native installer | `irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 \| iex` | automatic, in the background |
| WinGet | `winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode` | manual: `winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode` |
| npm, Node 22+ | `npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code` | automatic while npm's global dir is writable |

npm pulls the same binary. Never run it elevated: the docs warn that causes permission problems.

## 3. Verify it worked

```powershell
claude --version
```

What it does: prints a version such as `2.1.211 (Claude Code)`. `'claude' is not recognized`
usually means the terminal opened before the install finished; if not,
[fix the PATH](/guides/fix-claude-command-not-found/).

```powershell
claude doctor
```

What it does: read-only diagnostics — install health, settings errors, last update attempt.

## 4. Start it in your project

```powershell
cd C:\path\to\your\project
claude
```

What it does: opens a session scoped to that folder. The first run opens a browser to log in, or
asks once to approve `ANTHROPIC_API_KEY` when that is set.

## 5. Choose PowerShell, Git Bash, or WSL

Git for Windows is optional but worth it: with it, Claude Code runs shell commands through Git
Bash; without it, through the PowerShell tool. If it cannot find Git Bash, name the path in
[settings.json](/guides/claude-code-settings-json/):

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

What it does: points the Bash tool at Git Bash. WSL 2 is the third route, the only one with
sandboxing.

## Failure mode: `running scripts is disabled on this system`

After an npm install, PowerShell can refuse npm's `.ps1` launchers with a `PSSecurityException`
naming `npm.ps1` or `claude.ps1`. Allow local scripts, call `claude.cmd`, or use the PowerShell
installer, which runs downloaded text rather than a script file:

```powershell
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
```

What it does: lets your user run local scripts. Then open
[your first session](/guides/first-claude-code-session/) — a coding [agent](/glossary/#agent)
whose [permissions](/glossary/#permissions) are worth reading first.