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How to Install OpenClaw on Windows (Windows 11 and 10, Step by Step)

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Pete

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You want OpenClaw on your Windows PC. Then you open the docs and find four routes: an app called Windows Hub, a PowerShell command, WSL2 and a backup desktop app. Which one is yours? And will you break something if you pick wrong?

Here is the short answer. For most people, the easiest way to install OpenClaw on Windows is the Windows Hub app: download the installer from the OpenClaw releases page, run it (no administrator rights needed), choose Set up locally, and wait until the tray icon turns green. If you are happy in a terminal, one PowerShell command does the same job: iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex. Either way you need a way into an AI model: an existing Claude Code or Codex login, or an API key from a model provider. The docs promise a first chat in minutes; give yourself 20 so you can read along calmly. The steps for each route are below.

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Before you start: what you need

  • Windows 10 version 20H2 or newer, or Windows 11. Windows Hub supports both, with separate installers for normal (x64) and ARM64 PCs (OpenClaw docs: Windows).
  • Access to an AI model. Onboarding can reuse an existing Claude Code or Codex CLI login, or you paste an API key from your provider (OpenClaw docs: Getting started). OpenClaw itself is free and open source under the MIT licence; the model behind it is what you pay for.
  • WSL and virtualization switched on, for the Hub’s local setup. The docs list disabled WSL and blocked virtualization as the most common reasons local setup fails. On a work laptop, IT may have switched these off.
  • Node.js only for the terminal routes. The docs ask for Node 24.16+ or 26.1+, with Node 26 recommended. The installer script installs Node for you if it is missing (OpenClaw docs: Install).

Not sure OpenClaw is even the right tool? Read OpenClaw vs Claude Code or OpenClaw vs Claude Cowork first. This page assumes you have decided.

Which install route fits you?

  • Windows Hub (recommended by the docs). A normal Windows app with a setup screen, a tray icon, a chat window and a diagnostics panel called Command Center. Best if you do not want to touch a terminal.
  • PowerShell installer. One command, then a guided setup in the terminal. Best if you like to see what is happening and want OpenClaw to run as a normal Windows background task.
  • WSL2. OpenClaw runs inside a Linux system on your PC. The docs call it “the most Linux-compatible Gateway runtime on Windows”. Best if you follow Linux guides or plan to run local models and other tools next to it.
  • Tauri desktop app (backup). A cross-platform app from the regular releases page. Use it only if the Hub does not work for you.

A word you will see everywhere: the Gateway. That is the part of OpenClaw that runs in the background, holds your settings and connects your chat apps to the AI. Every route below ends with a running Gateway.

How to install OpenClaw on Windows 11 with Windows Hub

This is the route for most people, and it works the same on Windows 10.

  1. Download the installer. Go to the Windows Hub releases page and download OpenClawCompanion-Setup-x64.exe. Pick the ARM64 file only if your PC has an ARM processor (Settings, System, About tells you).
  2. Run it. It installs without administrator rights and adds Start menu shortcuts for Gateway Setup, Chat, Settings, Check for Updates and uninstall.
  3. Open OpenClaw Companion from the Start menu or the system tray. On first launch, setup opens by itself.
  4. Choose Set up locally. The app creates its own small WSL system called OpenClawGateway, installs the Gateway inside it and pairs itself with it. The docs note that it does not touch an Ubuntu install you may already have.
  5. Connect your AI access when setup asks: your existing Claude Code or Codex login, or an API key.
  6. Wait for green. When the tray icon turns green, open Command Center from the tray and check that the connection and channels look healthy.

That is it. If the tray icon does not show up, look in the hidden tray icons area (the little arrow next to the clock) and pin it. If it is not running at all, start OpenClaw Companion again from the Start menu.

Install OpenClaw on Windows with PowerShell

Prefer the terminal? Open PowerShell (search “PowerShell” in the Start menu; your prompt starts with PS C:\) and paste:

iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex

The script checks your system, installs Node if needed, installs OpenClaw and starts the onboarding wizard (Install). Then:

  1. Pick Quick start in onboarding. It finds an existing Claude Code or Codex login or API key, tests it with a real request, saves your settings and opens the web dashboard.
  2. Make it run in the background. Quick start keeps the Gateway running in that terminal window. Press Ctrl+C to stop it, then run openclaw gateway install. On Windows this creates a Scheduled Task (or a login item if task creation is blocked), and your settings stay saved.
  3. Check it:
openclaw --version
openclaw doctor
openclaw gateway status

The status should show the Gateway listening on port 18789. Then run openclaw dashboard to open the Control UI in your browser. If it loads, everything works (Getting started).

One tip from the docs for the terminal route: if you plan to use OpenClaw’s workspace features, install Git for Windows as well.

Install OpenClaw on Windows 11 for local AI workflows (WSL2)

“Local” can mean two things. Either OpenClaw runs on your own PC instead of a server (every route on this page does that), or the AI model itself also runs on your PC. For the second, WSL2 is the route that matches most Linux guides, and the Hub can set up a WSL Gateway for you too. To do it by hand:

  1. Install WSL and Ubuntu from PowerShell: wsl --install (or wsl --install -d Ubuntu-24.04 to pick the version).
  2. Switch on systemd inside Ubuntu, so the Gateway can run as a service:
sudo tee /etc/wsl.conf >/dev/null <<'EOF'
[boot]
systemd=true
EOF
  1. Restart WSL from PowerShell with wsl --shutdown, then open Ubuntu again.
  2. Install OpenClaw inside Ubuntu: curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash, then openclaw gateway status.

Want the model on your PC as well? The docs describe a managed local model setup: install the llama.cpp plugin, run openclaw onboard and choose Managed local server. It shows the model, download size and backend before downloading, and checks a real tool call before making it your default. The smallest recipe needs at least 8 GiB of memory, larger ones more, and LM Studio and Ollama are listed as alternatives (OpenClaw docs: Local models). Two honest warnings from the same page: local models do not have the safety filters of hosted providers, and a model that answers a short question can still fail a real agent task. Test it on your actual work before you rely on it.

If you need OpenClaw to start even when nobody logs into Windows, the Windows docs have a separate “auto-start before login” recipe for WSL. Skip it on day one.

Your first 15 minutes after the install

An install is only worth something once it does a job. Do these three things right away:

  1. Send a first message in the dashboard. Type something small and real: “Make a checklist for my Monday morning from these notes: [paste]”. If you get an answer, the AI connection works.
  2. Connect Telegram. The docs call it the fastest channel to set up, since it needs just a bot token. By default, Telegram uses pairing: when someone unknown messages your bot, they get an 8-character code and nothing they send is processed until you approve it. Codes expire after one hour. You approve requests in the Control UI under Settings, Channels, DM access requests (OpenClaw docs: Pairing).
  3. Run the security check: openclaw security audit. The docs say this one command tells you if your setup has drifted from the safe defaults (OpenClaw docs: Security). Fix what it flags before you add more channels.

Then give it one recurring task you actually need, like a weekday summary of your notes file. If you would rather build agents with drag-and-drop tools instead, see how to build an AI agent without code.

When the install does not work

  • Not sure what is wrong: run openclaw triage. It runs read-only checks and writes a clean description of the problem. It can hand that to Claude Code, Codex or OpenClaw’s own agent if one is installed, and the docs say nothing leaves your machine until you choose one.
  • “openclaw is not recognized”: almost always a PATH problem. Close PowerShell, open a new window and try again. If it still fails, follow the Node.js troubleshooting page in the docs.
  • Hub local setup fails: open the setup log from Windows Hub. Common causes: WSL switched off, virtualization blocked, leftover state from an earlier attempt, or a network drop during the download.
  • The Gateway task is disabled: openclaw gateway start or openclaw doctor --fix switches it back on.
  • Download or installation failed: the docs say to check your internet connection and any proxy, then retry local setup. On some office networks a proxy is exactly what gets in the way.

Should you put it on your work laptop?

Ask first. OpenClaw runs in the background, can be reached from chat apps, and can be given tools that act on your PC. The docs are clear that each Gateway is meant for one trusted person or a team that trusts each other, not for strangers sharing one assistant. On a company laptop, that is a conversation for your IT team, especially if WSL is locked down. A personal PC, or a small server you control, is the easier place to learn.

Wondering whether a desktop agent that clicks through your apps fits your office better? Our guide to the best AI agent for desktop workflows compares the options.

Quick answers

Do I need WSL to install OpenClaw on Windows?

Not always. The PowerShell installer runs OpenClaw natively on Windows. The Windows Hub’s local setup does use WSL, but it creates and manages its own WSL system for you.

Does OpenClaw work on Windows 10?

Yes. Windows Hub supports Windows 10 version 20H2 and newer, as well as Windows 11.

Setting it up on a Mac instead? Our guide on how to install OpenClaw on a Mac covers the menu bar app and the one-line Terminal installer for older Macs.

Is OpenClaw free?

The software is free and open source (MIT licence). You pay for the AI model you connect, unless you run a local model on your own hardware.

How do I uninstall it?

The Hub installer adds an uninstall shortcut to the Start menu. For the PowerShell route, the docs have an Uninstall page that also covers removing the Scheduled Task.

Pick your route, set aside 20 minutes tonight, and send your first message before you go to bed.

Want the next one in your inbox?

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No password. Just your email, and you’re in.

Thinking about a dedicated machine instead? See how to set up OpenClaw on a Mac mini that stays on 24/7.

Not sure which one to get? Here are the Mac mini specs OpenClaw needs, with three honest picks.

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