Claude Code Complete Windows Installation Guide

A comprehensive guide for installing and using Claude Code on Windows through WSL (Windows Subsystem for Linux).

🚀 Quick Start

If you just want to get Claude Code running on Windows:

1. Install WSL: wsl --install (in PowerShell as Admin)
2. Install Ubuntu: wsl --install -d Ubuntu
3. Install Node.js: curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash -
4. Install Claude Code: sudo npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
5. Authenticate: claude auth login (copy URL to browser)

📚 Complete Documentation

This repository contains comprehensive guides for every aspect of Claude Code on Windows:

Installation & Setup

• Complete Installation Guide - Step-by-step installation process
• Quick Reference - Essential commands and shortcuts
• Troubleshooting Guide - Common issues and solutions

Configuration & Usage

• Windows Setup Guide - Daily usage and configuration
• Security Best Practices - Keep your system safe
• Capabilities & Limitations - What Claude Code can and cannot do

Development Setup

• GitHub SSH Setup - Configure Git and SSH for GitHub
• WSL Git & GitHub Guide - Handle WSL-specific git issues and permissions

🎯 Key Points for Windows Users

⚠️ Critical: Launch Location Matters!

Never launch Claude Code from system directories:

# ❌ BAD - Severely limited capabilities
C:\Windows\system32> wsl claude

# ✅ GOOD - Full capabilities
C:\Users\YourName\Documents> wsl claude

🔑 Essential Concepts

1. Claude Code runs in Linux (WSL), not native Windows
2. Windows files are accessible at /mnt/c/ in WSL
3. The command is claude, not claude-code
4. Browser authentication requires manual URL copy/paste
5. Use sudo for system operations in WSL

🛠️ Installation Overview

Prerequisites

• Windows 10 version 2004+ or Windows 11
• Administrator access
• Internet connection
• Anthropic account with subscription

Installation Steps

1. Enable WSL

   # PowerShell (Admin)
   wsl --install

2. Install Ubuntu

   wsl --install -d Ubuntu

3. Install Node.js (in WSL/Ubuntu)

   curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_lts.x | sudo -E bash -
   sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

4. Install Claude Code

   sudo npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

5. Set up the claude command

   sudo ln -s /usr/lib/node_modules/@anthropic-ai/claude-code/cli.js /usr/local/bin/claude

6. Authenticate

   claude auth login
   # Copy the URL to your Windows browser

🚦 Quick Commands

Launch Claude Code

# From Windows (PowerShell/CMD)
cd C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Documents
wsl claude

# From within WSL
cd /mnt/c/Users/$USER/Documents
claude

Essential WSL Commands

wsl --status          # Check WSL status
wsl --list --verbose  # List distributions
wsl --shutdown        # Restart WSL
wsl                   # Enter default distribution

📁 Repository Structure

CLAUDECODE_COMPLETE_WINDOWS_INSTALL_GUIDE/
├── README.md                     # This file
├── docs/
│   ├── INSTALLATION.md          # Complete installation guide
│   ├── WINDOWS_SETUP.md         # Windows-specific setup
│   ├── SECURITY.md              # Security best practices
│   ├── QUICK_REFERENCE.md       # Command reference
│   ├── CAPABILITIES.md          # Capabilities & limitations
│   ├── TROUBLESHOOTING.md       # Problem solving
│   └── GITHUB_SSH.md            # GitHub integration
├── scripts/
│   ├── safe-launcher.bat        # Windows batch launcher
│   └── setup-claude.sh          # WSL setup script
└── LICENSE

🤝 Contributing

Found an issue or have an improvement? Please:

1. Fork this repository
2. Create a feature branch
3. Submit a pull request

Or open an issue to discuss changes.

📝 License

This guide is provided under the MIT License. See LICENSE file for details.

🙏 Acknowledgments

• Anthropic team for creating Claude Code
• WSL team at Microsoft
• Community members who reported issues and solutions

🔗 Resources

• Claude Code Documentation
• WSL Documentation
• Report Claude Code Issues

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Remember: The key to success with Claude Code on Windows is launching from the right directory. When in doubt:

cd C:\Users\%USERNAME%\Documents && wsl claude

Happy coding with Claude Code! 🎉