Claude Code on Windows

Choosing your route: native PowerShell vs WSL

Claude Code on Windows works through two distinct paths, and picking the right one at the start saves you a session's worth of configuration later.

The native PowerShell route installs Node and Claude Code directly on the Windows side. It is the faster route to reach a working binary, and it is the natural choice if your project files live on a Windows drive and you do not need Linux-specific tooling. The trade-off is that Windows line endings and path separators occasionally create friction when the CLI writes files that another tool expects in Unix format.

The WSL route runs the entire Claude Code install inside a Linux environment hosted by Windows Subsystem for Linux 2. It is the better option for teams that deploy to Linux, use shell scripts that assume Bash semantics, or want the same environment locally as in CI. Setup takes a few extra minutes to enable WSL and install a distribution, but day-to-day use feels identical to a Linux terminal — because it is one.

Both routes ultimately run the same npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code command. The difference is which shell you open when you use Claude Code each day, and where the API key lives.

Native PowerShell installation steps

The steps below assume a clean Windows 10 or Windows 11 machine. If Node is already installed, skip to step two.

Step 1 — Install Node.js on Windows

Download the current LTS release from the official Node.js site and run the installer. On the setup screen that asks about optional tools, make sure Add to PATH is checked. After install, open a new PowerShell window and verify.

node --version   # should read v18.x.x or higher
npm --version    # should read 9.x.x or higher

Step 2 — Install Claude Code

In PowerShell, run the global install. If your terminal reports a permissions error, open PowerShell as Administrator and retry.

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

Step 3 — Confirm the binary

Close and reopen PowerShell so the new PATH entry is loaded, then check the version.

claude --version

If the shell reports "command not found" or "unrecognized", the npm global bin directory is not in PATH. Add it manually through System Properties > Environment Variables > User PATH. The typical value to add is C:\Users\<YourName>\AppData\Roaming\npm.

Step 4 — Set the API key in the PowerShell profile

Open your PowerShell profile file (create it if it does not yet exist) and add the key export.

# Open the profile in Notepad
notepad $PROFILE

# Add this line to the file:
$env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY = "sk-ant-..."

# Save, close Notepad, then reload:
. $PROFILE

Step 5 — Run the auth check

claude auth

A success message prints the account email. If you see a 401 error, the key variable was not loaded — confirm $env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY prints the key value, then retry.

WSL installation steps

Use this route if you want a Linux shell environment on Windows.

Step 1 — Enable WSL2 and install Ubuntu

# In PowerShell (Administrator):
wsl --install

# After reboot, open Ubuntu from Start and set up your Linux username.
# Verify WSL version:
wsl --list --verbose

Step 2 — Install Node inside WSL

# Inside the Ubuntu terminal:
sudo apt update
sudo apt install -y nodejs npm

# Or use nvm for version control:
curl -o- https://raw.githubusercontent.com/nvm-sh/nvm/v0.39.7/install.sh | bash
source ~/.bashrc
nvm install 20
nvm use 20

Step 3 — Install Claude Code inside WSL

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

Step 4 — Set the API key in ~/.bashrc or ~/.zshrc

echo 'export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="sk-ant-..."' >> ~/.bashrc
source ~/.bashrc
claude auth

Windows route comparison

The table below summarises the key differences between the two installation paths so you can pick the one that fits your workflow.

Step	PowerShell command	Notes
Verify Node version	node --version	Must be v18 or higher on both routes
Install Claude Code	npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code	Same command on native and WSL
Verify binary (native)	claude --version	Run after reopening PowerShell
Set API key (native)	$env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY = "..." in $PROFILE	Persists across PowerShell sessions
Set API key (WSL)	export ANTHROPIC_API_KEY="..." in ~/.bashrc	Persists inside the WSL environment
Auth check	claude auth	Same on both routes

Windows Terminal as the recommended host

Windows Terminal handles Unicode output correctly and supports tabs that switch between PowerShell, WSL, and Command Prompt profiles. The legacy conhost.exe terminal can display garbled characters in Claude Code's output — switching to Windows Terminal resolves that without any other change. Install Windows Terminal from the Microsoft Store if it is not already present on your machine.

For a broader look at AI tool safety frameworks relevant to corporate Windows deployments, the MIT CSAIL research publications cover agent autonomy and oversight patterns that are directly applicable to Claude Code rollouts in managed environments.