There are three supported ways to run OpenClaw on Windows: the native Windows Hub companion app, the official PowerShell installer, or a Gateway inside WSL2. Choose Windows Hub for guided desktop setup, PowerShell for a native command-line installation, and WSL2 when your services or automation already depend on Linux. OpenClaw supports Node.js 24.16 or newer and 26.1 or newer; Node.js 26 is the recommended line.
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Choose the Windows installation route
Your choice affects where the Gateway runs, how much Windows integration you receive, and how much configuration you manage yourself. The three routes install the same OpenClaw software but suit different workflows.
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| Route | Best for | Main requirement | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| Windows Hub | Desktop users who want guided setup, tray status, and diagnostics | Windows 10 version 20H2 or newer, or Windows 11 | Uses the native companion app and its Gateway setup flow |
| PowerShell installer | Terminal users who want a native Windows CLI and Gateway | PowerShell 5 or newer and a supported Node.js runtime | PATH, Git, or runtime issues may require manual repair |
| WSL2 Gateway | Linux-compatible services, automation, and existing Linux workflows | A WSL2 distribution with systemd enabled | Requires a Linux environment and Linux administration commands |
If you are unsure, start with Windows Hub. It is the recommended native Windows desktop application and can either create an app-owned WSL Gateway or connect to a Gateway running elsewhere. Choose WSL2 directly when Linux compatibility is more important than a native Windows interface.
Check the Node.js requirement before installing
OpenClaw’s supported runtime lines are Node.js 24.16 or later and Node.js 26.1 or later. Node.js 26 is recommended. Do not assume that every Node release between those lines is supported: use one of the listed supported versions, preferably the current Node 26 release installed by the official installer or your organization’s approved package manager.
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The PowerShell installer checks for a usable runtime and attempts to install one through winget, Chocolatey, or Scoop. If those package-manager paths are unavailable, or they leave an unsupported runtime, the script can download an official portable Node 26 copy under %LOCALAPPDATA%OpenClawdepsportable-node. That fallback keeps OpenClaw’s runtime separate from a system-wide Node installation.
Install with Windows Hub
Windows Hub is the native WinUI companion app for Windows 10 20H2 and later and Windows 11. It includes first-run setup, system-tray status, chat, Command Center diagnostics, and Windows node capabilities. The installer does not require administrator privileges and is supplied as signed x64 and ARM64 packages.
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Open the current Windows Hub release page from OpenClaw’s Windows platform documentation and select the package matching your computer’s processor architecture. Use x64 for the usual Intel or AMD Windows PC; use ARM64 for a Windows-on-ARM device. Keep the download from the official release page so Windows can validate its signature.
Step 2: Run the installer as a normal user
- Double-click the downloaded installer.
- Accept the normal Windows application prompts. No administrator elevation is required for the supported installation.
- After setup completes, open OpenClaw Companion from the Start menu, or launch it from the system tray.
Step 3: Complete first-run Gateway setup
The companion app walks you through initial configuration. You can let Windows Hub provision an app-owned WSL Gateway, or point it at an existing remote Gateway if your organization already operates one. The tray icon provides a quick status indication, while Command Center diagnostics help identify connection or runtime problems.
Windows Hub is the simplest route when you want OpenClaw available as a desktop application rather than maintaining shell profiles and service configuration yourself. Its trade-off is that the Hub’s setup flow determines more of the Gateway arrangement than a manual WSL installation does.
Install with the official PowerShell script
The PowerShell route installs OpenClaw for native Windows command-line use and can also configure the Gateway. It requires PowerShell 5 or newer. The fastest command is the official script:
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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsiwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iexThe URL above is the script endpoint; opening it in a browser is not a substitute for running it in PowerShell. If your organization’s policy restricts script execution or remote content, use the documented security process for reviewing and permitting the script rather than pasting an unrelated installer.
Install without starting onboarding
To install the files and command-line tools without immediately launching onboarding, run:
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& ([scriptblock]::Create((iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1))) -NoOnboardThis is useful on a server, in a scripted workstation setup, or when you want to verify the installation before creating an OpenClaw configuration. You can complete onboarding later.
What the script does
- Checks for a supported Node.js runtime.
- Attempts to obtain Node through winget, Chocolatey, or Scoop when those tools are available.
- Falls back to official portable Node 26 in
%LOCALAPPDATA%OpenClawdepsportable-nodewhen a package-manager installation is unavailable or unsuitable. - Uses a global npm installation by default. A Git-based installation method is also available when that better fits your workflow.
- May bootstrap a user-local MinGit copy if a Git dependency is encountered and Git is not already available.
The installer may alter your user PATH. Windows processes do not always see PATH changes made by a process that is already open, so verification should happen in a newly opened shell.
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Verify the native installation
- Close the current PowerShell window and open a new one.
- Run
openclaw --version. A version string confirms that the executable is discoverable. - Run
openclaw gateway status. This checks the Gateway state rather than merely confirming that the CLI exists. - If you skipped onboarding, start it through the normal OpenClaw onboarding command or the Windows Hub later.
Repair a PowerShell installation when openclaw is not found
The most common post-installation failure is a PATH mismatch: npm installed the executable in a user prefix that the new shell does not yet search.
Check npm’s user prefix
npm config get prefixCopy the path returned by that command and add that exact user prefix directory to your user PATH. Do not append bin to the value on Windows. After saving the PATH change, close every open PowerShell window and open a new one before testing again.
Run the verification commands again
openclaw --version
openclaw gateway statusIf the version command now works but Gateway status reports a service problem, the CLI is installed and the remaining issue is Gateway startup or configuration. If the version command still fails, inspect the PATH entry and confirm that the installation completed without an error.
Recover from Git dependency errors
Some installation paths need Git. Rerun the official installer so it can bootstrap a user-local MinGit copy, or install Git for Windows through your normal software-management policy and then rerun the script. Restart PowerShell after the change so the shell can see the updated executable path.
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Install an OpenClaw Gateway in WSL2
WSL2 remains the most Linux-compatible Gateway runtime on Windows. It is the appropriate route when your integrations, service scripts, or operational habits are Linux-oriented. The manual process has three phases: install a distribution, enable systemd, and install OpenClaw inside that distribution.
Step 1: Install WSL and Ubuntu
From PowerShell, use the command allowed by your Windows policy. A standard installation is:
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wsl --installTo see available distributions first, run:
wsl --list --onlineTo select Ubuntu 24.04 explicitly, run:
wsl --install -d Ubuntu-24.04Complete the distribution’s first-run user setup when Windows presents it. The OpenClaw commands in the next steps must run inside the Linux distribution, not in ordinary Windows PowerShell.
Step 2: Enable systemd in the distribution
Inside Ubuntu, write the WSL configuration file:
sudo tee /etc/wsl.conf >/dev/null <<'EOF'
[boot]
systemd=true
EOFThis enables systemd for that distribution, which is needed for the documented Gateway service workflow.
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Step 3: Restart WSL
Return to PowerShell and stop the running WSL instance:
wsl --shutdownStart Ubuntu again from the Start menu or by typing wsl. The systemd setting will then be loaded.
Step 4: Install and verify OpenClaw inside WSL
In the Ubuntu shell, run the official Linux installer:
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openclaw gateway statusThe shell script is the Linux-side equivalent of the PowerShell fast path. Keep the Windows and WSL installations conceptually separate: a command installed in Ubuntu is not automatically a command installed in native PowerShell, and each environment can have its own PATH, Node runtime, configuration, and Gateway process.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use Windows Hub to set up WSL instead
You do not have to perform the WSL configuration manually if you prefer a guided experience. Windows Hub can perform an app-owned WSL Gateway setup. This combines a Windows desktop control surface with a Linux-compatible Gateway runtime. It is useful when you want tray visibility and Command Center diagnostics but still need Linux behavior.
Alternatively, Windows Hub can connect to an existing remote Gateway. That arrangement keeps the Gateway on another machine while the Windows companion provides the local interface and Windows node capabilities. The remote machine’s networking and authentication are separate from the installation steps described here.
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Verification checklist for every route
Use this sequence after Windows Hub, PowerShell, or WSL installation:
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- Open a new PowerShell window or a new WSL shell so PATH and runtime changes are loaded.
- Run
openclaw --versionin the environment where you installed OpenClaw. - Run
openclaw gateway statusin that same environment. - Complete onboarding when prompted, or use the PowerShell installer’s
-NoOnboardoption and perform onboarding later.
A successful version check proves CLI discovery; a successful Gateway status check proves that the Gateway can be located and queried. Treat them as two separate tests rather than relying on only one.
Troubleshooting by symptom
PowerShell says the command is not recognized
- Open a new PowerShell window first; the old process may have the pre-installation PATH.
- Run
npm config get prefixand add that exact directory to your user PATH, without addingbin. - Check that the installer did not fall back to a different user account or environment.
- Run
openclaw --versionagain after reopening PowerShell.
The installer cannot obtain Node.js
The script normally tries winget, Chocolatey, or Scoop and can use portable Node 26 when those routes fail. If installation still stops, check whether your organization’s policy blocks package managers or downloads, then rerun the script after resolving that policy issue. The portable runtime location is %LOCALAPPDATA%OpenClawdepsportable-node.
Git-related dependencies fail
Rerun the installer to allow user-local MinGit bootstrapping, or install Git for Windows through your approved channel. Reopen PowerShell afterward and repeat the installation or verification commands.
openclaw --version works but Gateway status fails
This indicates that the CLI is discoverable but the Gateway is not running, is not configured, or is in another environment. Confirm whether you installed natively, in WSL, through Windows Hub’s app-owned WSL setup, or against a remote Gateway. Run openclaw gateway status in the environment that owns the Gateway rather than switching shells accidentally.
WSL commands work but Windows PowerShell cannot find OpenClaw
That is expected when OpenClaw was installed only inside Ubuntu. Launch it from the WSL shell, or install the native Windows route separately if you need a PowerShell command. Windows Hub can also provide a Windows interface while using its own WSL Gateway setup.
Which route should you keep?
Keep Windows Hub when desktop integration matters
Choose Windows Hub if tray status, guided onboarding, diagnostics, chat, and Windows node capabilities are central to your use. It is also the least manual way to provision an app-owned WSL Gateway.
Keep PowerShell when native scripting matters
Choose the PowerShell installation when your automation, scheduled tasks, and administration are Windows-native and you want the openclaw command directly in PowerShell. Be prepared to maintain the user PATH and resolve occasional Git or runtime issues.
Keep WSL2 when Linux compatibility matters
Choose WSL2 when Linux service behavior and existing Linux workflows outweigh native Windows convenience. Systemd configuration is an extra step, but it gives the Gateway the Linux-compatible runtime identified by OpenClaw’s Windows documentation.
There is no requirement for a special USB device, paid hardware, or a separate Windows license beyond the Windows installation you already use. The relevant prerequisites are the supported Windows edition for Windows Hub, PowerShell 5 or newer for the script route, a supported Node runtime for native installation, or a WSL2 distribution with systemd for the Linux route.
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