Before installing Claude Code on Windows, prepare Node.js, Git, and optionally VS Code.
Node.js: https://nodejs.org/en
Git: https://git-scm.com/
VS Code: https://code.visualstudio.com/
CC Switch download: https://ccswitch.lovable.app/
PowerShell official installer:
irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex
CMD or npm installer:
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
Install the latest version:
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@latest
Check the installed version:
claude --version
If PowerShell blocks a script, review the reason first. For a personal development machine, the current-user policy can be adjusted with:
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser
Review any remote install command before running it. Company devices should follow the organization security policy. If the command is not found after installation, reopen the terminal and check that the npm global bin directory is in PATH.
Break the goal into input, action, and output before adding review checkpoints.
Keep examples, failure conditions, and review criteria so the tutorial stays reusable.