Daxos · Setup guide

Claude Code on Windows

From nothing to a working AI terminal in about 15 minutes. Do the steps in order — each is one action.

0 Get your Claude account

Claude Code runs on a paid Claude plan — Pro works, Max is better for real use. Mark sets this up and invites you.

Before you start: confirm you can log in at claude.ai.

1 Install Windows Terminal

This is the Windows version of the Mac iTerm — clean tabs and panes. Open the Microsoft Store, search Windows Terminal, click Install. (Windows 11 already has it.)

This is the window you’ll type commands into. It opens PowerShell by default — your prompt will read PS C:\Users\You>.

2 Install Git for Windows

Go to git-scm.com/download/win, run the installer, and click Next through every screen (defaults are fine).

This gives Claude Code its Bash command tool so it can actually do things on your machine. Recommended.

3 Install Claude Code — one command

Open Windows Terminal (PowerShell). Paste this and press Enter:

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

That’s it — no Node.js or anything else to install. It downloads Claude Code and keeps itself updated automatically. Close and reopen the terminal when it finishes.

4 Start it and log in

Make a folder to work in and go into it, then launch Claude:

mkdir work
cd work
claude

The first run opens your browser — sign in with your account from Step 0 and approve. When it asks to trust this folder, say yes. You’re in.

5 Use it

Just type what you want in plain English and press Enter — ask it to explain something, draft an email, summarize a document, fix a file. Type /help for commands, exit to quit, and claude to start again anytime.

6 Connect your email (optional)

To have Claude help with Gmail, the easy path is the connector in the Claude app: claude.ai → Settings → Connectors → Connect Gmail, then approve. Now Claude can read and draft your mail.

For that same power inside Claude Code, ask Mark to add the Gmail connector to your setup.

! If something breaks

  • “irm is not recognized” — you’re in CMD, not PowerShell. In Windows Terminal open a PowerShell tab (or type powershell first), then rerun Step 3.
  • claude not found — close the terminal completely and reopen it. The installer adds Claude to your PATH on restart.
  • Still stuck — run claude doctor for a diagnosis, or ping Mark.
Too much terminal? There’s also a Claude desktop app (download at claude.ai) that runs Claude Code with no terminal at all. But the terminal is worth learning — it’s faster once it clicks.