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Set Up OpenClaw on Your Windows PC

Beginner25-35 minutes

Target audience: Never used PowerShell before? No worries -- we'll do this step by step.

Duration: 25-35 minutes (+ 30-60 min for Skills, optional)

Difficulty: Beginner

Important: Windows 11 recommended (Windows 10 works too)

Setup: WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) is recommended for stability

Important: WSL2 vs Native Windows

OpenClaw runs best on WSL2 -- that's Linux running INSIDE Windows.

In simple terms:

  • WSL2 = Linux on Windows (more stable, easier)
  • Native Windows = directly on Windows (more difficult)

We use WSL2 in this guide (recommended).

Step 0: Preparation (WSL2 + Node.js)

Step 0.1: Install WSL2

WSL2 is Linux on Windows. It makes OpenClaw more stable.

How to install WSL2:

  1. Press Windows key + X on your keyboard

- A menu appears in the bottom-left corner

  1. Click on "PowerShell (Administrator)" or "Terminal (Administrator)"

- If you don't see it: Press Windows key + S, type "PowerShell"

  1. A black/blue window opens

In the PowerShell window, type:

wsl --install

Press Enter.

What happens:

  1. Windows downloads Ubuntu (a Linux distribution) -- takes 5-15 minutes
  2. At the end, Windows asks whether you want to restart
  3. Click "Restart now"
  4. After the restart, a black Ubuntu window opens automatically
  5. It asks for your username (e.g. your first name)
  6. Type a name and press Enter
  7. It asks for a password (it won't be displayed -- that's normal)
  8. Type a password and press Enter

Congratulations! WSL2 is installed.

Step 0.2: Install Node.js in WSL2

The Ubuntu window should still be open.

In the Ubuntu window, type:

curl -fsSL https://deb.nodesource.com/setup_22.x | sudo -E bash -

Press Enter. It may ask for your password (the one from Step 0.1).

Then:

sudo apt-get install -y nodejs

Press Enter.

This takes 3-5 minutes. At the end you'll see a lot of text -- that's normal.

Step 0.3: Verify Node.js

In the Ubuntu window:

node --version

You should see:

v22.x.x

Perfect! Node.js is running.

Step 1: Install OpenClaw

Here we go!

Important: Stay in the Ubuntu window (not PowerShell).

In the Ubuntu window, type:

curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash

Press Enter.

What happens:

  • Installation runs for 3-5 minutes
  • You'll see a lot of text -- that's normal

At the end:

Installation complete!

Great!

Step 2: Configure OpenClaw

This is the most important step!

In the Ubuntu window:

openclaw configure

Press Enter.

A wizard opens (a question-and-answer dialog).

Question 1: Where will the Gateway run?

Where will the Gateway run?
○ Local (this machine)

Highlight Local with the arrow key and press Enter.

Question 2: What do you want to configure?

You'll see several options:

  • ○ Workspace
  • ● Model
  • ○ Web tools
  • ○ Gateway
  • ○ Daemon
  • ○ Channels
  • ○ Skills

Select Model (arrow key, Enter).

Question 3: Which AI provider?

You'll see:

Model/auth provider

○ OpenAI
○ Anthropic (Claude)
○ Google
○ vLLM
... (many more)

Recommendation:

  • OpenAI: If you have a ChatGPT subscription
  • Google: Free (Gemini)

We'll use OpenAI for this test.

Highlight it with the arrow key and press Enter.

Question 4: Enter your API key

Your browser opens to OpenAI.

  1. Sign in
  2. Go to API keys
  3. Click Create new secret key
  4. Copy the code (Ctrl + C)
  5. Switch back to the Ubuntu window
  6. Press Ctrl + V to paste
  7. Press Enter

Question 5: Install Skills? (Optional -- takes a long time!)

Select sections to configure
...
● Skills
...

IMPORTANT: Skills installation takes 30-60 minutes on Windows (even longer than on Mac)!

Recommendation: Select a different option (e.g. "Continue") and skip Skills for now.

You can install Skills individually later.

Question 6: Continue

Highlight Continue and press Enter.

Done!

Step 3: Open the Dashboard

In the Ubuntu window:

openclaw dashboard

Press Enter.

Your browser (the Windows browser, not Ubuntu!) opens with:

http://127.0.0.1:18789/

If it doesn't open: open a browser yourself and enter this address.

Step 4: First Test Message

  1. Click into the chat window in the browser
  2. Type: "Hello! Who are you?"
  3. Press Enter

You should get a response!

Step 5: Updates

In the Dashboard you may see:

Update available: v2026.3.13

Click on it -- OpenClaw will update (30 seconds).

Step 6: Connect WhatsApp (Optional)

In the Ubuntu window:

openclaw channels login --channel whatsapp

A QR code appears. Scan it with your phone camera (WhatsApp -> Settings -> Linked Devices).

Common Windows Errors and Solutions

Error 1: "WSL installation failed"

Problem: WSL2 installation fails

Solution:

  1. Press Windows key + X
  2. Click "System Settings"
  3. Go to "Apps" -> "Apps & Features" -> "Optional Features"
  4. Click "More Features"
  5. Look for "Windows Subsystem for Linux"
  6. Check the box
  7. Click OK
  8. Restart your PC
  9. Try wsl --install again

Error 2: "Ubuntu window won't open"

Problem: After the WSL2 installation, no Ubuntu window opens

Solution:

  1. Press Windows key + X
  2. Click "Terminal (Administrator)"
  3. There should be an "Ubuntu" tab
  4. If not: Click "+" and select "Ubuntu"

Error 3: "bash: curl: command not found"

Problem: curl is missing in Ubuntu

Solution:

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install curl -y

Error 4: "command not found: openclaw"

Problem: After installation, openclaw doesn't work

Solution:

source ~/.bashrc

Or: close the Ubuntu window and reopen it.

Error 5: "No API key found for provider"

Problem: The Dashboard shows: "No API key found"

Solution:

openclaw configure

Select Model and enter your API key.

Error 6: "localhost:18789 doesn't work"

Problem: The browser can't reach the Dashboard

Solution:

openclaw gateway restart

Wait 5 seconds, then try again.

Error 7: "Skills installation fails"

This is NORMAL! Especially on older Windows machines or older Macs.

Errors look like:

Install failed: apple-notes — requires macOS Sonoma

OpenClaw still works fine.

Useful Ubuntu Commands

openclaw dashboard          # Open the Dashboard
openclaw gateway status     # Check status
openclaw gateway restart    # Restart
openclaw gateway stop       # Stop
openclaw --help            # Show all commands
openclaw logs --follow     # View logs

Everything working?

Congratulations!

You now have an AI assistant on your Windows PC!

Still having problems?

Option 1: See "Common Errors" above

Option 2: Email: office@markusstoeger.com (subject: openclaw.markusstoeger.com)

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  • openclaw.markusstoeger.com

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