OpenClaw on Windows 10: Complete Native Install Without WSL 2026

February 25, 2026 12 min read Windows 10 Tutorial OpenClaw

About This Guide: Many online tutorials for OpenClaw recommend using WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux) — but WSL2 isn't available on all Windows 10 editions and configurations. This guide shows you how to install and run OpenClaw natively on Windows 10 using PowerShell and Node.js for Windows, with PM2 for background operation. No WSL2, no virtualization required. Works on Windows 10 Home, Pro, and Enterprise (version 1903 or newer).

Native Windows vs WSL2: Which is Better?

WSL2 is great for developers who prefer a Linux-like environment, but it's not always the right choice. On Windows 10 Home, WSL2 requires virtualization features that may not be available on older or budget hardware. Some corporate IT policies also block WSL2. The good news: OpenClaw runs perfectly natively on Windows using the Windows version of Node.js.

Native Windows Advantages

✅ Works on ALL Windows 10 editions (including Home)
✅ No virtualization hardware required
✅ Faster file I/O (no virtual disk overhead)
✅ Better integration with Windows apps and shortcuts
✅ Simpler for non-developers to configure
✅ PM2 runs as a Windows background service

When to Use WSL2 Instead

• You're a developer comfortable with Linux
• You need Linux-only OpenClaw skills or tools
• You're running Windows 11 (WSL2 is more stable)
• You need Docker or containerized deployment

Windows 10 Requirements

Win 10 v1903+

Any Edition

4 GB+

RAM

5 GB+

Free Disk

Node 22+

Runtime

Check your Windows version: Press Win + R, type winver, press Enter. You need version 1903 (OS Build 18362) or higher. Most Windows 10 PCs automatically updated past this in 2020.

Step 1: Enable PowerShell Script Execution

Windows 10's default PowerShell Execution Policy blocks running scripts. Open PowerShell as Administrator (search "PowerShell" → right-click → "Run as Administrator") and run:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned -Force
Get-ExecutionPolicy -List

Confirm: You should see RemoteSigned for CurrentUser scope. This allows you to run local scripts and signed remote scripts — required for npm and OpenClaw to function correctly.

Step 2: Install Node.js 22 for Windows

Choose one of these two methods. Method B (winget) is faster if available on your system:

A Official Installer (Easiest for All Windows 10 Versions)

1. Go to nodejs.org/en/download in your browser
2. Download Windows Installer (.msi) — choose the LTS version (22.x)
3. Run the installer — accept defaults, ensure "Add to PATH" checkbox is ticked
4. Restart PowerShell after installation completes

B winget (Windows Package Manager)

Available on Windows 10 version 1709+ with App Installer from Microsoft Store:

winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS
node --version
npm --version

Step 3: Install OpenClaw via PowerShell

Open PowerShell (regular user, not Administrator) and run the official Windows installer:

iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex

If the PowerShell installer doesn't work on your system (older Windows 10), use the npm installation method:

npm install -g @openclaw/cli
openclaw --version

Verify Installation

Test that OpenClaw is properly installed by running:

openclaw --version

You should see the version number (e.g., openclaw/1.x.x)

Step 4: Run the Onboarding Wizard

openclaw onboard

The interactive wizard guides you through all configuration steps. Here's what to expect:

Choose AI Model — Select Claude (Anthropic), GPT-4 (OpenAI), or Gemini (Google). Claude is recommended for best results with OpenClaw.

Enter API Key — Paste your API key from the provider's dashboard.

Name Your Agent — Give it a name (e.g., "Jarvis", "Alex", "Max"). This is the persona your AI will use.

Connect Messaging — Choose Telegram (easiest), WhatsApp, Discord, or Slack. Telegram Bot setup takes about 2 minutes.

Step 5: Run OpenClaw 24/7 with PM2

PM2 is the industry-standard Node.js process manager for Windows. It keeps OpenClaw running in the background and auto-restarts it on crashes:

npm install -g pm2
pm2 start openclaw --name "openclaw-agent"
pm2 save

To make PM2 start automatically when Windows boots:

npm install -g pm2-windows-startup
pm2-startup install

1000Mbps

With VPN07

<2s

Response Time

99.9%

PM2 Uptime

15min

Total Setup Time

Step 6: Verify and Test Your Agent

Check PM2 Status

pm2 status
pm2 logs openclaw-agent --lines 20

You should see the agent with status online in the PM2 status output.

Send Test Message via Telegram

Open Telegram on any device, find your bot, and send:

Hello! Introduce yourself.

OpenClaw should respond within 3 seconds. If it takes longer or doesn't respond, check logs and ensure VPN07 is running for optimal connectivity.

Windows 10 Native Install — Common Issues & Fixes

Error: "iwr" script download fails with TLS error

Cause: Older Windows 10 uses TLS 1.0/1.1 by default, which some servers reject.
Fix: Run this before the install command:

[System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12
iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex

"openclaw" not recognized after npm install

Cause: npm global bin directory not in PATH.
Fix: Run npm config get prefix to find the npm prefix folder. Add [prefix]\bin to your System PATH via Control Panel → System → Advanced → Environment Variables → Path.

OpenClaw times out connecting to AI API

Cause: ISP throttling, corporate proxy, or geo-restrictions on OpenAI/Anthropic endpoints.
Fix: Install and enable VPN07 on your Windows 10 machine. VPN07's 1000Mbps channels bypass ISP throttling and corporate proxies, giving OpenClaw direct access to AI APIs. Response times typically improve from 10+ seconds to under 2 seconds.

Antivirus blocks OpenClaw process

Cause: Windows Defender or third-party antivirus may flag Node.js scripts making network connections.
Fix: Add an exclusion for your npm global modules folder and the openclaw process. In Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Exclusions → Add an exclusion. This is safe — OpenClaw is open source and verifiable on GitHub.

Native Windows vs WSL2 Performance Comparison

Metric	Native Windows 10	WSL2
Startup Time	~2 seconds	~8-12 seconds
RAM Overhead	~200MB	~400-600MB (VM)
Works on Win 10 Home	✅ Yes	⚠️ Requires Hyper-V
API Response Speed	<2s (with VPN07)	<2s (with VPN07)
Difficulty for Beginners	Easy	Moderate

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Native Windows client — 1000Mbps for AI-grade performance

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