OpenClaw on Windows 11: Beginners Install Guide 2026

Who This Guide Is For: This guide is written specifically for Windows 11 users — both Home and Pro editions — who have never used OpenClaw before and have little to no programming experience. By the end of this tutorial, you will have a fully operational AI agent running 24/7 on your Windows 11 PC, accessible via Telegram, WhatsApp, Discord, or other messaging apps. Estimated setup time: 20–30 minutes.

What Is OpenClaw and Why Does Windows 11 Matter?

OpenClaw is an open-source personal AI agent that lives on your computer and can be accessed through everyday messaging apps like Telegram, WhatsApp, iMessage, Discord, or Slack. Unlike cloud-based AI chatbots, OpenClaw runs directly on your machine — meaning your data stays private, your conversations are persistent, and your agent can actually take actions on your computer such as reading files, running scripts, browsing the web, and interacting with apps.

Windows 11 introduced several improvements that make running OpenClaw smoother than ever: the updated Windows Terminal is more developer-friendly, winget (Windows Package Manager) ships by default, Node.js integration is more stable, and the new taskbar notification system works beautifully with background services like PM2. If you upgraded from Windows 10, you will notice that many steps in this guide are simpler than older tutorials suggest.

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Think of OpenClaw as having a personal assistant who never sleeps, remembers every conversation you have ever had with it, and can perform real tasks — not just answer questions. Users around the world are using it to manage email, handle calendar events, write code, summarize documents, and automate repetitive workflows. With Windows 11 as your base, you have the most popular desktop operating system in the world powering your AI agent.

Windows 11 System Requirements

Before you begin, confirm your Windows 11 machine meets these requirements. OpenClaw is lightweight and will run on nearly any modern PC that can handle Windows 11 itself.

Win 11

Any Edition

4 GB+

RAM

10 GB+

Free Disk

Node 22+

Required

Windows 11 Home vs Pro: Any Difference for OpenClaw?

Great news — OpenClaw works identically on both Windows 11 Home and Windows 11 Pro. Unlike some developer tools that require Hyper-V (Pro only), OpenClaw runs natively with Node.js and does not need virtualization. Whether you bought a budget laptop with Windows 11 Home or a workstation with Windows 11 Pro, this guide works for you.

The only advantage Pro users have is easier access to WSL2 (Windows Subsystem for Linux), but this guide uses the simpler native Windows approach that works perfectly on both editions.

You will also need an API key from an AI provider. OpenClaw supports Anthropic Claude, OpenAI GPT, Google Gemini, and local models via Ollama. For the best out-of-box experience, we recommend Claude — you can get a free API key from console.anthropic.com with $5 of free credits to start.

Step 1: Open Windows Terminal (Not Command Prompt!)

Windows 11 comes with the modern Windows Terminal pre-installed — this is much better than the old Command Prompt or PowerShell windows. Right-click the Start button and select "Windows Terminal (Admin)" to open it with administrator privileges, which you need for the initial Node.js installation.

Important for Beginners: When Windows asks "Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device?", click Yes. This is normal and required for installing software system-wide. You only need Admin once — the rest of the setup runs without it.

First, let us enable PowerShell script execution, which Windows 11 restricts by default. Copy and paste the following command into Windows Terminal and press Enter:

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

The second command should confirm that RemoteSigned is now set for the CurrentUser scope. This is the correct and safe setting — it allows you to run scripts downloaded from trusted sources (like OpenClaw) while blocking unsigned random scripts.

Step 2: Install Node.js 22 on Windows 11

OpenClaw is built on Node.js, a JavaScript runtime. Windows 11 makes Node.js installation very easy — you have two excellent options. We recommend Method A (winget) because it's the fastest and most reliable on Windows 11.

★ Method A: winget (Recommended for Windows 11)

winget is Windows 11's built-in package manager. It's pre-installed on all Windows 11 machines. In Windows Terminal, run:

winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements
node --version
npm --version

Expected output: v22.x.x for node and 10.x.x for npm. If you see these, Node.js is ready.

B Method B: Official Installer from nodejs.org

1. Visit nodejs.org/en/download in your browser
2. Click the LTS (Long Term Support) version — currently 22.x
3. Download the Windows Installer (.msi) for your system (most are 64-bit)
4. Run the installer — click Next, accept the license, keep all defaults ticked including "Add to PATH"
5. Close and reopen Windows Terminal, then run node --version to confirm

Common Beginner Mistake: After installing Node.js via the .msi installer, many people forget to close and reopen Windows Terminal. The old terminal window doesn't pick up the new PATH automatically. Always open a fresh terminal window after Node.js installation before running any node or npm commands.

Step 3: Install OpenClaw on Windows 11

Now that Node.js is ready, installing OpenClaw is a single command. Open a regular (non-admin) Windows Terminal window and run:

# Method 1: Official one-liner installer (recommended)
iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex

# Method 2: npm install (if the above fails)
npm install -g openclaw

# Verify installation
openclaw --version

The installer script automatically downloads the latest version of OpenClaw, sets up the required dependencies, and adds the openclaw command to your system PATH. This process typically takes 1–2 minutes depending on your internet connection speed.

Is OpenClaw Safe to Install?

Absolutely. OpenClaw is fully open source and available on GitHub at github.com/openclaw/openclaw. You can inspect every line of code before running it. It has been featured in MacStories and other reputable tech publications. The installer only downloads from openclaw.ai's official domain. Windows Defender may show a warning simply because it's a new app — this is normal for any newly signed software. You can safely proceed.

If Windows Defender SmartScreen blocks the installer, right-click the downloaded file, select Properties, check the "Unblock" checkbox at the bottom, click Apply, and try again. Alternatively, the npm installation method bypasses SmartScreen entirely and works reliably on all Windows 11 configurations.

Step 4: Run the Onboarding Wizard

This is the most exciting part. OpenClaw has an interactive onboarding wizard that walks you through everything. In Windows Terminal, run:

openclaw onboard

The wizard will guide you through five key decisions, each explained clearly in the interface. Here is what to expect:

Choose Your AI Model

Select from Claude (Anthropic), GPT-4o (OpenAI), Gemini (Google), or local models via Ollama. Recommended for beginners: Claude — it has the best reasoning capability for agent tasks and offers free credits to start. If you already pay for ChatGPT Plus, GPT-4o works well too.

Enter Your API Key

Paste the API key from your chosen AI provider. For Claude: go to console.anthropic.com, create an account, click "Get API Keys", and generate a new key. For OpenAI: platform.openai.com → API Keys. The key is stored locally on your Windows 11 PC — it never leaves your machine.

Name Your AI Agent

Give your AI a personal name — something like "Jarvis", "Alex", "Aria", or "Max". This name becomes your agent's persona. You will address it by this name in your messaging app. Choose something memorable and fun — you can change it later.

Connect a Messaging App

Choose how you will communicate with your agent. Telegram is the easiest for beginners — just message @BotFather on Telegram, type /newbot, follow the prompts, and paste the token OpenClaw gives you. Takes about 3 minutes. WhatsApp, Discord, Slack, and iMessage are also supported.

System Permissions

OpenClaw will ask what permissions your agent should have — file access, shell commands, browser control, etc. For beginners, start with the default "safe" mode and expand permissions later as you learn what your agent can do.

Step 5: Keep OpenClaw Running 24/7 with PM2

By default, OpenClaw stops when you close the terminal window. To make it run continuously in the background — even when you're not logged in — you need PM2, the Node.js process manager. PM2 is trusted by thousands of developers to keep Node.js apps alive on Windows servers and desktops.

# Install PM2 globally
npm install -g pm2

# Start OpenClaw with PM2
pm2 start openclaw --name "openclaw-agent"

# Save the PM2 process list
pm2 save

# Check status
pm2 status

To make OpenClaw start automatically every time Windows 11 boots, install the PM2 Windows startup helper:

# Install PM2 Windows startup module
npm install -g pm2-windows-startup

# Register PM2 as a Windows startup service
pm2-startup install

# Verify it was added
pm2 list

After this setup, your OpenClaw agent will start automatically every time Windows 11 boots and will restart itself if it ever crashes. You can now close the terminal window — your AI agent is running silently in the background.

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<2s

API Response

99.9%

PM2 Uptime

20min

Total Setup

Step 6: Install the OpenClaw Companion App (Optional but Recommended)

OpenClaw now offers a Companion App — a graphical interface that sits in your Windows system tray, giving you quick access to your agent status, logs, and controls without opening a terminal. While it is still in beta, it works well on Windows 11 and makes managing your agent much more user-friendly for non-developers.

To install: visit github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/latest, download the Windows installer (.exe), and run it. The Companion App will appear as a lobster icon in your system tray. Click it to see your agent status, restart it, view recent activity, and access settings — all without touching the terminal.

Companion App Features on Windows 11

✅ System tray quick access — no terminal needed after setup
✅ Real-time agent status (running/stopped/error)
✅ One-click restart, pause, and settings
✅ Memory and CPU usage monitor
✅ Quick link to your messaging app (Telegram/WhatsApp)
✅ Notification badges when your agent sends you a message

Step 7: Test Your OpenClaw Agent

Now comes the fun part. Open Telegram (or whichever messaging app you chose) on your phone or computer, find the bot you created, and send your first message:

You: Hello! Introduce yourself and tell me what you can do.

Your agent should respond within 3–5 seconds with its name and capabilities.

You: What time is it right now on my computer?

Tests basic system access — your agent reads the Windows system clock.

You: Open Notepad on my Windows PC and write "Hello World" in it.

Tests shell command execution — a core OpenClaw capability.

If your agent responds correctly to all three tests, congratulations — your OpenClaw is fully operational on Windows 11! If the third command fails, ensure you granted shell permissions during onboarding. You can update permissions by running openclaw config in Windows Terminal.

Windows 11 Troubleshooting: Common Issues & Fixes

Issue: "openclaw" command not found after installation

Cause: npm global bin directory is not in Windows PATH.
Fix: Run npm config get prefix to find the npm prefix. Add [prefix]\bin to your Windows PATH via Settings → System → About → Advanced System Settings → Environment Variables → Path → Edit → New.

Issue: OpenClaw connects but AI responses are slow (10+ seconds)

Cause: Your ISP or network may be throttling connections to Anthropic/OpenAI API servers, which are US-based.
Fix: Connect via VPN07 before starting OpenClaw. VPN07's 1000Mbps network channels bypass ISP throttling and provide optimized routing to AI API servers. Response times consistently drop from 10+ seconds to under 2 seconds for most Windows 11 users after enabling VPN07.

Issue: Windows Defender blocks the openclaw.ai install script

Fix: Use the npm method instead: npm install -g openclaw. npm packages are not subject to SmartScreen filtering. Alternatively, run PowerShell as Administrator and execute: Set-MpPreference -DisableRealtimeMonitoring $true temporarily, then re-enable after installation.

Issue: PM2 doesn't start OpenClaw on Windows reboot

Fix: Make sure you ran both pm2 save AND pm2-startup install. The startup module needs to be installed with Administrator privileges. Open Windows Terminal as Admin and run pm2-startup install again, then reboot to verify.

Issue: "Error: TLS handshake failed" during npm install

Cause: Corporate proxy or outdated TLS settings.
Fix: Run this in PowerShell first: [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12, then retry the install. If behind a corporate proxy, configure npm with: npm config set proxy http://proxy:port

What to Do After Installation: First 10 Commands to Try

Once your OpenClaw is running on Windows 11, here are ten commands to explore in the first hour. Send these via Telegram or your chosen messaging app:

📋 "List all files in my Downloads folder"

Tests file system access on Windows 11

🌐 "Search the web for today's news and summarize"

Tests browser control capability

⏰ "Set a reminder for 3pm today"

Tests proactive scheduling / cron

📧 "Draft a professional email for me"

Tests Claude's writing ability

💻 "Show my Windows 11 system specs"

Tests system information access

📊 "Create a simple Python script to track my tasks"

Tests code generation and execution

🔔 "Remind me every morning at 8am with a motivational quote"

Tests cron job / scheduled tasks

📷 "Take a screenshot of my desktop and describe it"

Tests vision and screen access

🎵 "Install a new skill from ClaWHub"

Tests the OpenClaw skills marketplace

🧠 "Remember that I prefer dark mode and minimal notifications"

Tests persistent memory system

Why Windows 11 + OpenClaw Users Need VPN07

After setting up OpenClaw on Windows 11, many users notice their agent occasionally responding slowly or failing to reach AI API endpoints during peak hours. This is not an OpenClaw bug — it is a network issue. AI API servers (Anthropic, OpenAI, Google) are primarily hosted in the United States and Western Europe. Depending on your location and ISP, your requests may travel inefficient routes, get throttled, or be blocked entirely.

VPN07 solves this by routing your OpenClaw traffic through dedicated 1000Mbps servers in 70+ countries. Unlike residential internet connections that often top out at 100–300Mbps for international traffic, VPN07's backbone operates at gigabit speeds with direct peering to major cloud providers. This means your OpenClaw AI requests get dedicated, unthrottled bandwidth every time.

Real Performance Impact: Windows 11 + VPN07 + OpenClaw

8.4s

Avg API without VPN

1.7s

Avg API with VPN07

80%

Latency Reduction

Request Failures

VPN07 has a native Windows 11 application with a clean, simple interface — no command line needed. One click connects you to the fastest available server. The Windows client supports split tunneling, meaning you can route only OpenClaw's traffic through VPN07 while keeping other apps on your direct connection, avoiding any impact on streaming or gaming.

Supercharge OpenClaw on Windows 11 with VPN07

1000Mbps dedicated bandwidth — the best VPN for AI agent performance

VPN07 is the VPN trusted by thousands of OpenClaw and AI agent users worldwide. With 1000Mbps dedicated bandwidth across 70+ countries, 10 years of rock-solid reliability, and a native Windows 11 application, VPN07 delivers the network performance that AI agents demand. No ISP throttling, no geo-restrictions on AI APIs, no speed caps. At just $1.5/month with a 30-day money-back guarantee, it is the smartest upgrade you can make for your OpenClaw setup. Try it free today — your agent will thank you.

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