🦞
Windows 10/11

Install OpenClaw on Windows

Get OpenClaw (formerly Moltbot) running on your Windows PC in minutes. WSL2 is strongly recommended for the best experience.

Prerequisites
  • ✓Windows 10 version 2004+ or Windows 11
  • ✓Node.js 22+ (required for native install)
  • ✓At least 8GB RAM (16GB recommended)
  • ✓Hardware virtualization enabled in BIOS (for WSL2)
  • ✓Admin access to install WSL2/Docker

Installation Steps

1

Enable WSL2 (Strongly Recommended)

WSL2 is strongly recommended for the best experience. It provides a full Linux environment with excellent performance.

wsl --install
2

Install Docker Desktop (Optional)

If you prefer Docker, download and install Docker Desktop for Windows. It will use WSL2 automatically.

winget install Docker.DockerDesktop
3

Install OpenClaw via PowerShell

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run the install command.

iwr -useb https://openclaw.ai/install.ps1 | iex
4

Or Install via npm

Alternatively, if you have Node.js 22+ installed, use npm.

npm install -g openclaw@latest
5

Run OpenClaw Onboard

Complete the onboarding and install the gateway daemon (runs on port 18789).

openclaw onboard --install-daemon
6

Access the Dashboard

Open your browser and navigate to the OpenClaw dashboard to complete setup.

http://localhost:18789
⚠️ Common Issues on Windows

Docker won't start?

Ensure Hyper-V and WSL2 are enabled. Run bcdedit /set hypervisorlaunchtype auto in admin PowerShell and restart.

Port 3000 already in use?

Change the port mapping: -p 3001:3000 instead.

Slow performance?

Enable WSL2 backend in Docker Desktop settings for better file system performance.

Recommended: Run Natively in WSL2

For the best performance, install OpenClaw directly in WSL2 Ubuntu:

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

Config will be stored in ~/.openclaw/openclaw.json

Next Steps

Once OpenClaw is running, configure your AI provider and connect messaging channels.

Configure AI ModelConnect Telegram