How to set up OpenClaw on Windows
#How to set up OpenClaw on Windows
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On Windows, the recommended setup is WSL2 (Ubuntu) — it avoids a bunch of native Windows PATH / terminal / binary weirdness and matches the “real” Linux install path.
Docs to keep open:
- Windows (WSL2): https://docs.openclaw.ai/platforms/windows
- Getting started: https://docs.openclaw.ai/start/getting-started
- FAQ (includes Windows gotchas): https://docs.openclaw.ai/start/faq
Recommended: WSL2 install (Ubuntu)
1) Install WSL2 + Ubuntu
In PowerShell (Admin):
wsl --install
# or explicitly:
wsl --install -d Ubuntu-24.04
Reboot if prompted.
2) Enable systemd (needed for the gateway service install)
In your WSL Ubuntu shell:
sudo tee /etc/wsl.conf >/dev/null <<'EOF'
[boot]
systemd=true
EOF
Back in PowerShell:
wsl --shutdown
Re-open Ubuntu and verify:
systemctl --user status
3) Install OpenClaw (inside WSL)
You can either follow the full guide, or do the quick path from the FAQ:
Quick path (recommended):
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
openclaw onboard --install-daemon
Then open the dashboard (usually):
http://127.0.0.1:18789/
Keeping it running 24/7 on Windows
If you want the gateway to auto-start even before you log into Windows, the Windows doc has a step-by-step using loginctl enable-linger + a Windows Scheduled Task:
- https://docs.openclaw.ai/platforms/windows (see “Gateway auto-start before Windows login”)