Windows

Install, update, run as a scheduled task / Windows Service, and uninstall on Windows 10 / 11.

setup.bat is the Windows counterpart to install.sh, same job, different shell.

Install

setup.bat

That is the whole install: grab setup.bat from a ZeroClaw release and run it. It prompts for a build mode, then either downloads the prebuilt binary or (for source modes) installs a stable Rust toolchain via rustup and compiles. Either way the binary lands at %USERPROFILE%\.zeroclaw\bin\zeroclaw.exe, and it points you at zeroclaw quickstart.

To skip the interactive prompt, pass a build-mode flag: --prebuilt (download a release binary, no toolchain), --minimal (core only), --standard, or --full. Run setup.bat --help for the authoritative list of modes and the exact feature set each one compiles; that output is generated from the script itself, so it never drifts. With --minimal, quickstart is unavailable; configure ZeroClaw manually with zeroclaw config set and use the reduced CLI path (zeroclaw agent ...).

Scoop

cmd

scoop install zeroclaw

From source

Requires Rust (rustup) and Visual Studio Build Tools:

cmd

git clone https://github.com/zeroclaw-labs/zeroclaw
cd zeroclaw
cargo install --locked --path .

If you’re running WSL2, follow the Linux setup instead; install.sh runs unchanged under WSL.

System dependencies

Windows builds use the MSVC toolchain. You need:

Visual Studio Build Tools (or full Visual Studio) with the “Desktop development with C++” workload
Rust stable (via rustup)

If you’re using --prebuilt you don’t need the Rust toolchain; the binary is self-contained.

Running as a service

Windows has two options: a scheduled task (user session) or a Windows Service (system session).

Scheduled task (recommended for single-user machines)

cmd

zeroclaw service install
zeroclaw service start

This creates a task that runs under your user account and starts on login. Managed via Task Scheduler (taskschd.msc).

Logs go to %LOCALAPPDATA%\ZeroClaw\logs\.

Windows Service (for server installs)

Running as a true service requires Administrator privileges during install. Open an elevated cmd.exe and:

cmd

zeroclaw service install

When run elevated, the installer registers a Windows Service under LocalSystem instead of a user-scoped scheduled task. Consider creating a dedicated service account if the agent touches user-scoped resources.

Full details: Service management.

zeroclaw service restart

Scoop update

cmd

scoop update zeroclaw
zeroclaw service restart

From source update

cmd

cd C:\path\to\zeroclaw
git pull
cargo install --locked --path . --force
zeroclaw service restart

Uninstall

Stop and remove the service:

cmd

zeroclaw service stop
zeroclaw service uninstall

Remove the binary:

cmd

:: setup.bat
del "%USERPROFILE%\.zeroclaw\bin\zeroclaw.exe"

:: cargo install
del "%USERPROFILE%\.cargo\bin\zeroclaw.exe"

:: Scoop
scoop uninstall zeroclaw

Remove config and workspace (optional, this deletes conversation history):

cmd

rmdir /s /q "%USERPROFILE%\.zeroclaw"
rmdir /s /q "%LOCALAPPDATA%\ZeroClaw"

Gotchas

Long paths. Some Windows file systems still cap path lengths at 260 characters. Enable long path support if you hit path too long errors during build (reg add HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem /v LongPathsEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f).
SmartScreen. The unsigned binary may trip SmartScreen on first launch. Right-click → Properties → “Unblock” is the standard workaround until we add a signed MSI.
Task Scheduler stop-at-idle. By default Windows may terminate scheduled tasks on idle / battery. The installed task explicitly disables these conditions; verify under Task Scheduler → ZeroClaw → Properties → Conditions.

ZeroClaw Docs