openclaw/docs/platforms/windows.md

---
summary: "Windows support: Windows Hub, native CLI and Gateway, WSL2 gateway setup, node mode, and troubleshooting"
read_when:
  - Installing OpenClaw on Windows
  - Choosing between Windows Hub, native Windows, and WSL2
  - Setting up the Windows companion app or Windows node mode
title: "Windows"
---

OpenClaw ships a native **Windows Hub** companion app plus Windows CLI support.
Use Windows Hub when you want a desktop app with setup, tray status, chat,
Command Center diagnostics, and Windows node capabilities. Use the PowerShell
installer when you want the CLI/Gateway directly. Use WSL2 when you want the
most Linux-compatible Gateway runtime.

## Recommended: Windows Hub

Windows Hub is the native WinUI companion app for Windows 10 20H2+ and Windows 11. It installs without administrator privileges and is published with signed
x64 and ARM64 installers on OpenClaw releases.

Download the latest stable installer from the [OpenClaw releases page](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases):

- [OpenClawCompanion-Setup-x64.exe](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/download/v2026.6.5/OpenClawCompanion-Setup-x64.exe)
- [OpenClawCompanion-Setup-arm64.exe](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/download/v2026.6.5/OpenClawCompanion-Setup-arm64.exe)
- [Checksums](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases/download/v2026.6.5/OpenClawCompanion-SHA256SUMS.txt)

If a download link above returns a 404, visit the [releases page](https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw/releases) and look for the `OpenClawCompanion-Setup-*` assets on the latest release.

After install, launch **OpenClaw Companion** from the Start menu or the system
tray. The installer also adds shortcuts for Gateway Setup, Chat, Settings,
Check for Updates, and uninstall.

### What Windows Hub includes

- system tray status and launch-at-login
- first-run setup for a local app-owned WSL Gateway
- connection settings for local, remote, and SSH-tunneled Gateways
- native chat window plus access to the browser Control UI
- Command Center diagnostics for sessions, usage, channels, nodes, pairing, and
  repair commands
- Windows node mode for agent-controlled canvas, screen, camera, notifications,
  device status, text-to-speech, speech-to-text, and controlled `system.run`
- local MCP server mode for MCP clients such as Claude Desktop, Claude Code, and
  Cursor

### First launch

On first launch, Windows Hub opens setup when there is no usable saved Gateway.
The fastest path is **Set up locally**, which provisions an app-owned
`OpenClawGateway` WSL distro, installs the Gateway inside it, and pairs the app.
This does not export or mutate your existing Ubuntu distro.

Choose **Advanced setup** or open the Connections tab when you already have a
Gateway. You can connect to:

- a local Gateway on this PC
- a WSL Gateway on this PC
- a remote Gateway by URL and token or setup code
- a Gateway reached through an SSH tunnel

When setup finishes, the tray icon turns green. Open **Command Center** from the
tray to confirm connection, pairing, node status, and channel health.

## Windows node mode

Windows Hub can register as a first-class OpenClaw node. The agent can then use
declared Windows-native capabilities through the Gateway.

Common commands include:

- `canvas.present`, `canvas.hide`, `canvas.navigate`, `canvas.eval`,
  `canvas.snapshot`
- `screen.snapshot` and, with explicit opt-in, `screen.record`
- `camera.list` and, with explicit opt-in, `camera.snap`, `camera.clip`
- `system.notify`, `system.run`, `system.run.prepare`, `system.which`
- `location.get`, `device.info`, `device.status`
- `stt.transcribe`, `tts.speak`

Node mode requires Gateway pairing. If the app shows a pairing request, approve
it from the Gateway host:

```powershell
openclaw devices list
openclaw devices approve <request-id>
openclaw nodes status
```

The Gateway only forwards commands that the node declares and server policy
allows. Privacy-sensitive commands such as `screen.record`, `camera.snap`, and
`camera.clip` require explicit `gateway.nodes.allowCommands` opt-in.

## Local MCP mode

Windows Hub can expose the same Windows-native capability registry as a local
MCP server on loopback. This is useful when you want local MCP clients to drive
Windows capabilities without a running OpenClaw Gateway.

Enable it in Windows Hub Settings under the developer/advanced section. The app
shows the loopback endpoint and bearer token after the server is enabled.

Mode matrix:

| Node mode | MCP server | Behavior                           |
| --------- | ---------- | ---------------------------------- |
| off       | off        | Operator-only desktop app          |
| on        | off        | Gateway-connected Windows node     |
| off       | on         | Local MCP server only              |
| on        | on         | Gateway node plus local MCP server |

## Native Windows CLI and Gateway

For terminal-first use, install OpenClaw from PowerShell:

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

Verify:

```powershell
openclaw --version
openclaw doctor
openclaw gateway status --json
```

Native Windows CLI and Gateway flows are supported and continue to improve.
Managed startup uses Windows Scheduled Tasks when available and falls back to a
per-user Startup-folder login item if task creation is denied.

To install the Gateway service:

```powershell
openclaw gateway install
openclaw gateway status --json
```

If you only want CLI use without a managed Gateway service:

```powershell
openclaw onboard --non-interactive --skip-health
openclaw gateway run
```

## WSL2 Gateway

WSL2 remains the most Linux-compatible Gateway runtime on Windows. Windows Hub
can set up an app-owned WSL Gateway for you, or you can install manually inside
your own distro.

Manual setup:

```powershell
wsl --install
# Or pick a distro explicitly:
wsl --list --online
wsl --install -d Ubuntu-24.04
```

Enable systemd inside WSL:

```bash
sudo tee /etc/wsl.conf >/dev/null <<'EOF'
[boot]
systemd=true
EOF
```

Restart WSL from PowerShell:

```powershell
wsl --shutdown
```

Then install OpenClaw inside WSL with the Linux quickstart:

```bash
curl -fsSL https://openclaw.ai/install.sh | bash
openclaw gateway status
```

## Gateway auto-start before Windows login

For headless WSL setups, ensure the full boot chain runs even when no one logs
into Windows.

Inside WSL:

```bash
sudo apt-get install -y dbus-x11
sudo loginctl enable-linger "$(whoami)"
openclaw gateway install
```

In PowerShell as Administrator:

```powershell
schtasks /create /tn "WSL Boot" /tr "wsl.exe -d Ubuntu --exec dbus-launch true" /sc onstart /ru "$env:USERNAME"
```

Replace `Ubuntu` with your distro name from:

```powershell
wsl --list --verbose
```

> **Note:** Two changes from older recipes:
>
> - **`dbus-launch true` instead of `/bin/true`** — On WSL ≥ 2.6.1.0 a regression ([microsoft/WSL #13416](https://github.com/microsoft/WSL/issues/13416)) causes the distro to idle-terminate 15–20 seconds after the last client exits, even with linger enabled. `dbus-launch true` keeps a child-of-init process alive as a workaround ([community discussion, microsoft/WSL #9245](https://github.com/microsoft/WSL/discussions/9245)).
> - **`/ru "$env:USERNAME"` instead of `/ru SYSTEM`** — Per-user WSL distros (the default setup) are not visible to the SYSTEM account; the task appears to run but the distro is never started. Running as your own account avoids this. Windows will prompt for your password when the task is created.

After reboot, verify from WSL:

```bash
systemctl --user is-enabled openclaw-gateway.service
systemctl --user status openclaw-gateway.service --no-pager
```

## Expose WSL services over LAN

WSL has its own virtual network. If another machine must reach a service inside
WSL, forward a Windows port to the current WSL IP. The WSL IP can change after
restarts, so refresh the forwarding rule when needed.

Example in PowerShell as Administrator:

```powershell
$Distro = "Ubuntu-24.04"
$ListenPort = 2222
$TargetPort = 22

$WslIp = (wsl -d $Distro -- hostname -I).Trim().Split(" ")[0]
if (-not $WslIp) { throw "WSL IP not found." }

netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 listenaddress=0.0.0.0 listenport=$ListenPort `
  connectaddress=$WslIp connectport=$TargetPort

New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "WSL SSH $ListenPort" -Direction Inbound `
  -Protocol TCP -LocalPort $ListenPort -Action Allow
```

Notes:

- SSH from another machine targets the Windows host IP, for example
  `ssh user@windows-host -p 2222`.
- Remote nodes must point at a reachable Gateway URL, not `127.0.0.1`.
- Use `listenaddress=0.0.0.0` for LAN access. Use `127.0.0.1` for local-only
  access.

## Troubleshooting

### The tray icon does not appear

Check Task Manager for `OpenClaw.Tray.WinUI.exe`. If it is running, open the
hidden tray-icons area and pin it. If it is not running, launch **OpenClaw
Companion** from the Start menu.

### Local setup fails

Open the setup log from Windows Hub or inspect:

```powershell
notepad "$env:LOCALAPPDATA\OpenClawTray\Logs\Setup\easy-setup-latest.txt"
```

Common causes are disabled WSL, blocked virtualization, stale app-owned WSL
state, or a network failure while installing the Gateway package.

### The app says pairing is required

Approve the operator or node request from the Gateway:

```powershell
openclaw devices list
openclaw devices approve <request-id>
```

If the device already had a token, reconnect from the Connections tab after
approval.

### Web chat cannot reach a remote Gateway

Remote web chat needs HTTPS or localhost. For self-signed certificates, trust
the certificate in Windows, or use an SSH tunnel to a localhost URL.

### `screen.snapshot`, camera, or audio commands fail

Confirm Windows permissions for camera, microphone, screen capture, and
notifications. Packaged installs declare the protected capabilities, but Windows
may still prompt the first time a command uses them.

### Git or GitHub connectivity fails

Some networks block or throttle HTTPS to GitHub. If `git clone` or `gh auth
login` fails, try another network, a VPN, or an HTTP/HTTPS proxy.

For token-based `gh` auth in the current session:

```powershell
$env:GH_TOKEN="<your-token>"
gh auth status
gh auth setup-git
```

Never commit tokens or paste them into issues or pull requests.

## Related

- [Install overview](/install)
- [Node.js setup](/install/node)
- [Nodes](/nodes)
- [Control UI](/web/control-ui)
- [Gateway configuration](/gateway/configuration)