openclaw/docs/platforms/windows.md

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Windows support: native and WSL2 install paths, daemon, and current caveats	Installing OpenClaw on Windows Choosing between native Windows and WSL2 Looking for Windows companion app status	Windows

Windows

OpenClaw supports both native Windows and WSL2. WSL2 is the more stable path and recommended for the full experience — the CLI, Gateway, and tooling run inside Linux with full compatibility. Native Windows works for core CLI and Gateway use, with some caveats noted below.

Native Windows companion apps are planned.

WSL2 (recommended)

• Getting Started (use inside WSL)
• Install & updates
• Official WSL2 guide (Microsoft): https://learn.microsoft.com/windows/wsl/install

Native Windows status

Native Windows CLI flows are improving, but WSL2 is still the recommended path.

What works well on native Windows today:

• website installer via install.ps1
• local CLI use such as openclaw --version, openclaw doctor, and openclaw plugins list --json
• embedded local-agent/provider smoke such as:

openclaw agent --local --agent main --thinking low -m "Reply with exactly WINDOWS-HATCH-OK."

Current caveats:

• openclaw onboard --non-interactive still expects a reachable local gateway unless you pass --skip-health
• openclaw onboard --non-interactive --install-daemon and openclaw gateway install try Windows Scheduled Tasks first
• if Scheduled Task creation is denied, OpenClaw falls back to a per-user Startup-folder login item and starts the gateway immediately
• if schtasks itself wedges or stops responding, OpenClaw now aborts that path quickly and falls back instead of hanging forever
• Scheduled Tasks are still preferred when available because they provide better supervisor status

If you want the native CLI only, without gateway service install, use one of these:

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

If you do want managed startup on native Windows:

openclaw gateway install
openclaw gateway status --json

If Scheduled Task creation is blocked, the fallback service mode still auto-starts after login through the current user's Startup folder.

Gateway

• Gateway runbook
• Configuration

Gateway service install (CLI)

Inside WSL2:

openclaw onboard --install-daemon

Or:

openclaw gateway install

Or:

openclaw configure

Select Gateway service when prompted.

Repair/migrate:

openclaw doctor

Gateway auto-start before Windows login

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

1) Keep user services running without login

Inside WSL:

sudo loginctl enable-linger "$(whoami)"

2) Install the OpenClaw gateway user service

Inside WSL:

openclaw gateway install

3) Start WSL automatically at Windows boot

In PowerShell as Administrator:

schtasks /create /tn "WSL Boot" /tr "wsl.exe -d Ubuntu --exec /bin/true" /sc onstart /ru SYSTEM

Replace Ubuntu with your distro name from:

wsl --list --verbose

Verify startup chain

After a reboot (before Windows sign-in), check from WSL:

systemctl --user is-enabled openclaw-gateway
systemctl --user status openclaw-gateway --no-pager

Advanced: expose WSL services over LAN (portproxy)

WSL has its own virtual network. If another machine needs to reach a service running inside WSL (SSH, a local TTS server, or the Gateway), you must forward a Windows port to the current WSL IP. The WSL IP changes after restarts, so you may need to refresh the forwarding rule.

Example (PowerShell as Administrator):

$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

Allow the port through Windows Firewall (one-time):

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

Refresh the portproxy after WSL restarts:

netsh interface portproxy delete v4tov4 listenport=$ListenPort listenaddress=0.0.0.0 | Out-Null
netsh interface portproxy add v4tov4 listenport=$ListenPort listenaddress=0.0.0.0 `
  connectaddress=$WslIp connectport=$TargetPort | Out-Null

Notes:

• SSH from another machine targets the Windows host IP (example: ssh user@windows-host -p 2222).
• Remote nodes must point at a reachable Gateway URL (not 127.0.0.1); use openclaw status --all to confirm.
• Use listenaddress=0.0.0.0 for LAN access; 127.0.0.1 keeps it local only.
• If you want this automatic, register a Scheduled Task to run the refresh step at login.

Step-by-step WSL2 install

1) Install WSL2 + Ubuntu

Open PowerShell (Admin):

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

Reboot if Windows asks.

2) Enable systemd (required for gateway install)

In your WSL terminal:

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

Then from PowerShell:

wsl --shutdown

Re-open Ubuntu, then verify:

systemctl --user status

3) Install OpenClaw (inside WSL)

Follow the Linux Getting Started flow inside WSL:

git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw
pnpm install
pnpm ui:build # auto-installs UI deps on first run
pnpm build
openclaw onboard

Full guide: Getting Started

Windows companion app

We do not have a Windows companion app yet. Contributions are welcome if you want contributions to make it happen.