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Installing Prerequisites

Module: Getting Started | Lesson: 2 of 6 | Time: ~20 minutes

What You Will Learn​

  • How to open and use PowerShell (Windows' built-in command line)
  • Essential commands you will need throughout this course
  • How to install Node.js (a tool Claude Code depends on)
  • How to install Git for Windows (a version-tracking tool)

Prerequisites​

Part 1: Opening PowerShell​

What Is PowerShell?​

PowerShell is Windows' built-in command-line tool. It is a program where you type commands as text and press Enter to run them. Instead of clicking icons and menus, you type instructions.

Every Windows 10 and Windows 11 computer already has PowerShell installed. You do not need to download anything.

How to Open PowerShell​

There are two easy ways. Pick whichever one you prefer:

Method 1: Using the keyboard shortcut

  1. Press the Windows key and the X key at the same time (Win + X). A menu will pop up in the bottom-left corner of your screen.
  2. Click "Terminal" or "Windows PowerShell" from the menu. (The exact wording depends on your version of Windows.)

Method 2: Using the Start menu

  1. Click the Start button (the Windows icon in the bottom-left corner of your screen, or press the Windows key on your keyboard).
  2. Type PowerShell on your keyboard. You will see search results appear.
  3. Click "Windows PowerShell" from the results. (Do not click "Windows PowerShell ISE" — that is a different program.)

What You Will See​

A window will open that looks something like this:

Windows PowerShell
Copyright (C) Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.

PS C:\Users\YourName>
  • The window will have a dark blue or black background with white or light-colored text.
  • The line starting with PS C:\Users\YourName> is called the prompt. It is waiting for you to type something.
  • C:\Users\YourName is the current folder you are "in." By default, it starts in your user folder.
  • The blinking cursor after the > is where you type.
Do not be intimidated

This is just a different way to talk to your computer. Instead of double-clicking a folder to open it, you type a command. Instead of right-clicking and choosing "New Folder," you type a command. Once you learn a few commands, it becomes second nature.

Part 2: Essential PowerShell Commands​

Before we install anything, let us learn the basic commands you will use throughout this course. Open PowerShell now and try each one.

pwd — Print Working Directory (Where Am I?)​

Type this and press Enter:

pwd

You will see something like:

Path
----
C:\Users\YourName

This tells you which folder you are currently in. Think of it as asking "Where am I right now?"

ls — List Files (What Is in This Folder?)​

Type this and press Enter:

ls

You will see a list of files and folders in your current location, something like:

    Directory: C:\Users\YourName

Mode                 LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                 -------------         ------ ----
d----          12/15/2025  3:42 PM                Desktop
d----          12/15/2025  3:42 PM                Documents
d----          12/15/2025  3:42 PM                Downloads
d----          12/15/2025  3:42 PM                Pictures

Lines that start with d are directories (folders). This is the same stuff you would see if you opened File Explorer and navigated to your user folder.

note

You can also type dir instead of ls — they do the same thing in PowerShell.

cd — Change Directory (Move to a Different Folder)​

Type this and press Enter:

cd Documents

Now type pwd again:

pwd

You will see:

Path
----
C:\Users\YourName\Documents

You just moved into your Documents folder! The cd command stands for "change directory."

cd .. — Go Up One Folder​

Type this and press Enter:

cd ..

The .. means "the folder above this one" (the parent folder). If you were in C:\Users\YourName\Documents, you are now back in C:\Users\YourName.

Verify with pwd:

pwd
Path
----
C:\Users\YourName

mkdir — Make a New Folder​

Let us create a practice folder. Type this and press Enter:

mkdir my-practice-folder

You will see:

    Directory: C:\Users\YourName

Mode                 LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                 -------------         ------ ----
d----           4/02/2026  10:30 AM                my-practice-folder

A new folder called my-practice-folder has been created. You could see it in File Explorer too if you navigated to your user folder.

cls — Clear the Screen​

If your terminal is getting cluttered with old output, type:

cls

This clears everything on the screen and gives you a fresh prompt. It does not delete anything — it just tidies up the display.

Quick Reference Card​

CommandWhat It DoesExample
pwdShows your current folderpwd
lsLists files and foldersls
cd foldernameMoves into a foldercd Documents
cd ..Moves up one foldercd ..
mkdir nameCreates a new foldermkdir my-project
clsClears the screencls
tip

You do not need to memorize these. You can come back to this page anytime. After using them a few times, they will become second nature.

Part 3: Installing Node.js​

What Is Node.js and Why Do You Need It?​

Node.js is a program that lets your computer run JavaScript-based tools. Claude Code is built with JavaScript, so it needs Node.js to work. Think of Node.js as the "engine" that powers Claude Code.

You only need to install it once, and then you can forget about it — it runs quietly in the background.

Step-by-Step Installation​

Step 1: Open your web browser and go to:

https://nodejs.org

Step 2: You will see a big green button that says something like "22.x.x LTS — Recommended for Most Users" (the exact version number may be different). Click that button to download the installer.

What does "LTS" mean?

LTS stands for Long-Term Support. It means this version is stable and well-tested. Always pick the LTS version, not the "Current" version.

Step 3: Once the download finishes, find the file in your Downloads folder. It will be named something like node-v22.x.x-x64.msi. Double-click it to run the installer.

Step 4: The installer will open. Follow these steps:

  1. Click "Next" on the welcome screen.
  2. Check the box to accept the license agreement, then click "Next."
  3. Leave the install location as the default (C:\Program Files\nodejs\). Click "Next."
  4. On the "Custom Setup" screen, leave everything as-is (all features should be selected). Make sure "Add to PATH" is included. Click "Next."
  5. If you see a screen about "Tools for Native Modules," you can check the box to automatically install them, or leave it unchecked. Either is fine for our purposes. Click "Next."
  6. Click "Install." If Windows asks "Do you want to allow this app to make changes?" click "Yes."
  7. Wait for the installation to finish, then click "Finish."
Important: "Add to PATH"

The installer should have "Add to PATH" selected by default. This is critical — it tells Windows where to find Node.js when you type commands. If you accidentally unchecked it, uninstall Node.js and install it again, making sure it is checked.

Verifying Node.js Is Installed​

You must open a NEW PowerShell window for this step. If you already had PowerShell open, close it and open it again. (This is because PowerShell only reads the PATH when it first starts up.)

  1. Open a new PowerShell window (use either method from Part 1).
  2. Type this command and press Enter:
node --version

You should see a version number, like:

v22.14.0

The exact number does not matter, as long as you see a version and not an error.

  1. Now check that npm is also installed. npm is Node's "package manager" — it is the tool you will use to install Claude Code. Type:
npm --version

You should see something like:

10.9.2

Again, the exact number does not matter.

Both commands worked? Great, move on to Part 4!

If either command did not work, check the troubleshooting section at the bottom of this page.

Part 4: Installing Git for Windows​

What Is Git and Why Do You Need It?​

Git is a tool that tracks changes to your files — like an "undo history" for your entire project. Every time you save a snapshot of your work (called a "commit"), Git remembers it. If you make a mistake, you can go back to any previous snapshot.

Git is used by virtually every software project in the world, and Claude Code uses it too. You will learn how to use Git properly later in this course. For now, we just need to install it.

Step-by-Step Installation​

Step 1: Open your web browser and go to:

https://git-scm.com/downloads/win

Step 2: The download should start automatically. If it does not, click the link for the "64-bit Git for Windows Setup" installer.

Step 3: Once the download finishes, find the file in your Downloads folder. It will be named something like Git-2.x.x-64-bit.exe. Double-click it to run the installer.

Step 4: The installer has many screens, but you can accept the defaults for all of them:

  1. Click "Next" on every screen.
  2. When you reach the "Install" button, click it.
  3. If Windows asks "Do you want to allow this app to make changes?" click "Yes."
  4. Wait for the installation to finish, then click "Finish."
Why so many screens?

The Git installer shows many options for advanced users. The defaults are perfect for beginners (and most experienced users too). Just click "Next" through all of them.

Verifying Git Is Installed​

Again, open a new PowerShell window (close the old one and open a fresh one).

Type this command and press Enter:

git --version

You should see something like:

git version 2.47.1.windows.1

The exact version does not matter, as long as you see a version number and not an error.

Try It Yourself​

Now let us confirm everything is working. Open a new PowerShell window and run these three commands, one at a time:

node --version
npm --version
git --version

All three should display a version number. If they do, congratulations — you are ready to install Claude Code in the next lesson!

Take a screenshot

Consider taking a screenshot of your PowerShell window showing all three version numbers. It is a satisfying record of your progress, and it can help with troubleshooting later if something goes wrong.

Common Issues and Solutions​

If something did not work, check this table:

ProblemWhat You SeeSolution
"node is not recognized"node : The term 'node' is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet...Close PowerShell completely and open a new window. If that does not work, restart your computer. If it still does not work, uninstall Node.js, reinstall it, and make sure "Add to PATH" is checked.
"npm is not recognized"npm : The term 'npm' is not recognized...Same as above — npm is installed with Node.js. If Node.js works but npm does not, try reinstalling Node.js.
"git is not recognized"git : The term 'git' is not recognized...Close PowerShell completely and open a new window. If that does not work, restart your computer. If it still does not work, reinstall Git.
Installer will not runYou double-click the installer but nothing happens, or you get a security warningRight-click the installer file, choose "Run as administrator." If Windows SmartScreen warns you, click "More info" then "Run anyway."
Download is very slowThe installer is taking forever to downloadThis is usually an internet speed issue. Try again later, or try a different network (for example, a phone hotspot).
"Access denied" errors during installThe installer fails partway throughClose the installer, right-click it, and choose "Run as administrator."
Still stuck?

If none of the above solutions work, here is a fallback approach:

  1. Restart your computer (this fixes most PATH issues).
  2. Try the installation again from scratch.
  3. If you are on a work or school computer, your IT department may have restrictions. Ask them for help installing Node.js and Git.

What You Learned​

  • PowerShell is Windows' built-in command line, and you know how to open it.
  • You learned six essential commands: pwd, ls, cd, cd .., mkdir, and cls.
  • Node.js is installed and verified with node --version and npm --version.
  • Git is installed and verified with git --version.
  • If a command is "not recognized" after installing something, closing and reopening PowerShell usually fixes it.
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Next Up​

Now that the prerequisites are installed, it is time to install Claude Code itself. This is the exciting part!

Next: Installing Claude Code