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Windows Setup Guide
Digital Personal Assistant

Follow these steps to get Claude Code running on your PC. Once you're in, a guided onboarding conversation handles everything else — naming your assistant, setting up your team, and building your knowledge base. No manual file editing required.

Before you start, you'll need:
  • Windows 10 or Windows 11
  • An Anthropic account — free at claude.ai (Pro plan required for Claude Code)
  • Git for Windows — required by Claude Code (free at git-scm.com/downloads/win)
  • About 15–20 minutes total
Do this first

Find your Desktop path

Open PowerShell and run this command. It prints the exact path to your Desktop — which may differ from what you'd expect if you use OneDrive.

[Environment]::GetFolderPath('Desktop')

It will print something like C:\Users\yourname\OneDrive\Desktop. Paste it below and the commands throughout this guide will fill in automatically — so you can copy and paste them without editing anything.

Waiting for your path…
1
Get a Claude Pro account
Sign up at claude.ai — required to use Claude Code CLI
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Claude Code is the command-line tool that powers this entire system. It requires an active Claude Pro subscription ($20/mo) or an Anthropic API key.

Option A — Claude Pro (recommended for most people)

Go to claude.ai, create an account, and upgrade to Pro. This is the simplest path — no API keys, no billing dashboards.

Option B — Anthropic API Key (for developers)

Go to console.anthropic.com, create an account, and generate an API key. You'll be billed per use. Better if you're already building with the API.

Customize this: If your company has an Anthropic Teams or Enterprise plan, ask your admin for credentials. You may not need your own account.
2
Install Node.js
Claude Code is installed through Node's package manager
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Node.js is a JavaScript runtime — you don't need to know anything about it. It's just the vehicle Claude Code rides in on.

Option A — Install via winget (recommended)

Open PowerShell and run:

winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS

Option B — Download the installer

Go to nodejs.org, download the LTS (Long Term Support) version, and run the installer. Click through the defaults.

Verify the installation

Close and reopen PowerShell, then run:

node -v

You should see a version number like v22.x.x. If you see "command not recognized", close and reopen your terminal and try again.

3
Install Claude Code
The CLI tool that runs your entire Digital Personal Assistant system
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This installs the claude command globally on your PC.

First — unlock script execution

Windows blocks npm scripts by default. Run this once in PowerShell before anything else — it prevents the most common error people hit during this step:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

Then — install Claude Code

npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code
Git for Windows required: Claude Code won't run without Git Bash. If you haven't installed it yet, download it from git-scm.com/downloads/win and run the installer with default settings before continuing. If it's already installed but you still see a Git Bash error, set this environment variable and reopen your terminal: CLAUDE_CODE_GIT_BASH_PATH=C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe

Then — run Claude Code once to authenticate

claude

Claude Code will walk you through a short first-time setup. Here's exactly what to select:

  • Theme — Select Dark
  • Login method — Select Claude.ai (claude.ai/login) and sign in with your Claude Pro account from Step 1 above
  • Follow any remaining prompts and approve any permissions it requests

Once setup is complete, type /exit or press Ctrl+C to close Claude Code. You'll launch it properly from your Assistant folder in Step 7.

4
Create your assistant folder
This is the root of your entire system — everything lives here
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Every file in your system lives inside this one folder. Claude Code launches inside it, reads it, and writes to it.

Open File Explorer, navigate to your Desktop, right-click in an empty area, and select New → Folder. Name it Assistant.

OneDrive users: If your Desktop syncs to OneDrive, the folder you just created lives in your OneDrive Desktop — that's totally fine. The important thing is that you created it wherever File Explorer shows as your Desktop. The launch command in Step 6 will find it automatically.
Use a separate PowerShell window for all terminal commands. Do not try to run terminal commands inside Claude Code if it's already open — open a fresh PowerShell window.
5
Download and unzip the starter kit
Pre-built files that power the onboarding process
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The starter kit contains the config files, onboarding instructions, and your two default support team members. The onboarding process names them, builds your lead persona, and writes everything else — you don't need to manually create any files.

Download the starter kit

Click the button below to download the starter kit zip file.

Download Starter Kit

Unzip into your Assistant folder

Right-click the downloaded starter-kit.zip and select Extract All.... Set the destination to your Assistant folder on the Desktop and click Extract. No terminal command needed.

When done, your folder should contain:

Assistant\ ├── CLAUDE.md # System config — loads automatically ├── onboarding.md # Onboarding flow — runs on first launch ├── walkthrough.md # Persistent system guide └── team\ ├── sage.md # Knowledge & File Manager └── nadia.md # Personnel Director
Or clone from GitHub: If you have git installed, run git clone https://github.com/chandlercatron/digital-personal-assistant.git "YOUR_DESKTOP_PATH\Assistant" instead.
6
Launch Claude Code and start onboarding
From here, everything is conversational — the system guides you
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Navigate into your folder and launch Claude Code. This command automatically finds your Desktop whether or not you use OneDrive:

cd "YOUR_DESKTOP_PATH\Assistant"; claude
Not sure you're in the right folder? Run explorer . to open File Explorer in your current terminal location and verify the files are there.

The system will detect the onboarding file and start walking you through setup automatically. The onboarding will:

  • Teach you two essential Claude Code commands (/rename and /resume)
  • Detect your operating system
  • Help you name and design your lead AI persona
  • Set up a terminal shortcut to launch your assistant by name
  • Ask about the areas of your life you want to manage
  • Capture personal and professional context
  • Write all your system files automatically when done
You can pause anytime. If you close the window mid-onboarding, open a new terminal, navigate back to your folder, run claude, then type /resume and select "Initial Onboarding" to pick up exactly where you left off.

Important: always launch from your folder

Claude Code reads the folder it's launched from. If you open it from somewhere else, it won't load your system. The onboarding will walk you through setting up a PowerShell shortcut — after that, you'll launch by typing your assistant's name in any PowerShell window.

✓

That's all the manual setup.

Everything else happens inside the conversation. The onboarding process handles naming your assistant, building your team, and setting up your knowledge base — no file editing required.

After Onboarding
Just start talking
Ask what you should focus on today, brain dump a project, or ask for help with anything. Your assistant learns from every conversation.
Write journal entries
Tell your assistant you want to do a journal entry. Your knowledge manager will process it and surface patterns over time.
Grow the team
Ask your personnel director to add a specialist when you need one — health coach, finance director, creative lead. The team expands as your needs do.
Want a nicer terminal experience? Everything in this guide runs on the PowerShell that came with your PC. If you'd like tabs, custom themes, and a more polished look down the road, check out Windows Terminal — it's free from the Microsoft Store and uses the same PowerShell you already have. Not required, just a nice upgrade.