Complete Guide: Setting Up Claude Code, OpenClaw & ClawdBot on Windows

If you've been following the AI coding assistant space, you've probably heard whispers about Claude Code, OpenClaw, and ClawdBot. These tools represent a new paradigm in how developers interact with AI—moving from chat interfaces to fully autonomous coding agents that live in your terminal.

In this guide, I'll walk you through setting up each of these tools on Windows using PowerShell, with step-by-step instructions and screenshots.

What Are These Tools?

Before we dive into setup, let's understand what each tool does:

Claude Code (Official Anthropic CLI)

Claude Code is Anthropic's official command-line interface for Claude. It allows you to:

• •Have conversations with Claude directly in your terminal
• •Give Claude access to your codebase for context-aware assistance
• •Let Claude read, write, and execute code autonomously
• •Use MCP (Model Context Protocol) servers for extended functionality

OpenClaw

OpenClaw is an open-source alternative that provides similar functionality with additional customization options:

• •Self-hosted option for enterprise environments
• •Plugin architecture for extensibility
• •Support for multiple LLM backends
• •Community-driven development

ClawdBot (MCP Bot Framework)

ClawdBot is a bot framework built on MCP that enables:

• •Automated workflows triggered by events
• •Integration with Slack, Discord, and other platforms
• •Scheduled AI tasks
• •Multi-agent coordination

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure you have the following installed on your Windows machine:

Part 1: Installing Claude Code on Windows

Step 1: Open PowerShell as Administrator

Press Win + X and select "Windows Terminal (Admin)" or search for PowerShell and run as administrator.

Step 2: Install Node.js (if not already installed)

# Check if Node.js is installed
node --version

# If not installed, use winget
winget install OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS

Step 3: Install Claude Code via npm

# Install Claude Code globally
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code

# Verify installation
claude --version

Step 4: Authenticate with Anthropic

# Start the authentication flow
claude auth login

# This will open your browser to authenticate
# Follow the prompts to connect your Anthropic account

Step 5: Configure Your Environment

# Set your preferred editor
claude config set editor "code"

# Enable extended thinking for complex tasks
claude config set extended_thinking true

# Set default model
claude config set model "claude-sonnet-4"

Step 6: Test Your Installation

# Start an interactive session
claude

# Or run a one-off command
claude "Explain what this PowerShell script does" -f ./script.ps1

Part 2: Setting Up OpenClaw

OpenClaw provides more flexibility for custom deployments. Here's how to set it up:

Step 1: Clone the Repository

# Navigate to your projects directory
cd C:\Projects

# Clone OpenClaw
git clone https://github.com/openclaw/openclaw.git
cd openclaw

Step 2: Install Dependencies

# Install Node.js dependencies
npm install

# Copy the example environment file
Copy-Item .env.example .env

Step 3: Configure API Keys

Open the .env file and add your API keys:

# Open in VS Code
code .env

Add your configuration:

ANTHROPIC_API_KEY=sk-ant-xxxxx
OPENAI_API_KEY=sk-xxxxx
DEFAULT_MODEL=claude-sonnet-4

Step 4: Build and Run

# Build the project
npm run build

# Start OpenClaw
npm start

# Or install globally
npm link
openclaw

Part 3: Deploying ClawdBot

ClawdBot is perfect for automated workflows. Let's set it up:

Step 1: Install ClawdBot

# Install via npm
npm install -g clawdbot

# Initialize a new bot project
mkdir my-clawdbot
cd my-clawdbot
clawdbot init

Step 2: Configure the Bot

# Edit the configuration
code clawdbot.config.json

Example configuration:

{
  "name": "MyDevBot",
  "model": "claude-sonnet-4",
  "triggers": [
    {
      "type": "schedule",
      "cron": "0 9 * * *",
      "action": "daily_code_review"
    },
    {
      "type": "webhook",
      "path": "/github",
      "action": "pr_review"
    }
  ],
  "integrations": {
    "slack": {
      "enabled": true,
      "channel": "#dev-notifications"
    }
  }
}

Step 3: Start the Bot

# Run in development mode
clawdbot dev

# Run in production
clawdbot start --daemon

Feature Comparison Table

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue: "claude is not recognized as a command"

# Refresh your PATH
$env:Path = [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path","Machine") + ";" + [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path","User")

# Or restart PowerShell

Issue: Authentication Errors

# Clear cached credentials
claude auth logout
claude auth login

# Check your API key
claude config get api_key

Issue: Permission Denied

# Set execution policy
Set-ExecutionPolicy -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser

# Run as administrator if needed
Start-Process powershell -Verb runAs

Best Practices

1. Always use virtual environments for project-specific configurations
2. Keep your API keys secure - never commit them to version control
3. Use .claudeignore files to exclude sensitive directories
4. Enable logging for debugging complex interactions
5. Set spending limits on your Anthropic account

What's Next?

Now that you have these tools set up, explore:

• •MCP Servers - Extend Claude's capabilities with custom tools
• •Custom Commands - Create shortcuts for common workflows
• •Team Sharing - Share configurations across your team
• •CI/CD Integration - Automate code reviews and documentation

*Have questions about setting up these tools? Drop me a message on LinkedIn.*