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How to Install Claude Cowork on Windows 11 (Complete Guide)

HomepageArticlesHow to Install Claude Cowork on Windows 11 (Co...

Claude Cowork officially arrived on Windows on February 10, 2026, bringing full feature parity with macOS — including file access, multi‑step task execution, plugins, MCP connectors, and scheduled tasks. If you're using Windows 11, installation is straightforward and takes less than 5 minutes.

Below is a polished, step‑by‑step installation guide suitable for your blog.

Step-by-Step Installation Guide for Claude Cowork (Windows 11)

01 Check System Requirements

Important

Claude Cowork requires a modern Windows environment and a paid Claude plan.

  • Windows 10 (22H2+) or Windows 11

  • 64‑bit Intel/AMD processor

  • Minimum 8 GB RAM (16 GB recommended)

  • At least 10 GB free disk space

  • Claude Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise subscription

 

02 Download Claude Desktop for Windows

Claude Cowork runs inside the Claude Desktop app.

Visit claude.ai/download

  • Scroll to the Windows section

  • Download the .exe installer

  • Save it to your preferred folder

03 Install Claude Desktop

Run the installer to set up Claude on your Windows 11 system.

  • Double‑click the downloaded .exe

  • Allow Windows to run the installer

  • Follow the on‑screen prompts

  • Launch Claude Desktop from the Start Menu

 

04  Sign In to Your Anthropic Account

Cowork is available only for paid plans.

  • Open Claude Desktop

  • Click Sign In

  • Enter your Anthropic account credentials

  • Ensure your plan includes Cowork (Pro or above)

 

05  Enable Claude Cowork

Most Common Step

Cowork runs tasks inside a secure virtual machine using Hyper‑V.

  • In Claude Desktop, click the Cowork button on the left sidebar

  • Approve file‑system permissions when prompted

  • Wait for the ~2 GB VM image to download (one‑time setup)

 

06  Set Your Working Folder

Cowork only operates inside a folder you choose.

  • Click Set working folder

  • Choose Desktop, Documents, or a project folder

  • Claude will only access files inside this folder unless you grant extra permissions

 

07  Start Using Cowork

You can now run autonomous tasks, plugins, and connectors.

  • Create tasks inside your working folder

  • Connect Slack, Notion, Google Drive, Microsoft 365, etc.

  • Use multi‑step task execution and scheduled tasks


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