| --- |
| layout: documentation |
| title: Installing Bazel on Windows |
| --- |
| |
| # <a name="windows"></a>Installing Bazel on Windows |
| |
| ### Prerequisites |
| |
| * 64 bit Windows 7 or newer, or <a href="https://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/windows/desktop/ms724832(v=vs.85).aspx">equivalent Windows Server versions</a> |
| |
| * [MSYS2 shell](https://msys2.github.io/) |
| |
| * [Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable for Visual Studio 2015](https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=48145) |
| |
| These are common DLLs that Bazel needs. You may already have them installed. |
| |
| ### Getting Bazel |
| |
| Download Bazel for Windows from our |
| [GitHub releases page](https://github.com/bazelbuild/bazel/releases). |
| Look for `bazel-<version>-windows-x86_64.exe`, e.g. `bazel-0.13.0-windows-x86_64.exe`. |
| |
| **Tip:** For convenience, rename the downloaded binary to `bazel.exe` and move it to a directory |
| that's on your `%PATH%` or add its directory to your `%PATH%`. This way you can run Bazel by |
| typing `bazel` in any directory, without typing out the full path. |
| |
| **Note:** Bazel includes an embedded JDK so you don't need to install one separately. If you want |
| to download Bazel without an embedded JDK, look for `bazel-<version>-without-jdk-windows-x86_64.exe` |
| on the release page. To use it, you must install JDK 8 separately (older or newer versions are not |
| supported), and set the `JAVA_HOME` environment variable, e.g.: |
| ``` |
| set JAVA_HOME=c:\Program Files\Java\jdk1.8.0_171 |
| ``` |
| Pay attention not to use quotes (") around the path (like you would on Unixes). |
| |
| ### Other ways to get Bazel |
| |
| You can also get Bazel by: |
| * [Installing Bazel using Chocolatey](#install-using-chocolatey) |
| * [Compiling Bazel from source](install-compile-source.html) |
| |
| #### Install using Chocolatey |
| |
| You can install the Bazel package using the [Chocolatey](https://chocolatey.org) |
| package manager: |
| |
| ```sh |
| choco install bazel |
| ``` |
| |
| This command will install the latest available version of Bazel and |
| its dependencies, such as the MSYS2 shell. This will not install Visual C++ |
| though. |
| |
| See [Chocolatey installation and package maintenance |
| guide](https://bazel.build/windows-chocolatey-maintenance.html) for more |
| information about the Chocolatey package. |
