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Claude Science runs on Windows as a desktop app in its own window. It installs for your user account without administrator rights, and Claude’s code runs in a sandbox built on Windows’ own app isolation rather than on WSL, Hyper-V, or Docker.

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Requirements

  • Windows 11, 64-bit (x64).
  • The Microsoft Visual C++ Redistributable (x64), which some Claude Science features depend on. Most PCs already have it. If yours doesn’t, install the latest supported x64 version from Microsoft’s download page.
  • Free disk space for the app and its analysis environments, as listed under Claude Science requirements.
  • An internet connection on first launch, to download the app window engine (the component that displays the window, about 150 MB) from downloads.claude.ai.
  • A Claude account on a Pro, Max, Team, or Enterprise plan.

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Install

Download the Windows installer from claude.com/product/claude-science and open it. It needs no administrator approval. It installs Claude Science for your user account under %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\ClaudeScience, adds Claude Science to the Start menu and the desktop, puts the claude-science command on your PATH, lists the app under Settings > Apps > Installed apps, and opens it. The installer is signed by Anthropic, PBC. If a Claude Science message says the app was not installed because the file could not be confirmed as the published copy, the copy you opened still runs but isn’t installed. Download the installer again and open the new file, and if the message persists, ask your IT team, because the PC could not verify the publisher’s signature.

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First launch and sign-in

On first launch, Claude Science sets up the sandbox and downloads its app window engine from downloads.claude.ai before the window appears, so the first start takes longer than later ones, and a notice shows progress. The starter Python and R environments keep setting up in the background for several minutes after the window opens. To sign in, click the Sign in on the web button and confirm with Continue. Claude Science opens claude.ai in your default browser and continues once you approve the sign-in there; if the browser can’t hand the sign-in back, choose the Paste code instead option. Then complete the setup wizard as described in Get started. If Claude Science asks for one-time permission from Windows so that cells can run git and Command Prompt scripts and PowerShell can change folders, Yes lets Windows ask for approval (an administrator’s password if you aren’t one) and No leaves those features off. Python and R cells work either way, and the Ask Windows now button under Settings > Permissions grants the permission later. Closing the window leaves Claude Science running, with an icon in the notification area of the taskbar. Click the icon to reopen the window, or choose Quit Claude Science from the icon’s menu to stop the app.

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Updates

Claude Science checks for updates in the background and shows Update available when one is ready; choose Restart to update to install it. Administrators who distribute the app themselves can turn the background check off with [update] auto_update = false (see Manage Claude Science on devices). To update by hand instead, open a newer installer, which upgrades the installed copy in place and keeps your data.

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Where Claude Science stores data

Your projects, conversations, artifacts, analysis environments, logs, and config.toml live in the data folder, %USERPROFILE%\.claude-science, and Settings > Storage > Data location shows the folder in use. The program lives in %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\ClaudeScience, and launch logs and app state in %LOCALAPPDATA%\ClaudeScience.

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Uninstall

Quit Claude Science from its notification-area icon first, because the uninstaller refuses to run while the app is running. Then uninstall Claude Science from Settings > Apps > Installed apps, or run claude-science uninstall in a terminal. Either way your data is kept. To remove the data as well, run claude-science uninstall --purge in a terminal instead.

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Corporate networks

Claude Science follows the proxy configured in Windows proxy settings and trusts corporate root certificates installed for the whole computer, so most managed PCs need no Claude Science configuration. Networks that allow only listed domains must allow downloads.claude.ai in addition to the domains every install needs. See Use Claude Science on a corporate network and Network requirements.

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Differences on Windows

  • Claude runs shell commands with PowerShell. Command Prompt scripts, git inside cells, and folder changes in PowerShell need the one-time Windows permission.
  • Only folders on local NTFS or ReFS drives can be granted, not network shares, mapped network drives, FAT or exFAT drives (many USB sticks and memory cards), or a whole drive such as D:\. Copy such files to a local folder or attach them in the chat.
  • Custom connectors that run a local command start with npx, node, python, or the full path of a program. Connectors launched through npm or a .cmd, .bat, or .ps1 file aren’t supported.
  • The Model endpoints section of Settings > Compute (NVIDIA BioNeMo NIM) isn’t available.

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The Linux version under WSL

The Linux command-line version of Claude Science also runs under Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL 2) with Ubuntu 24.04 or later. Inside the Ubuntu terminal, follow the Linux steps in Get started, start Claude Science with claude-science serve --port 8765 --no-browser, and open the printed link in a Windows browser.