On February 10, 2026, Anthropic released Claude Cowork for Windows — bringing the same autonomous desktop AI agent that launched on macOS in January to approximately 70% of the desktop computing market.
Windows support ships with full feature parity: file access, multi-step task execution, all plugins, MCP connectors, and the scheduled tasks feature released on February 25. If you've been waiting to try Cowork, now is the time.
System Requirements
Windows:
- Windows 10 (version 22H2 or later) or Windows 11
- 64-bit processor (Intel or AMD)
- 8 GB RAM minimum, 16 GB recommended
- 10 GB free disk space (Cowork runs tasks in a local VM)
- Claude Pro ($20/mo), Max ($100/mo), Team, or Enterprise subscription
macOS (unchanged):
- Mac with Apple Silicon (M1, M2, M3, or M4)
- macOS Sonoma 14 or later
- Same subscription requirement
Installation
Step 1: Download Claude Desktop for Windows
Go to claude.ai/download and download the Windows installer (.exe).
Step 2: Install and Launch
Run the installer and follow the prompts. Launch Claude Desktop from the Start menu.
Step 3: Sign In
Log in with your Anthropic account. You'll need a paid plan (Pro or above) to access Cowork.
Step 4: Enable Cowork
In Claude Desktop, click the Cowork button in the left sidebar (or look for the agent icon). If prompted, approve the permissions Cowork needs to access your file system.
Step 5: Set Your Working Folder
Cowork operates within a folder you designate. Click Set working folder and choose a directory — your Desktop, Documents, or a project-specific folder all work.
How Cowork Works on Windows
Cowork runs tasks inside a lightweight virtual machine on your computer. On Windows this uses Microsoft's Hyper-V technology (the same virtualization layer used by WSL2). On first run, Cowork downloads a ~2 GB VM image — this is a one-time download.
The VM is isolated from your main Windows environment, which means:
- Claude can't access files outside your designated working folder unless you explicitly grant access
- Malformed tasks can't damage system files
- Each task session starts clean
MCP connectors (Slack, Notion, Google Drive, etc.) work exactly as on macOS — configure them in .mcp.json in your working folder or through the Connectors panel in Claude Desktop.
What's Available on Windows
Everything available on macOS is available on Windows:
| Feature | macOS | Windows | |---------|-------|---------| | Multi-step task execution | Yes | Yes | | File access (designated folder) | Yes | Yes | | All 23+ official plugins | Yes | Yes | | MCP connectors | Yes | Yes | | Scheduled / recurring tasks | Yes | Yes | | Customize section | Yes | Yes | | Excel & PowerPoint add-ins | Yes | Yes | | Microsoft 365 connector | Yes | Yes |
Getting Started on Windows: First Tasks to Try
If you're new to Cowork, start with simple file tasks before moving to plugin workflows.
Task 1: Organize your Downloads folder
Look at my Downloads folder. Group all files by type (PDFs, images, Office files, installers)
and move them into subfolders. Show me a summary of what you moved before making changes.
Task 2: Summarize documents in a folder
Read all the .docx files in my Documents/Projects folder.
Write a one-paragraph summary of each and save them to Documents/Summaries/
Task 3: Convert meeting notes to action items
Read meeting-notes.txt in my Desktop.
Extract all action items, group them by owner, and save to action-items.md
Common Windows-Specific Issues
"Cowork is slow on first run" The initial VM download (~2 GB) happens on first use. Subsequent runs are fast.
"Claude Desktop won't install" Make sure you're running Windows 10 version 22H2 or later. Run Windows Update and try again.
"Cowork can't access my files"
Check that the folder you set as your working directory is within your user profile (C:\Users\YourName\). Paths on network drives or external storage may need additional permissions.
"Hyper-V isn't available" On Windows Home editions, Hyper-V may not be enabled. Go to Control Panel → Programs → Turn Windows features on or off and enable Hyper-V or Virtual Machine Platform. A restart is required.
Plugins and Connectors on Windows
All plugins available on macOS are available on Windows. Install them the same way:
claude plugin install productivity@knowledge-work-plugins
Or via Claude Desktop → Plugins → Browse.
For MCP connectors, create or edit .mcp.json in your working folder:
{
"mcpServers": {
"slack": {
"command": "npx",
"args": ["-y", "@anthropic/mcp-server-slack"],
"env": {
"SLACK_BOT_TOKEN": "xoxb-your-token"
}
}
}
}
Next Steps
- New to Cowork? Start with the Getting Started guide
- Want to automate recurring work? See Scheduled Tasks
- Looking for integrations? See Microsoft 365 + Cowork
- Want domain-specific workflows? Browse the Plugins page