# Pico Setup for Windows

## Install

There are three installation methods available:

1. The standalone installer (pico-setup-windows-x64-standalone-user.exe) -- this is the recommended installer for most users. The installer does not need administrative privileges, and no system-wide changes are made.
2. The system installer (pico-setup-windows-x64.exe) -- this installer runs the installers for each included tool (those that have installers.) Other files (including the RISC-V toolchain, Pico SDK and tools, etc.) are copied to the chosen installation directory.
3. The zip archive (pico-setup-windows-x64.zip) -- just extract this and go.

The installers offer selectable install types:

- Full -- everything.
- Typical -- almost everything, but tools which you would probably have already, like Python and Git, are not installed. Also omits additional example code.
- Minimal -- Just the pico-sdk and precompiled picotool/pioasm, if you already have the toolchain installed.

Note that the installation/extraction directory path should be kept short, ideally under 30 characters -- this is because the build paths generated by CMake can otherwise get too long for GCC/Ninja etc. to handle.

The only registry entry written by the installers is the entry for _Apps and Features_ (previously _Add/Remove Programs_).

## Usage

To build and debug projects using command-line tools, you can open a terminal window using the _Pico - Developer Command Prompt_ or _Pico - Developer PowerShell_ shortcuts added by the installers.

The installers also add Pico Command Prompt and PowerShell entries to Windows Terminal, if you have it installed.

### Quick start with pico-setup.cmd

You can run pico-setup.cmd to set up the environment and test building some examples from pico-examples.

### Command Prompt

Run pico-env.cmd to set up the required environment variables.

If you downloaded the zip archive, you can create a shortcut that opens Command Prompt with the Pico SDK environment, using a command line like this:

cmd.exe /k "<Path to pico-setup-windows distribution>\pico-env.cmd"

### PowerShell

You will need to dot-source the pico-env.ps1 script.

If you downloaded the zip archive, you can create a shortcut that opens PowerShell with the Pico SDK environment, using a command line like this:

powershell.exe -NoExit -File "<Path to pico-setup-windows distribution>\pico-env.ps1"

## Uninstall

Open the _Apps and Features_ section in Windows Settings, then select _Pico SDK &lt;version&gt;_. Click the _Uninstall_ button and follow the prompts.