Install Craft Anything on Windows

Install path

1. 01

   1 · Confirm the CPU

   Intel and AMD 64-bit Windows use the x64 MSI. Snapdragon and other ARM Windows PCs use the arm64 MSI. 32-bit Windows uses the x86 MSI. A mismatched file will not run.

2. 02

   2 · Run the MSI or unzip the portable build

   The MSI is the normal install. The portable zip is for a folder you control; its settings stay next to the program.

3. 03

   3 · Trust only the file you just downloaded

   If Windows SmartScreen interrupts, continue only when you downloaded that exact asset from the storytold/craft-anything release. Otherwise close it and download again.

4. 04

   4 · Open the app

   The first window is Simple mode. Setup covers doctor, a coding agent, and the first project.

MSI and portable zip

The MSI registers the app like other Windows installers. The matching portable zip unpacks anywhere and stores settings beside the executable, which is the right choice when you want a version that does not touch the normal install, or when you are comparing two releases. Do not rename files to force an architecture. The arm64 and x86 packages are on the same release Assets list when you need them; this page’s download button only offers x64.

Command line on Windows

Current desktop builds include the command-line tool, so a separate CLI download is not required just to use the terminal. If doctor says a coding agent installed with npm is not on PATH, that is an agent-install problem: the project has fixed cases where those agents failed to start, so update Craft Anything before reinstalling the agent. Local model servers are optional and are configured under Settings, not during the MSI.

This site is not official. We do not host installers. Downloads go to GitHub Releases for storytold/craft-anything. Examine only software you own or are allowed to examine.

SmartScreen, Defender, and signatures

Windows may warn on a first launch of a newly published MSI. Continue only when the file came from the storytold/craft-anything release Assets list and the checksum matches SHA256SUMS.txt. A warning after a download from an unrelated site is a reason to delete the file, not to click through. Craft Anything is not a kernel driver and does not need you to turn off Defender. If a corporate PC blocks MSI installs, the portable zip in a user-writable folder is the documented alternative. Do not rename an ARM or 32-bit MSI to look like x64; the wrong binary still will not run.

Where Windows puts the app

The MSI follows a normal Program Files layout. The portable zip stays in the folder you unpacked. Settings for the portable copy stay next to the executable; the MSI copy uses the usual per-user location the app chooses. New projects still default to Documents\Craft Anything unless you change Settings → General. Uninstall the MSI from Add or Remove Programs. To remove a portable copy, close the app and delete the folder. Neither uninstall deletes project folders unless you delete them yourself.

Updating on Windows

Download the newer MSI from the same GitHub tag pattern and run it over the previous install, or unpack a newer portable zip beside the old folder if you want to keep both. Alpha tags can change behavior; read the release notes before you assume an old project will open unchanged. If a black window or a PATH miss for an npm agent was your last bug, install the current desktop build before you reinstall Claude Code. After the new binary opens, continue on the Setup page. SmartScreen on a brand-new tag is common; wait until the hash matches SHA256SUMS.txt. Corporate images that block MSI still allow a user-writable portable zip. Close the app before you overwrite Program Files or a portable folder so Windows does not lock the executable. After an upgrade, run doctor once even if you already signed in the agent last week, because PATH and engine checks can change between tags.

FAQ

Which Craft Anything file is the default on Windows?

craft-anything-<version>-windows-x64.msi for 64-bit Intel and AMD PCs.

The window stays black.

Update to the current release. A Windows VM drawing a black window was a fixed bug; an old build can still show it.

Do I need the .NET runtime or a game emulator?

No. Craft Anything is its own app. Those runtimes belong to other software.

Can I run the Windows build on Steam Deck?

No. Use the Linux x86_64 AppImage in Desktop Mode. The Windows MSI is for Windows.

Does the MSI include Claude Code?

No. Sign the agent in after Craft Anything opens. Setup covers that step.