Troubleshooting · Windows
Windows¶
The usual suspects when AI tools misbehave on Windows, and the plain fix for each.
"Windows protected your PC" when installing¶
SmartScreen warns about unfamiliar downloads. If you downloaded from the tool's official site, click More info → Run anyway. If you're not sure it's the official site, stop and check first.
PowerShell vs Command Prompt confusion¶
They're two different text boxes with slightly different commands. When a guide's commands fail, you may be in the wrong one. Use Windows Terminal and check the tab label; guides on this site work in PowerShell.
"Not recognized as a command" after installing¶
The program installed, but Windows doesn't know where it lives yet. Two fixes, in order:
- Close the terminal completely and open a new one. (Fixes it half the time.)
- Still failing? Ask AI: "I installed [tool] on Windows and get 'not recognized'. Walk me through checking my PATH one step at a time." PATH is just the list of places Windows looks for programs.
Paths look different — that's fine¶
Windows writes folders as C:\Users\You\Documents. Guides written for Mac use /home/you/documents. Same idea, different punctuation. When copying a command, swap the path for your real one.
Files hiding their endings¶
Windows hides .txt/.md by default, so notes.md shows as "notes." In File Explorer: View → Show → File name extensions. Turn it on and leave it on — you can't work with agents while extensions are hidden.
Antivirus quietly blocking¶
If a tool worked yesterday and silently fails today, check your antivirus's quarantine or "protected folders" screen. Add your practice folder as an allowed location if it got flagged.