Skip the guide. Download our native app instead.

Download GitHub for Windows

If you've found yourself on this page, we're assuming you're brand new to Git and GitHub. This guide will walk you through the basics and explain a little bit about how everything works along the way.

Download and Install Git

At the heart of GitHub is an open source version control system (VCS) called Git*. Created by the same team that created Linux, Git is responsible for everything GitHub related that happens locally on your computer.

*If you don't already know what Git is, take a crash course.

Download and install the latest version of Git.

Use the default options for each step.

Warning: Do not use PuTTY if you are given the option. GitHub only provides support for openssh.

Not sure what to pick on each screen?

Set Up Git

Now that you have Git installed, it's time to configure your settings. To do this you need to open Git Bash (not the Windows command line).

Need a quick lesson about Git Bash?

Username

First you need to tell git your name, so that it can properly label the commits you make.

git config --global user.name "Your Name Here"
# Sets the default name for git to use when you commit

Email

Git saves your email address into the commits you make. We use the email address to associate your commits with your GitHub account.

git config --global user.email "your_email@example.com"
# Sets the default email for git to use when you commit

Your email address for Git should be the same one associated with your GitHub account. If it is not, see this guide for help adding additional emails to your GitHub account. If you want to keep your email address hidden, this guide may be useful to you.

Overriding settings in individual repos

Password caching

The last option we need to set will tell git that you don't want to type your username and password every time you talk to a remote server.

Tip: You need git 1.7.10 or newer to use the credential helper

To use this option, you need install a credential helper.

GitHub for Windows includes this helper, and provides a git shell so you don't need to install and configure git manually.

If you don't want to use GitHub for Windows, you can download the helper for your OS here:

Unzip the file and run the git-credential-winstore.exe program inside. This will start up the helper and update your git config to use it.

Tip: The credential helper only works when you clone an HTTPS repository URL. If you use the SSH repository URL instead, SSH keys are used for authentication. This guide offers help generating and using an SSH key pair.