How to Install Git on Windows

Git is the one tool every developer machine needs — and on Windows there are four honest ways to get it. The one you pick decides whether the next update is one command or another download-and-click wizard.

This guide walks through each method, compares them in a table, and shows how to verify the install and set up your identity afterwards.

Quick answer

• Glue (or Scoop): glue install git — no admin rights, shims onto PATH automatically, glue update git to stay current.
• WinGet: winget install Git.Git — built into Windows, but the installer underneath still asks for elevation.
• Official installer: download from git-scm.com — the only method that also installs Git Bash and offers the settings wizard during setup.
• Portable zip: extract and add to PATH yourself — for machines where you cannot install anything.

The four ways at a glance

Method 1 — Glue: one command, no admin rights

If you do not have Glue yet, install it first (a normal user PowerShell window, no administrator rights):

irm https://gluestick.sh/install.ps1 | iex

Then open a new terminal and install Git:

glue install git
git --version

Glue installs Git into your user profile (%USERPROFILE%\.glue) and exposes git on PATH through a native shim, so it works in PowerShell, CMD, and Windows Terminal immediately. No elevation at any point, which also makes this the easiest route on a corporate machine where you are not a local administrator.

Updates later:

glue update git

Tip: if you have not installed Glue yet, its own installer already sets up everything Git needs for bucket management — glue install git then adds the full command-line Git on top.

Method 2 — WinGet: built into Windows

Nothing to install first:

winget install Git.Git
git --version

Underneath, WinGet downloads and runs the official Git for Windows installer, which means a UAC prompt. Updates go through winget upgrade, which re-runs the installer. Perfectly fine for a one-off install; less convenient if Git is one of many tools you keep updated.

Method 3 — The official installer

Download the Git for Windows installer from git-scm.com and run it with administrator rights. This is the only method that walks you through the settings wizard — default editor, line-ending behavior, credential manager — and installs Git Bash, a ready-to-use bash environment on Windows.

Choose this if you want the full Git for Windows experience. The cost is the usual installer trade-off: every update means a new download and another wizard run, and you need elevation.

Method 4 — The portable zip

git-scm.com also publishes a portable archive. Extract it anywhere you are allowed to write, then add its cmd folder to your user PATH. No installer, no admin rights, nothing in the registry — the trade-off is that you manage PATH and updates by hand.

Verify and set up your identity

Open a new terminal and check:

git --version

Then tell Git who you are — every commit records this:

git config --global user.name "Your Name"
git config --global user.email "you@example.com"

If git is not recognized, the usual causes are an old terminal window (open a new one so the updated PATH applies) or a leftover install from another method. With Glue, glue doctor and glue path check diagnose the environment for you.

Frequently asked questions

How do I check whether Git is already installed?

Open PowerShell and run git --version. If it prints a version, Git is installed; if not, pick one of the four methods above. With Glue, glue list also shows which packages it manages.

Do I still need GitHub Desktop if I have Git?

They solve different problems. Git is the version-control command line; GitHub Desktop is a GUI client on top of it. Most developers install Git first — GitHub Desktop, VS Code, and other tools all use it under the hood — and add a GUI only if they want one.

I want Git Bash specifically — which method should I use?

The official installer from git-scm.com (or its WinGet equivalent) is the natural choice: Git Bash and its settings wizard are part of that package. Package-manager installs focus on the command-line git that editors, terminals, and CI expect.

How do I update Git later?

With Glue: glue update git. With WinGet: winget upgrade Git.Git (it re-runs the installer). With the official installer or portable zip: download the new version and run or extract it again.

How do I uninstall Git?

With Glue: glue uninstall git removes the package and its shim cleanly. WinGet and the official installer uninstall through Windows Apps & Features; the portable zip is deleted along with its folder.

Conclusion

For a developer toolchain, the package-manager route fits Git best: one command, no admin rights, PATH handled, one-command updates. Reach for the official installer when you specifically want Git Bash and the wizard, and the portable zip when nothing can be installed at all:

irm https://gluestick.sh/install.ps1 | iex
glue install git
git --version