How do I install cURL on Windows?

The process of installing cURL on Windows is straightforward. Here is a detailed step-by-step guide:

Step 1: Check if cURL is Already Installed

First, verify whether cURL is installed on your Windows system. To do this, enter the following command in the Command Prompt (cmd):

bash
curl --version

If cURL is installed, the command will display the version information. If not, you will see the message: "'curl' is not recognized as an internal or external command, nor is it a runnable program or batch file."

Step 2: Download cURL

If cURL is not installed on your system, download the Windows version from the official cURL website:

1. Visit the official cURL download page.
2. Scroll down to the "Windows" section.
3. Select a version suitable for your system (e.g., choose the 64-bit version if you are using a 64-bit system).
4. Download the ZIP file.

Step 3: Install cURL

1. Extract the downloaded ZIP file to the directory where you want to store the cURL program, typically the Program Files folder on the C: drive.
2. Add the path of the extracted folder (usually named curl-xx.x.x, where xx.x.x is the version number) to your system environment variables. This enables you to run the cURL command from any command-line window. Follow these steps:
   • Right-click "This PC" or "My Computer" and select "Properties".
   • Click "Advanced system settings".
   • In the System Properties window, click "Environment Variables".
   • In the "System variables" section, find "Path" and click "Edit".
   • In the "Edit environment variable" window, click "New" and paste the path of your cURL folder.
   • Click "OK" to save the settings.

Step 4: Verify Installation

To confirm that cURL is correctly installed, reopen a Command Prompt window and run:

bash
curl --version

If the cURL version information appears, this confirms successful installation and configuration.

Example

Suppose you download the ZIP file for cURL version 7.76.0 and extract it to the C:\Program Files\curl-7.76.0 directory. After adding this path to your system environment variables, you can use the cURL command from any command-line window.