Claude Code: Complete Beginner Guide for Windows & Mac

If you already use Claude in your web browser (claude.ai), you know the most tedious part of daily AI work: uploading files one by one, waiting for a reply, and copying the result back onto your computer. Claude Code removes that friction completely. It is Anthropic's official coding and computer agent that runs inside a terminal (or inside the Code tab of the Claude Desktop app), reads and edits files directly inside a folder you choose on your own computer, and runs commands for you after you approve them.

I wrote this guide for people in Malaysia who have never used a terminal before — whether you are an office worker, a small-business owner, or a student who wants to organize files and finish computer tasks faster on Windows or Mac.

What you need before you start

Before installing Claude Code, make sure your account and computer meet the official requirements from Anthropic's setup documentation (checked November 2026).

1. A paid Claude subscription plan

Unlike the regular web chat, the free claude.ai plan (USD 0) does NOT include Claude Code access. Claude Code requires a Pro, Max, Ultra, Team, Enterprise, or Console account.

Here are the official individual plan prices from Anthropic's pricing page as of November 2026 (listed in USD, excluding applicable tax):

• Claude Free (USD 0): No Claude Code access. Limited web chat usage every 5 hours and every week, up to 5 Projects.
• Claude Pro (USD 20/month billed monthly, or USD 17/month on annual billing at USD 200 billed up front, excluding tax — Nov 2026 price): This is the cheapest plan that includes Claude Code. It provides at least 5x more usage per 5-hour session than Free. Note that regular web chats on claude.ai and Claude Code draw from the same shared usage pool.
• Claude Max (USD 100/month, monthly billing only, excluding tax — Nov 2026 price): Provides 5x Pro usage every 5 hours and every week, includes Claude Code, and comes with USD 100/month in API credits.
• Claude Ultra (USD 200/month, monthly billing only, excluding tax — Nov 2026 price): Removes the 5-hour limit for verified accounts and gives 10x Pro usage every week, plus USD 200/month in API credits.

2. Computer system requirements (Windows, Mac, or Linux)

You do not need an expensive computer to run Claude Code. The official minimum system requirements are:

• Operating system: Windows 10 version 1809 or newer (or Windows Server 2019+), macOS 13.0 or newer, or Linux (Ubuntu 20.04+, Debian 10+, Alpine 3.19+).
• Hardware: At least 4 GB+ RAM, running on an x64 or ARM64 processor (which covers standard Intel/AMD chips and Apple Silicon M1/M2/M3/M4 Macs).
• An active internet connection.
• Shell (command-line app): PowerShell or CMD on Windows, or Bash / Zsh on macOS and Linux.

Two ways to start: Desktop app vs Terminal

You can choose whichever method feels most comfortable for you.

Option A: Use the Claude Desktop app (No Terminal required)

If you prefer a graphical interface and don't want to touch a command line at all, the Claude Desktop app lets you use Claude Code directly without opening a terminal.

1. Open your browser and download the Desktop app from claude.com/download (for Windows) or use the macOS download link on the official setup page.
   • You should see: The Claude Desktop installer downloading into your computer's Downloads folder.
2. Install the app, open it, and sign in with your paid Claude account (Pro or higher).
   • You should see: The main Claude Desktop window with a Code tab available in the interface.
3. Open the Code tab, pick a work folder on your computer, and type your instructions in plain English or Bahasa Melayu.
   • You should see: Claude Code ready to inspect and work with the files inside that chosen folder without any terminal commands.

Option B: Install Claude Code in your Terminal (Windows & Mac)

A terminal (also called a shell) is simply a text window where you type commands directly to your operating system. Installing Claude Code natively in your terminal is fast, and native installs update automatically in the background.

For Windows users: How to tell PowerShell from CMD

Windows includes two built-in terminal apps that look similar at first glance but take different install commands: PowerShell and Command Prompt (CMD). Look at the beginning of the prompt line where your cursor blinks:

• PowerShell: The prompt starts with the letters PS, such as PS C:\Users\YourName>.
• CMD (Command Prompt): The prompt shows C:\Users\YourName> without "PS" at the front.

Copy the exact install command for your system

Open your terminal, copy the one matching command below character for character, paste it in, and press Enter:

1. Windows PowerShell (prompt starts with PS C:\...):

irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex

2. Windows CMD (prompt shows C:\... without PS):

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd

3. macOS / Linux / WSL:

curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.sh | bash

4. Windows alternative (WinGet):

winget install Anthropic.ClaudeCode

If you install via WinGet, keep in mind that WinGet installations do not auto-update. Run this command whenever you want to update to the latest version:

winget upgrade Anthropic.ClaudeCode

• You should see: The cursor pauses silently while downloading (with no progress bar), followed by a confirmation message that Claude Code has been installed and a fresh command prompt line.

Fixing the two "wrong shell" error messages on Windows

If you see red error text on Windows, you almost certainly pasted the CMD command into PowerShell or vice versa:

1. The token '&&' is not a valid statement separator: This means you are inside PowerShell, not CMD. Copy and run the PowerShell command (irm https://claude.ai/install.ps1 | iex).
2. 'irm' is not recognized: This means you are inside CMD, not PowerShell. Copy and run the CMD command (curl -fsSL https://claude.ai/install.cmd -o install.cmd && install.cmd && del install.cmd).

Check that it works and sign in

Once the installer finishes, follow these three steps to verify your setup:

Step 1: Open a NEW terminal window and check the version

Close the terminal window you used for installation, open a brand-new terminal window, and run:

claude --version

• You should see: A version number printed on screen. If you see "claude not found" or "not recognized", your system's PATH (the list of folders where your computer looks for installed programs) needs fixing — see the "Fix your PATH" troubleshooting section in the official Anthropic docs.

Step 2: Run a read-only health check (claude doctor)

To confirm that all background components are healthy, run:

claude doctor

• You should see: A read-only diagnostic summary confirming that your Claude Code installation and connection are working properly.

Step 3: Start Claude Code in a folder and log in

Open a terminal inside the project folder you want to work on and run:

claude

• You should see: On your first run, Claude Code prompts you to log in through your web browser. Sign in with your paid Claude account in the browser window that opens; once complete, your terminal displays the interactive Claude Code prompt ready for instructions.

Your first real result: Organize a messy receipt folder in 3 minutes

Let's put Claude Code to work on a real everyday task so you can see why it is so much faster than a regular chat window. Imagine you have a folder full of supplier invoices and receipt photos with messy names like IMG_4019.jpg, WhatsApp Image 2026-10-04.jpeg, and scan_final_2.pdf.

Step 1: Create a COPY of your folder for testing

Create a new folder on your Desktop named Receipts-Test. Copy (do not move!) 5 to 10 sample PDF invoices or receipt photos into Receipts-Test.

• You should see: A Receipts-Test folder containing duplicate files, while your original files remain untouched in their original location.

Step 2: Launch Claude Code inside Receipts-Test

Open a terminal inside the Receipts-Test folder. On Windows 11, right-click an empty space in the folder and choose Open in Terminal. On Windows 10, click File Explorer's address bar, type powershell and press Enter. On a Mac, right-click the folder and choose Services → New Terminal at Folder. (Or select Receipts-Test in the Code tab of the Claude Desktop app.) Then type claude and press Enter.

• You should see: The Claude Code prompt showing that its current working folder is Receipts-Test.

Step 3: Paste the folder-organizing prompt

Copy the exact prompt below and paste it into Claude Code:

Read all the PDF and image files in this folder. Do not delete any files.

Please do two things in order:
1. Inspect each file to find the date, expense category, and shop or vendor name. Propose a clean new filename for each file using the format DATE_CATEGORY_VENDOR-NAME (for example: 2026-10-04_Office-Supplies_Kedai-Rakyat.pdf). If a date is unreadable, use 0000-00-00. Show me a table comparing the old filenames and proposed new filenames first before renaming anything.
2. After I approve and the files are renamed, create a simple summary spreadsheet named receipts-summary.csv in this folder with the columns: New Filename, Date, Category, Vendor Name, and Amount (RM).

• You should see: Claude Code scans the files in Receipts-Test, prints a neat table comparing the old filenames with the proposed new filenames, and pauses to ask for your approval before renaming the files or creating the CSV.

Step 4: Review and approve the changes

Read through the proposed filenames in the terminal. Once you confirm they look right, approve the action.

• You should see: Within seconds, every file inside Receipts-Test is renamed cleanly by date and vendor, and a new file named receipts-summary.csv appears in the folder, ready to open in Excel or Google Sheets.

4 essential safety rules

Because Claude Code can edit files and execute commands on your computer, follow these four rules every time you use it:

What's next?

Organizing a messy folder and building a CSV summary is just your first 10 minutes with Claude Code. With the exact same setup on your PC or Mac, you can use Claude Code to build your own business website, automate repetitive file tasks, and connect daily tools without writing code by hand.

Step-by-step Bina dengan AI (Build with AI) recipes — including building your own business website from scratch — are coming soon (akan datang). In the meantime, explore more practical guides on the Belajar AI hub or walk through the free Mula Sini starter recipes.