Windows is where most Clash Verge users are. The install itself is not complicated, but each step has a small trap: pick the wrong architecture and it will not install, dismiss the firewall prompt and nothing will load later, install into Program Files and you will need admin rights every time you touch a config.
This walks through it in the real order, with those traps marked.
Step 1: is your Windows x64 or ARM?
Twenty seconds, but getting it wrong wastes an afternoon.
Press Win + I, go to System → About (older builds call it just "About"), and find the System type line:
| What it says | What to download |
|---|---|
| 64-bit operating system, x64-based processor | Clash Verge X64 (almost everyone) |
| 64-bit operating system, ARM-based processor | Clash Verge ARM64 |
| 32-bit operating system | No build available — upgrade Windows first |
Step 2: download the installer
Go to our download page. The large card at the very top is Clash Verge X64 — click the download button. The ARM64 build is further down under "other builds".
You will get a .exe file. Two things worth knowing:
- Your browser may warn that this type of file can harm your computer. Edge and Chrome say this about every exe. Click Keep. It does not mean anything is wrong with the file.
- Do not use a third-party "download accelerator". Our button is a direct link — you get the file itself. If what you downloaded is a few hundred KB, that is a wrapper, not the software.
Step 3: run the installer
Double-click the exe. Windows may show a User Account Control prompt asking to allow changes — click Yes.
Two options in the wizard are worth pausing on.
Install location
The default is C:\Program Files\Clash Verge. That is fine. Config files and the core live separately under %APPDATA%\io.github.clash-verge-rev.clash-verge-rev, so installing on C: does not pile your settings onto the system drive.
If C: is tight, moving it to D: works too. Just avoid spaces and non-ASCII characters in the path — some builds fail to start the core from such paths.
Desktop shortcut
Worth ticking. Clash Verge minimises to the system tray after launch, so a desktop icon makes it easier to find next time.
Step 4: what happens on first launch
Opening it the first time usually produces two system prompts in a row. Do not dismiss them.
Firewall prompt: Windows asks whether to allow clash-verge or verge-mihomo through the firewall. Tick "Private networks" at minimum; public networks as needed. If you slipped and hit Cancel, you get the odd situation where node latency tests succeed but the browser loads nothing.
To fix it: Control Panel → System and Security → Windows Defender Firewall → Allow an app through firewall → find the Clash Verge entries and tick the boxes.
Service mode authorisation: if you plan to use TUN mode, Clash Verge installs a system service and asks for administrator rights. It only asks once.
Step 5: import your subscription
This is the step that matters most and where beginners get stuck — Clash Verge comes with no nodes at all. It is a client that reads a config and forwards traffic; the nodes are yours to supply.
Path: left menu Profiles → paste your subscription URL into the box at the top → click Import.
Once imported, a card appears showing the subscription name, remaining data and expiry date. Click that card so it becomes highlighted — an unselected profile does nothing.
Step 6: turn on the system proxy and check it works
Back on the Home screen, switch on System Proxy. Then open the Proxies page and pick a node — start with the lowest latency.
Checking it is simple: open any site in your browser. If it loads, you are through. You can also open the Connections page in Clash Verge and watch live entries scroll past — that is your traffic actually flowing.
Quick answers to common problems
Installed but nothing happens on double-click
Usually a missing WebView2 runtime, common on older Windows 10 builds. Download "Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime" from Microsoft and install it. Windows 11 ships with it, so this never comes up there.
Antivirus flags it, or the installer disappears
Clash Verge creates a virtual network adapter and edits system proxy settings, which trips heuristic rules in some scanners. This is a routine false positive. Once you have confirmed the file came from this site or the upstream GitHub release, add the install folder to your exclusions and install again. If you cannot account for where the file came from, delete it and download again instead.
Start it automatically on boot
Settings → General → turn on Auto Launch. If you would rather it not pop a window, turn on Silent Start as well and it goes straight to the tray.
Switch the core version
Settings → Clash Core lets you upgrade or switch the Mihomo core. You normally never need to touch this — only when a newer protocol in your subscription is not supported.
In short
Three things actually matter when installing on Windows: pick X64, allow the firewall, and bring your own subscription. Clear those and the rest really is just clicking Next.
Next, read importing subscriptions and keeping them updated and what TUN mode is and when you need it.
