# How to Install Anaconda on Windows: Python and Jupyter Notebook Setup

> How to install Anaconda on Windows step by step: which PATH checkbox to leave unticked, licence terms, a Jupyter kernel, and fixes for common conda errors.

- **Author:** Sivaranjani S — Cloud Operations Engineer, Zoho (https://www.1stepgrow.com/authors/sivaranjani-s/)
- **Published:** Jul 12, 2026 · **Updated:** Sep 17, 2026
- **Topic:** Python & Programming · **Format:** Guide · **Read time:** 9 min
- **Canonical URL:** https://www.1stepgrow.com/articles/install-anaconda-windows/

## Key takeaways

- Leave 'Add Anaconda3 to my PATH environment variable' unchecked and use Anaconda Prompt; Anaconda itself does not recommend the PATH option.
- Anaconda is free for individuals and for organisations with 200 or fewer employees and contractors; larger for-profit organisations need a paid licence.
- Never install project packages into the base environment; create one environment per project.
- Register each environment as a Jupyter kernel, or your notebook will not see its packages.
- Miniconda needs about 900 MB against about 9.7 GB for full Anaconda, so it suits people who know which packages they want.

To install Anaconda on Windows, download the 64-bit graphical installer from Anaconda's download page, run it for **Just Me**, leave the PATH checkbox unticked, and then work from Anaconda Prompt. Anaconda bundles Python with the scientific stack and the conda environment manager, which makes it the path of least resistance for data work on Windows.

Most broken installs trace back to two moments: ticking "Add Anaconda3 to my PATH", which Anaconda itself advises against, and installing project packages into `base`. This guide is for Windows users setting up Python for data science, and it walks through each installer screen, a clean project environment, a working Jupyter kernel and the errors you are most likely to see.

This guide follows [Anaconda's Windows installation instructions](https://www.anaconda.com/docs/getting-started/anaconda/install/windows-gui-install) as of September 2026, when the latest release was Anaconda Distribution 2026.07. Mac users should follow the [macOS version of this guide](https://www.1stepgrow.com/articles/install-anaconda-mac) instead, because the installer and shell setup differ.

## Before you install Anaconda on Windows

Check three things first:

- **Windows version.** Anaconda's [system requirements](https://www.anaconda.com/docs/getting-started/anaconda/system-requirements) list 64-bit Windows 11.
- **Disk space.** Anaconda's [Anaconda-or-Miniconda comparison](https://www.anaconda.com/docs/getting-started/concepts/anaconda-or-miniconda) gives about 9.7 GB of install space for Anaconda Distribution and about 900 MB for Miniconda.
- **Licence terms.** Under Anaconda's [terms of service](https://www.anaconda.com/legal/terms/terms-of-service), use is free for individuals, eligible academic and non-profit institutions, and for-profit organisations with 200 or fewer employees and contractors. Larger for-profit organisations need a paid business licence. If that applies to your employer, check with IT before you install; Anaconda also [states that conda and conda-forge are free for anyone](https://www.anaconda.com/blog/is-conda-free).

## How do you install Anaconda on Windows step by step?

1. **Download.** Go to [anaconda.com/download](https://www.anaconda.com/download) and choose the Windows 64-bit graphical installer. Registration is optional; the page offers a "Skip registration" link.
2. **Run the installer.** Open it from your Downloads folder, select **Next**, and agree to the terms of service.
3. **Choose Just Me.** Anaconda recommends **Just Me** for the current user. **All Users** needs administrator rights and suits shared machines.
4. **Choose the install location.** The default under your user folder is fine. However, Anaconda recommends a folder with **no spaces or special characters**, so avoid paths such as `C:\Program Files`.
5. **Review the advanced options.** This is the step that matters:
   - **Create shortcuts** is ticked by default; leave it on.
   - **Add Anaconda3 to my PATH environment variable**: leave it **unchecked**. Anaconda does not recommend it, because it permanently puts Anaconda's Python ahead of other installations.
   - **Register Anaconda3 as my default Python** (the label includes the Python version): generally fine, since it lets VS Code and PyCharm find the interpreter.
   - **Clear the package cache upon completion**: optional; it runs `conda clean --all --force-pkgs-dirs` to recover disk space.
6. **Install**, then select **Next** twice and **Finish**.

## How do you check the installation worked?

Open **Anaconda Prompt** from the Start menu, not the regular Command Prompt. Anaconda Prompt activates conda for that session, which is exactly why you did not need the PATH option. The prompt should start with `(base)`:

```text
(base) C:\Users\YourName>
```

Then run:

```bash
conda --version
python --version
conda info
```

If those respond, the install worked.

## How do you create a conda environment on Windows?

Run `conda create --name <project> python=3.12` in Anaconda Prompt, then `conda activate <project>`. The most important habit: **do not install project packages into `base`.** A broken base environment is awkward to repair and can mean reinstalling Anaconda.

```bash
conda create --name myproject python=3.12
conda activate myproject
```

The first time you use Anaconda's default channels, conda may ask you to accept their terms of service. Answer `a` to accept, or run `conda tos accept` once; Anaconda's [ToS command-line guide](https://www.anaconda.com/docs/getting-started/tos-plugin) explains the prompt.

Your prompt then changes to show `(myproject)`. Now install what you need:

```bash
conda install pandas numpy matplotlib scikit-learn jupyter
```

Useful environment commands:

```bash
conda env list                      # all environments
conda deactivate                    # back to base
conda env remove --name myproject   # delete it
conda list                          # packages in the active env
```

To share an environment:

```bash
conda env export --from-history > environment.yml
conda env create -f environment.yml
```

A plain `conda env export` pins Windows-specific builds, so the file often fails on macOS or Linux. By contrast, `--from-history` records only the packages you explicitly asked for, which travels across operating systems.

## How do you add a conda environment to Jupyter?

Install `ipykernel` in the environment and register it as a kernel. A new environment will not appear in Jupyter until you do:

```bash
conda activate myproject
conda install ipykernel
python -m ipykernel install --user --name myproject --display-name "Python (myproject)"
```

This is the single most common point of confusion. The packages installed fine, but the notebook is running a different environment and therefore cannot see them.

## Launch Jupyter

Activate the environment, change to your project folder and run `jupyter lab`:

```bash
conda activate myproject
cd C:\Users\YourName\projects\analysis
jupyter lab
```

A browser then opens at `localhost:8888`. Start Jupyter from your project folder, because the file browser is rooted wherever you launched it.

`jupyter lab` is the current interface, while `jupyter notebook` still works if you prefer the classic one; [jupyter.org's install page](https://jupyter.org/install) lists both. Stop the server with `Ctrl+C` twice in the terminal, since closing the browser tab leaves it running.

## Quick reference: Anaconda commands on Windows

| Task | Command |
|---|---|
| Check the install | `conda --version` and `conda info` |
| Create an environment | `conda create --name myproject python=3.12` |
| Switch to it | `conda activate myproject` |
| Install packages | `conda install pandas numpy` |
| List environments | `conda env list` |
| Make a Jupyter kernel | `python -m ipykernel install --user --name myproject` |
| Enable conda in PowerShell | `conda init powershell` |
| Accept channel terms | `conda tos accept` |

## Common problems after you install Anaconda on Windows

**"conda is not recognized as an internal or external command"**
You are in the regular Command Prompt. Use Anaconda Prompt instead. To enable conda in PowerShell permanently, run `conda init powershell` from Anaconda Prompt, then reopen PowerShell.

**Environment activates but packages are missing**
You probably installed into `base` and then activated the project environment. Check with `conda list` after activating, and reinstall inside the active environment.

**Solving environment takes forever**
Since conda 23.10, the much faster libmamba solver has been the default, according to the [conda-libmamba-solver guide](https://conda.github.io/conda-libmamba-solver/user-guide/). If you are on an older conda, update it with `conda update -n base conda`, or switch explicitly:

```bash
conda install -n base conda-libmamba-solver
conda config --set solver libmamba
```

**Kernel keeps dying in Jupyter**
It is usually memory. Check whether you are loading a file larger than available RAM, and read it in chunks instead; the [iterators and generators guide](https://www.1stepgrow.com/articles/python-iterators-generators) shows the pattern.

**Package not available on conda**
Try conda-forge first, then pip:

```bash
conda install -c conda-forge package-name
pip install package-name
```

Install conda packages before pip ones in a given environment, because mixing them in the other order is where dependency conflicts usually come from.

## Is Miniconda a better choice?

If about 9.7 GB is too much, install **Miniconda** from the same download page. It gives you the same conda tooling with only Python and its dependencies, and you then add what you need:

```bash
conda create -n ds python=3.12 pandas numpy matplotlib scikit-learn jupyter
```

| | Anaconda Distribution | Miniconda |
|---|---|---|
| Install space | about 9.7 GB | about 900 MB |
| Packages included | 600+ | 130+ |
| Graphical Navigator | yes | no |
| Best for | beginners who want everything ready | people who know which packages they need |

Miniconda is faster to install, uses less disk, and you always know what is in your environment. The licence terms above apply to both when you use Anaconda's default channels.



## Related reading

The [macOS version](https://www.1stepgrow.com/articles/install-anaconda-mac) of this guide covers Apple Silicon. Once set up, start with [Python's building blocks](https://www.1stepgrow.com/articles/python-basics) or the [NumPy tutorial series](https://www.1stepgrow.com/articles/numpy-tutorial). The planned [Anaconda installation guide](https://www.1stepgrow.com/articles/anaconda-installation-guide) will also cover Linux.

## Frequently asked questions

### Should I check 'Add Anaconda3 to my PATH environment variable'?

No. Anaconda's own installation guide says it does not recommend that option, because it permanently adds Anaconda to your PATH, where it can shadow other Python installations and confuse tools that expect a different interpreter. Use Anaconda Prompt from the Start menu instead, or run conda init powershell once if you prefer PowerShell.

### Should I install Anaconda or Miniconda on Windows?

Choose Miniconda if you know what you need: it installs only conda, Python and their dependencies, using about 900 MB, and you add packages deliberately. Choose Anaconda Distribution if you want 600+ data science packages and the Navigator interface pre-installed and do not mind the roughly 9.7 GB of disk space it requires.

### Why does my new conda environment not appear in Jupyter?

The kernel is not registered. Activate the environment, install ipykernel into it, then run python -m ipykernel install --user --name myenv. After restarting Jupyter, the environment appears in the kernel list. Installing packages alone is not enough, because Jupyter only knows about environments that have a registered kernel.

### Should I use conda or pip on Windows?

Prefer conda inside a conda environment, especially for packages with compiled dependencies. Use pip only for packages that are not available on conda channels such as conda-forge. Install the conda packages first and the pip packages last, because conda cannot see what pip changed and mixing the order is where dependency conflicts usually come from.

### Is Anaconda free to use at work?

It depends on the organisation. Anaconda's terms allow free use by individuals for personal, non-commercial purposes, by eligible academic and non-profit institutions, and by for-profit organisations with 200 or fewer employees and contractors. Larger for-profit organisations need a paid business licence. conda itself and the conda-forge channel are free for everyone.

---
_Source: 1stepGrow (https://www.1stepgrow.com/articles/install-anaconda-windows/). Cite with the title, "1stepGrow" and a link._