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How to Install Chocolatey on Windows

Install Chocolatey on Windows if you want to install and update software from an elevated terminal instead of clicking through installers one by one.

Priyanka Kasera
Priyanka Kasera·
April 2026·5 min read

Supported Versions

2.7.0

Official Source

chocolatey.org / GitHub (official)

Environment Setup

1 PATH entry

Verify Step

choco --version

DevTools Installer is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the publisher of Chocolatey. All product names and logos are trademarks of their respective owners. Downloads are sourced directly from the official publisher.

Install With DevTools Installer

Use this path if you want DevTools Installer to download the official package and handle the Windows setup for you.

  1. 1Open DevTools Installer.
  2. 2In Package Managers, select "Chocolatey".
  3. 3Click "Install Selected".
  4. 4Let the installer download the official MSI, run it silently, and add to PATH.
  5. 5Open a new elevated terminal after the install finishes.
  6. 6Run to confirm Chocolatey is available.

Download Source

DevTools Installer downloads from the official publisher:

https://github.com/chocolatey/choco/releases/download/2.7.0/chocolatey-2.7.0.0.msi

PATH & Environment Variables

DevTools Installer sets the following automatically:

PATH entries

C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\bin

Verification

DevTools Installer verifies the install by running:

choco --version

Expected output: 2.7.0

Manual Installation Steps

Use these steps if you want to run the installer yourself and apply the Windows PATH or environment changes manually.

  1. 1Download the official MSI from https://github.com/chocolatey/choco/releases/download/2.7.0/chocolatey-2.7.0.0.msi
  2. 2Run the installer as an administrator.
  3. 3If you prefer the official PowerShell method, run this in an elevated PowerShell window:
  4. 4Chocolatey installs its command shims in .
  5. 5Open a new elevated terminal and run .

Need to upgrade, downgrade, or remove Chocolatey?

DevTools Installer can also upgrade Chocolatey to a newer version, roll back to an older one, or cleanly uninstall it — including PATH entries and environment variables. No manual cleanup required.

What Is Chocolatey Used For?

  • Automating the installation and updating of software on Windows machines from the command line.
  • Scripting machine setup so new team members or VMs can be provisioned with a single command.
  • Managing tools that are not covered by DevTools Installer — Chocolatey has a repository of 10,000+ packages.
  • Keeping installed software up to date with "choco upgrade all".
  • Enterprise environments that need centralized package management and compliance auditing.

Common Issues And Fixes

Check the problem and the exact fix before you reinstall anything. Some guides also include the reason the issue happens.

Problem

"choco" is not recognized after installation

Exact fix

Ensure C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\bin is in your system PATH. Open a new terminal or restart your shell session.

Problem

Chocolatey commands require Administrator privileges

Exact fix

By design, Chocolatey installs software system-wide, which requires elevation. Always run PowerShell or Command Prompt as Administrator when using choco commands.

Problem

Package installation fails with checksum errors

Exact fix

This usually means the upstream package was updated but the Chocolatey package checksum has not been refreshed yet. Use "--ignore-checksums" as a temporary workaround, or wait for the package maintainer to update.

Problem

Chocolatey conflicts with existing DevTools Installer installations

Exact fix

If both Chocolatey and DevTools Installer manage the same tool (e.g., Git), you may get duplicate PATH entries. Choose one tool per application to avoid conflicts.

Tips for Chocolatey

  • ✓Run "choco list --local" to see all packages installed via Chocolatey on your system.
  • ✓Use "choco install <package> -y" to skip confirmation prompts during installation.
  • ✓Chocolatey installs packages to C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\lib by default. Binaries are shimmed into the bin folder on PATH.
  • ✓For enterprise use, Chocolatey offers a Business edition with features like package internalization, virus scanning, and self-service deployment.

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