How to Install Curl on Windows?

Curl stands for Client URL is a popular command-line tool used for transferring data from various sources using URL syntax. It supports a wide range of protocols like HTTP, HTTPS, and FTP making it a versatile tool for developers and system administrators. It is also used for transferring data using various network protocols. It is a powerful utility for developers to test APIs, upload or download files, and more.

Install Curl Windows is a straightforward process and in the following article, we will cover how to do so.

Prerequisites

Before proceeding with the installation of Curl on Windows ensure the following prerequisites:

• Windows 7 or later.
• Administrative privileges to execute the installation.

Installing the Curl command on Windows

Following are the methods for installing the Curl command in Windows older or later versions:

Method 1: Manual Installation

Download the Curl executable file by navigating to the official Curl download page. Download the appropriate version for your system and look for Win64 or Win32 zip files.

Once downloaded, extract the ZIP file to your preferred location for example C:\Curl location.

Add Curl to Windows PATH

This step allows you to run curl commands from any directory in your command prompt.

• Search for System Properties in the Start menu.
• In the System Properties window, click on Environment Variables.
• Under System Variables, find and select the Path variable, then click on Edit.

• Click on New and add the path to your Curl installation for example C:\Curl\bin.

Click OK to close each window. Now verify the installation by typing the following command in your Windows Command Prompt.

curl --version

If installed correctly, it should display the version number.

Method 2: Using the Windows 10/11 Command Line

Windows 10 and later comes with Curl pre-installed. To check if Curl is already installed on your system:

1. Open the Start menu.
2. Type cmd and open Command Prompt.
3. In the Command Prompt window, type curl --version and press Enter.
4. If Curl is installed, it will display the version number.

Method 3: Using a Chocolatey Package Manager

If you prefer using a package manager on Windows like Chocolatey then open Command Prompt as administrator. Paste the following command and execute it:

Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force; [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072; iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))

Wait for Chocolatey to install. In the same Command Prompt window, type the following:

choco install curl

Chocolatey will download and install Curl. After installation completes verify that in Command Prompt to check if it’s installed correctly.

Using Curl Command

Curl Windows cmd offers a vast array of options and functionalities. Here’s a basic example to get you started:

curl https://www.example.com

This command retrieves the content of the website and displays it in your command prompt window.

You can also download a file from a URL with the help of the Curl command:

curl https://example.com/file.txt -o filename.txt

This retrieves the file file.txt from https://example.com and saves it locally as filename.txt. Downloading silently without a progress meter.

curl -s https://example.com/file.txt -o filename.txt

Conclusion

Whether through manual downloading or using Chocolatey installing Curl on Windows is simple and enhances your ability to interact with web services right from your command line. Remember to always download software from official sources or trusted package managers to ensure security.

FAQ