Setup · Claude Desktop & Cowork

Getting Started — Setup Guide

Claude Desktop is the Claude app that runs on your computer — and it's where Cowork lives. This guide gets you ready before the workshop: create your account, install the app, confirm Cowork is there, and install Git.

You'll need: macOS 12 (Monterey) or later • A web browser • A paid Claude plan (Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise)

Not sure which macOS version you have? Click the Apple menu → About This Mac (top-left corner of your screen) to check.

You'll need: Windows 10 or later • A web browser • A paid Claude plan (Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise)

Not sure which Windows version you have? Press the Windows key, type About your PC, and open Settings → System → About.

About 30 minutes, done once — and much of that is just waiting on a download you can leave running. Get it out of the way this week and workshop day starts with building, not troubleshooting.

"Chat and Claude Cowork, all in one place."

claude.com/download

Heads up

This guide reads fine on your phone, but you'll need the computer you're bringing to the workshop to actually follow the steps.

Step 1

Create Your Claude Account

Already have a Claude account on a paid plan — personal or through your organization? Skip ahead to Step 2.

  1. Go to claude.ai in your browser
  2. Click Sign up and create an account with your email
  3. Verify your email address

Cowork needs a paid plan

Cowork is available on the paid plans only — Pro, Max, Team or Enterprise. The free claude.ai plan does not include it, so a free account will leave you stuck at Step 3. If you're on Free, open claude.ai → your initials (bottom-left) → Upgrade plan before the workshop. Already on a work account? Check with your IT admin that it includes Cowork.

Step 2

Download & Install — Claude Desktop

Go to claude.com/download and choose your operating system.

macOS

  1. Go to claude.com/download
  2. Click Download for macOS
  3. Open the downloaded .dmg file — it's in your Downloads folder
  4. Drag the Claude icon into Applications
  5. Launch Claude from Applications (or Launchpad). If macOS asks whether you're sure you want to open an app downloaded from the Internet, click Open — that's normal on a first launch
  6. Sign in with your Claude account

Windows

  1. Go to claude.com/download
  2. Click Download for Windows. On a Surface or another Snapdragon/ARM machine, choose Windows (arm64) instead
  3. Run the downloaded installer
  4. Follow the install prompts
  5. Launch Claude from the Start menu
  6. Sign in with your Claude account

Step 3

Confirm Cowork Is There

Signed in? Now look for Cowork. Claude Desktop lays it out one of two ways depending on your account — find your screen below. Either one is fine; the difference is cosmetic, not a sign anything went wrong.

Full sidebar

A toggle at the top for Chat / Cowork / Code. With Cowork selected, its panel shows New task, Projects, Scheduled, Live artifacts, Dispatch (Beta), Customize, and Recents.

Claude Desktop Cowork panel showing New task, Projects, Scheduled, Live artifacts, Dispatch Beta, and Customize

Inline toggle

A simpler message composer with a Chat / Cowork pill toggle built in, plus a model selector.

Claude Desktop message composer with a Chat / Cowork pill toggle and a Sonnet 5 High model selector

Seeing only Chat?

If there's no Cowork anywhere in the app, that isn't a third layout — it means Cowork hasn't been switched on for your account. The install is fine; the feature just isn't enabled yet.

Check your plan first. Open claude.ai → your initials (bottom-left) → Settings → Billing. If it says Free, that's the cause — Cowork needs a paid plan. Upgrade to Pro, then restart Claude Desktop.

On a Team or Enterprise plan, Cowork is sometimes switched off for the whole organization. Check Settings — you may be able to turn it on yourself. If that option isn't there, ask your IT admin to enable it.

Step 3 is done when all three are true

Step 4

Install Git

Git is a version control tool — think of it as an undo button for your entire project. Follow the instructions for your operating system below.

macOS

  1. Press Cmd + Space to open Spotlight
  2. Type Terminal and press Enter
  3. A window with a blinking cursor appears — you're in
  4. Type git, then press Enter
  5. macOS will show a popup asking to install developer tools — click Install. If you don't see a popup, check behind your other windows.
  6. Wait for the download to finish — this can take 10–20 minutes on a normal connection. The progress bar may appear stuck; this is normal. Do not cancel it. Your terminal will just say “press any key” or sit idle while this happens — that's fine.
  7. Verify it installed — run git --version in your terminal. You should see a version number print back.

Windows

  1. Download the installerGo to git-scm.com/install/windows and click the download link for the 64-bit version of Git for Windows.
  2. Run the installerDouble-click the downloaded .exe. If Windows shows a security prompt, click Yes to allow it to run.
  3. Click through the setup wizardThe defaults are fine for almost everyone. Keep clicking Next through the license, install location, component selection, and start menu screens without changing anything.
  4. Choose the default editor (optional)One screen asks which text editor Git should use by default. If you don't have a preference, leave it on the default (Vim) or pick something familiar like Notepad++ or VS Code if installed.
  5. Leave PATH settings on defaultWhen asked about adjusting your PATH environment, keep the recommended option selected: “Git from the command line and also from 3rd-party software.” This is what lets Claude Desktop and other tools find Git.
  6. Finish and restartClick Install, then Finish. Close and reopen Claude Desktop so it picks up the updated PATH.
  7. Verify it installedPress the Windows key, type cmd, and open Command Prompt. Run git --version — you should see a version number print back.

Troubleshooting · Windows only · Skip unless you've seen this error

Fix the Virtualization Error — Windows

Skip this unless it has happened to you — on a Mac it never will. Claude Desktop installs fine, but Cowork won't start and you get something like “Missing HCS services: HNS, vmcompute, vfpext.” Nothing is broken and nothing you did caused it: Cowork does its work inside a lightweight virtual machine, and Windows usually can't create one until the Virtual Machine Platform feature is switched on. One command and one restart fixes it — we'll walk you through both.

Register Virtual Machine Platform

  1. Open PowerShell as AdministratorClick the Start menu, type PowerShell, then right-click Windows PowerShell and choose Run as administrator. Click Yes on the security prompt. It has to be an Administrator window — a normal one will refuse the command in Step 2.
  2. Enable Virtual Machine PlatformCopy and paste the line below, then press Enter. It runs for a few seconds, then asks “Do you want to restart the computer to complete this operation?” — type N and press Enter, since you'll restart deliberately in the next step. Seeing Restart Needed : True is expected. 
    Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature -Online -FeatureName VirtualMachinePlatform -All
  3. Restart WindowsUse Start → Power → Restart — not Shut down followed by powering back on. Windows Fast Startup skips the full boot on a shutdown, and these services only register on a real one. Without a proper restart the same error comes back.
  4. Reopen Claude Desktop and try CoworkLaunch the app and open Cowork again. The error should be gone. If it comes back, read on.

If the error persists after restarting

First check whether that's actually the problem. Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager, click Performance → CPU, and look for Virtualization. If it says Enabled, this isn't your issue — skip to Still stuck? below.

If it says Disabled, virtualization is switched off in your computer's BIOS/UEFI — the settings screen that loads before Windows starts. Look for Intel VT-x, AMD-V, or SVM Mode, turn it on, save, and boot back into Windows. On a work machine this can be locked by IT policy — if so, your IT team needs to allow it.

Reference

Still Stuck?

Every step above includes its own fix-it guidance. If you've followed the steps and something still isn't working:

Don't stress. Don't spend more than 20 minutes stuck on this. Send us your operating system and a screenshot of what you're seeing, and we'll sort it out before the workshop.

Send us a message

You're ready

That's everything installed. Bring the same computer on the day, already signed in — we'll start with building, not troubleshooting.

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