# Install and Set Up kubectl on Windows
LLMS index: [llms.txt](/llms.txt)
---
## Before you begin
You must use a kubectl version that is within one minor version difference of
your cluster. For example, a v1.36 client can communicate
with v1.35, v1.36,
and v1.37 control planes.
Using the latest compatible version of kubectl helps avoid unforeseen issues.
## Install kubectl on Windows
The following methods exist for installing kubectl on Windows:
- [Install kubectl binary on Windows (via direct download or curl)](#install-kubectl-binary-on-windows-via-direct-download-or-curl)
- [Install on Windows using Chocolatey, Scoop, or winget](#install-nonstandard-package-tools)
### Install kubectl binary on Windows (via direct download or curl)
1. You have two options for installing kubectl on your Windows device
- Direct download:
Download the latest 1.36 patch release binary directly for your specific architecture by visiting the [Kubernetes release page](https://kubernetes.io/releases/download/#binaries). Be sure to select the correct binary for your architecture (e.g., amd64, arm64, etc.).
- Using curl:
If you have `curl` installed, use this command:
```powershell
curl.exe -LO "https://dl.k8s.io/release/v1.36.0/bin/windows/amd64/kubectl.exe"
```
1. Validate the binary (optional)
Download the `kubectl` checksum file:
```powershell
curl.exe -LO "https://dl.k8s.io/v1.36.0/bin/windows/amd64/kubectl.exe.sha256"
```
Validate the `kubectl` binary against the checksum file:
- Using Command Prompt to manually compare `CertUtil`'s output to the checksum file downloaded:
```cmd
CertUtil -hashfile kubectl.exe SHA256
type kubectl.exe.sha256
```
- Using PowerShell to automate the verification using the `-eq` operator to
get a `True` or `False` result:
```powershell
$(Get-FileHash -Algorithm SHA256 .\kubectl.exe).Hash -eq $(Get-Content .\kubectl.exe.sha256)
```
1. Append or prepend the `kubectl` binary folder to your `PATH` environment variable.
1. Test to ensure the version of `kubectl` is the same as downloaded:
```cmd
kubectl version --client
```
Or use this for detailed view of version:
```cmd
kubectl version --client --output=yaml
```
Note:
Docker Desktop for Windows
adds its own version of
kubectl to
PATH. If you have installed Docker Desktop before,
you may need to place your
PATH entry before the one added by the Docker Desktop
installer or remove the Docker Desktop's
kubectl.
choco install kubernetes-cli
winget install -e --id Kubernetes.kubectl
Note:
Edit the config file with a text editor of your choice, such as Notepad.
## Verify kubectl configuration
In order for kubectl to find and access a Kubernetes cluster, it needs a
kubeconfig file,
which is created automatically when you create a cluster using
kube-up.sh
or successfully deploy a Minikube cluster.
By default, kubectl configuration is located at ~/.kube/config.
Check that kubectl is properly configured by getting the cluster state:
If you see a URL response, kubectl is correctly configured to access your cluster.
If you see a message similar to the following, kubectl is not configured correctly
or is not able to connect to a Kubernetes cluster.
The connection to the server <server-name:port> was refused - did you specify the right host or port?
For example, if you are intending to run a Kubernetes cluster on your laptop (locally),
you will need a tool like Minikube to be
installed first and then re-run the commands stated above.
If kubectl cluster-info returns the url response, but you can't access your cluster,
check whether it is configured properly using the following command:
kubectl cluster-info dump
Troubleshooting the 'No Auth Provider Found' error message
In Kubernetes 1.26, kubectl removed the built-in authentication for the following cloud
providers' managed Kubernetes offerings. These providers have released kubectl plugins
to provide the cloud-specific authentication. For instructions, refer to the following provider documentation:
There could also be other causes for the same error message that are unrelated
to that change.
## Optional kubectl configurations and plugins
### Enable shell autocompletion
kubectl provides autocompletion support for Bash, Zsh, Fish, and PowerShell,
which can save you a lot of typing.
Below are the procedures to set up autocompletion for PowerShell.
The kubectl completion script for PowerShell can be generated with the command kubectl completion powershell.
To do so in all your shell sessions, add the following line to your $PROFILE file:
kubectl completion powershell | Out-String | Invoke-Expression
This command will regenerate the auto-completion script on every PowerShell start up. You can also add the generated script directly to your $PROFILE file.
To add the generated script to your $PROFILE file, run the following line in your powershell prompt:
kubectl completion powershell >> $PROFILE
After reloading your shell, kubectl autocompletion should be working.
### Configure kuberc
See [kuberc](/docs/reference/kubectl/kuberc) for more information.
### Install `kubectl convert` plugin
A plugin for Kubernetes command-line tool kubectl, which allows you to convert manifests between different API
versions. This can be particularly helpful to migrate manifests to a non-deprecated api version with newer Kubernetes release.
For more info, visit migrate to non deprecated apis
1. Download the latest release with the command:
```powershell
curl.exe -LO "https://dl.k8s.io/release/v1.36.0/bin/windows/amd64/kubectl-convert.exe"
```
1. Validate the binary (optional).
Download the `kubectl-convert` checksum file:
```powershell
curl.exe -LO "https://dl.k8s.io/v1.36.0/bin/windows/amd64/kubectl-convert.exe.sha256"
```
Validate the `kubectl-convert` binary against the checksum file:
- Using Command Prompt to manually compare `CertUtil`'s output to the checksum file downloaded:
```cmd
CertUtil -hashfile kubectl-convert.exe SHA256
type kubectl-convert.exe.sha256
```
- Using PowerShell to automate the verification using the `-eq` operator to get
a `True` or `False` result:
```powershell
$($(CertUtil -hashfile .\kubectl-convert.exe SHA256)[1] -replace " ", "") -eq $(type .\kubectl-convert.exe.sha256)
```
1. Append or prepend the `kubectl-convert` binary folder to your `PATH` environment variable.
1. Verify the plugin is successfully installed.
```shell
kubectl convert --help
```
If you do not see an error, it means the plugin is successfully installed.
1. After installing the plugin, clean up the installation files:
```powershell
del kubectl-convert.exe
del kubectl-convert.exe.sha256
```
## What's next