Native Windows

DefenseClaw runs natively on Windows x64 for the signed-in user: a local gateway, a hook runner, the CLI, the TUI, the scanners and a managed Python runtime. The agent keeps talking to its own model service; DefenseClaw adds a hook or plugin and does not proxy model traffic on Windows.

Install

Install with install.ps1 in PowerShell, as the user who runs your agents. The commands, requirements, upgrade, repair and uninstall are on Install and maintain.

How it fits together

• The gateway is a background process of your account, started by defenseclaw quickstart, defenseclaw setup or defenseclaw-gateway start, and by a hook if it is stopped. There is no Windows service, Scheduled Task or sign-in entry.
• A hook sends each event to the gateway on loopback. In action mode the answer can block the step.
• Every decision is written to %USERPROFILE%\.defenseclaw\audit.db.

Details are in the Windows security model and Paths.

What is outside the support boundary

• WSL, or a mix of native and WSL connectors.
• Windows ARM64 and x86.
• A machine-wide install, MSI or Windows service. Use Enterprise; on a computer with a standalone enterprise deployment the per-user installer, upgrade, rollback and gateway refuse.
• The proxy connectors (OpenClaw, ZeptoClaw): native Windows has no guardrail proxy.
• OpenShell sandboxes. defenseclaw sandbox commands stop with "OpenShell sandboxes run on Linux and macOS only". Use sandboxes on Linux or an Apple-silicon Mac.
• An agent on another computer sending hooks to this gateway: only the same computer, same user, over loopback is tested.

If you are migrating

Coming from WSL, do a fresh native install; do not copy WSL data, hooks, tokens or connector configuration.

If something fails

Run these before changing anything, then see Paths and troubleshooting:

defenseclaw status
defenseclaw doctor