Install on Windows

This guide covers installing Kinetic on Windows using the PowerShell installer.

Prefer a graphical interface?

Download the Tauri desktop app instead — it handles installation with a GUI and no PowerShell required. See the welcome page for the download link.

Prerequisites

• Windows 10 or later
• PowerShell 5.1 or later (pre-installed)
• Administrator account — the installer requests UAC elevation automatically

Run the installer

Open PowerShell (no need to run as Administrator manually — the script self-elevates):

irm https://kinetic.saifmukhtar.dev/install.ps1 | iex

If you get an execution policy error:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned
irm https://kinetic.saifmukhtar.dev/install.ps1 | iex

A UAC prompt will appear. Accept it — the installer needs admin to write to Program Files and register system services.

Choose your profile

The installer presents an interactive menu. Use ↑ / ↓ to navigate, Enter to select:

Profile	Installs	Best for
Standard User	Daemon + CLI	Registering names, resolving .kin
Power User	Daemon + CLI + DNS Server	OS-level .kin resolution in your browser
Node Operator	Node + CLI	Running a P2P infrastructure node
Host Operator	Host + CLI	Hosting content on a .kin address
Custom	You choose	Mixed setups

What the installer does

1. Downloads binaries from GitHub Releases using Invoke-WebRequest
2. Verifies SHA256 checksums — aborts if they don't match
3. Copies binaries to C:\Program Files\Kinetic\
4. Adds C:\Program Files\Kinetic\ to the system PATH
5. Runs kinetic.exe setup to generate your node identity (if none exists)
6. Installs and starts each service via Windows Service Manager

Power User DNS on Windows

The Power User profile adds a Name Resolution Policy Table (NRPT) rule via Add-DnsClientNrptRule — this routes all .kin queries to 127.0.0.1 system-wide, giving every browser and application native .kin resolution.

Verify the installation

Open a new PowerShell window (to pick up the updated PATH), then:

kinetic --version
kinetic-daemon --version

Check the daemon service is running:

Get-Service kinetic-daemon

Status should be Running.

First-time setup

The installer runs kinetic setup automatically. To run it manually:

kinetic setup

This generates your 24-word seed phrase. Write it down immediately — it is shown once and never again.

Back up your seed phrase

Your 24-word seed is the only way to recover your identity and names. See Seed Backup.

Data directory

Your data is stored at:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\kinetic\
├── identity.key          # Private key — never share this
├── api.token             # Local API bearer token
└── zones\
    └── yourname.kin.json # DNS zone for each registered name

%LOCALAPPDATA% path

%LOCALAPPDATA% is usually C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Local. You can type this path directly in File Explorer or cd $env:LOCALAPPDATA\kinetic in PowerShell.

Windows Firewall

On first run, Windows Firewall will ask if Kinetic can communicate on the network. Click Allow Access for both private and public networks if you're running a node.

Common issues

Execution policy error

File cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system.

Fix:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser -ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned

Port 53 conflict — DNS Client service

The Windows DNS Client service uses port 53. The Power User profile handles this via NRPT rules, which don't require binding port 53 directly. If you're seeing port conflicts, ensure you selected Power User (not a manual setup).

PATH not updated in current session

The installer updates the system PATH, but your current PowerShell session won't see it. Open a new window.

Upgrading

Re-run the installer. It detects existing binaries in C:\Program Files\Kinetic\ and offers an upgrade or cleanup menu.

Full uninstall

Re-run the installer and select Full Cleanup. This removes all binaries, services, NRPT rules, and local data.

Full cleanup deletes your identity

Ensure your 24-word seed phrase is backed up before running a full cleanup.