Claude Code in Practice · Getting started – From chat box to teammate · Lesson 2 of 4
A clean setup on a Windows laptop
Install Node.js and Claude Code, get past the two errors almost everyone hits on Windows, choose an IDE, and learn the three things on the first screen that matter: the working folder, the permission mode and /context.
Most learners in this course use Windows laptops, and so did we. The setup takes ten minutes when it goes well; this lesson is about the times it does not.
The short version
Install Node.js LTS from nodejs.org (the .msi installer, not the zip).
Close and reopen the terminal, then check node --version.
Install Claude Code with the command from the official docs at code.claude.com/docs (npm or the native installer).
Close and reopen the terminal again, then run claude inside your project folder and sign in with your Claude account.
The two errors we actually hit
"is not recognized as the name of a cmdlet" right after installing something. The window was opened before the install, so it does not know the new PATH yet. Open a new window. We lost twenty minutes to this exact message while installing Python for a transcript script: winget said "Successfully installed", py still failed, and a fresh PowerShell window fixed it.
"running scripts is disabled on this system" when typing claude. PowerShell blocks script shims by default. Allow scripts you installed yourself, for your user only:
A third one worth knowing: typing python opens the Microsoft Store. That is an app alias; turn it off in Settings → Apps → Advanced app settings → App execution aliases.
Terminal or IDE?
The terminal is enough, but you cannot see the files Claude is changing. We work in VS Code with the Claude Code extension: files on the left, the editor in the middle, Claude on the right. Any VS Code–based editor works the same way. Install the extension published by Anthropic (check the verified publisher and the download count); fake look-alike extensions exist.
Three things on the first screen
The working folder. Claude can only read and edit inside the folder you started it in. Start it in the repository root, never in your home folder.
The permission mode (Shift+Tab cycles it). Start in the default mode where Claude asks before editing; use plan mode to get a plan without any edits; turn on accept-edits only when you trust the task.
/context shows how full the context window is. When it gets high, quality drops; we cover what to do in the context lesson.
Press Esc to stop Claude mid-task. Stopping a wrong turn early is the cheapest habit you can learn.
Use case: Thirty minutes lost to one PATH
The situation
We wrote a small script, tools/yt_transcript.py, to download YouTube transcripts. The learner who wanted to run it had never used Python on that laptop.
Step
What they typed
What happened
Why
1
pip install youtube-transcript-api
"pip is not recognized"
Python was not installed
2
python -m pip install ...
"Python was not found; run without arguments to install from the Microsoft Store"
The Store app alias answers when no real Python exists
3
winget install Python.Python.3.12
"Successfully installed"
Correct
4
py yt_transcript.py ...
"py is not recognized"
Same old window, PATH not refreshed
5
(in Desktop) python3 yt_transcript.py
Store message again
Wrong folder and the alias again
The fix
Close PowerShell, open a new one, go to the folder that holds the script, then run it:
cd C:\Users\Admin\Desktop\devops-peach\tools
py -m pip install youtube-transcript-api
py yt_transcript.py "https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VIDEO_ID"
Quoting the URL matters: an & inside an unquoted URL is a PowerShell operator.
The checklist we now share first
After every install: new terminal window.
Run commands from the folder that holds the file, or give the full path.
On Windows prefer py (the Python launcher) over python.
If you see the Microsoft Store message, either install Python or turn off the app alias.
Quote URLs and paths with spaces.
Why this matters for Claude Code
The same three causes (old window, wrong folder, alias) explain most "claude is not recognized" reports. When Claude Code itself runs commands on your machine it starts a new shell each time, so it often succeeds where your old window fails. If Claude says a command works and your window says it does not, open a new window before debugging anything else.
DevOps Peach