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Install Netdata on Windows

Netdata provides a simple Windows installer for quick setup.

:::note

The Windows Agent is available for users with paid Netdata subscriptions.
Free users will have limited functionality.

:::

Limitations for Free Users

Agent Type Limitation
Standalone Agent UI is locked — No local monitoring
Child Agent No monitoring data in parent dashboard when streaming to a Linux-based Netdata parent

Download the Windows Installer (MSI)

Choose the version that suits your needs:

Version Download Link Recommended For
Stable Download Stable Most users — stable, well-tested
Nightly Download Nightly Users who need the latest features and can handle potential bugs

Silent Installation (Command Line)

:::warning

Silent installation isn’t supported on Windows Server versions earlier than 2019 due to TLS compatibility issues.

Use the GUI installer instead.

:::

Use silent mode to deploy Netdata without user interaction (ideal for automation).

:::tip

Run the command prompt as Administrator.

:::

Installation Command Options

Option Description
/qn Enables silent mode (no user interaction)
/i Specifies the path to the MSI installer
TOKEN= Claim token from your Netdata Cloud Space
ROOMS= Comma-separated Room IDs for your node
PROXY= (Optional) Proxy address if required
INSECURE=1 (Optional) Allow insecure connections (hostname verification disabled)
REINSTALL=ALL (Optional) It forces a complete reinstallation of all Netdata components.

Example Command

Install Netdata and connect to your Cloud Space:

msiexec /qn /i netdata-x64.msi TOKEN="<YOUR_TOKEN>" ROOMS="<YOUR_ROOMS>"

Replace:

  • <YOUR_TOKEN> with your claim token
  • <YOUR_ROOMS> with your Room ID(s)

Download & Install in One Command (PowerShell)

$ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'; Invoke-WebRequest https://github.com/netdata/netdata/releases/latest/download/netdata-x64.msi -OutFile "netdata-x64.msi"; msiexec /qn /i netdata-x64.msi TOKEN=<YOUR_TOKEN> ROOMS=<YOUR_ROOMS>

Graphical Installation (GUI)

  1. Download the .msi installer.
  2. Double-click to run it.
  3. Grant Administrator privileges when prompted.
  4. Complete the setup wizard.

Offline (Air-gapped) Installation

Use this method to install Netdata on a Windows system with no internet access.

Step 1: Download the MSI

On an internet-connected machine, download the MSI installer using one of the links from the Download the Windows Installer table above.

Step 2: Transfer to the Offline System

Copy the downloaded .msi file to the offline Windows system using a USB drive, network share, or other secure transfer method.

Step 3: Install Without Cloud Parameters

Open a command prompt as Administrator and run a silent install without TOKEN or ROOMS parameters:

msiexec /qn /i netdata-x64.msi

:::note

This offline method uses msiexec /qn to install from a locally available MSI. On Windows Server versions earlier than 2019, the automated download commands in this document may fail due to TLS compatibility issues—download the MSI on another machine (Step 1) or use the GUI installer.

:::

In an air-gapped environment, Netdata Cloud features are unavailable. The Agent runs in standalone local mode.

:::tip

Paid/enterprise users can use the local Dashboard for full monitoring without Cloud connectivity.

:::

:::note

Free users on standalone Agents have limited functionality — the UI is locked and there is no local monitoring. See Limitations for Free Users for details.

:::

Step 4: Access the Local Dashboard

See Access Netdata Dashboard.

:::caution

Automatic updates require internet access and are not possible on air-gapped systems. To update, repeat the transfer process with a newer MSI.

:::

Access Netdata Dashboard

After installation, verify the Netdata service is running:

Get-Service netdata

After installation, open your browser and go to:

http://localhost:19999

If your subscription and installation mode allow local monitoring, you should see the Netdata Dashboard — a real-time metrics overview with system CPU, memory, disk, and network charts updating every second.

License Information

By using silent installation, you agree to:

Where is Netdata?

When Netdata is installed on Windows, it automatically registers as a Windows Service and appears in Add or remove programs (also known as Programs and Features or Apps & features in newer Windows versions). The service can be monitored through the Netdata Dashboard. To start, stop, or restart the service, use the PowerShell commands described in Service Control.

Automatic Updates

For users who want to keep their Windows agents automatically updated with the latest releases, you can set up automated updates.

:::tip

What You'll Learn

How to set up automatic Netdata updates on Windows nodes using PowerShell and Task Scheduler.

:::

How to set up

This setup will automatically download and install the latest Netdata build (stable or nightly) daily at your preferred time.

1. Create the directory and updater script

Run one of these PowerShell commands as Administrator (choose stable or nightly):

:::info

Administrator Rights Required

Creating directories in ProgramData and running Task Scheduler with the highest privileges requires administrator access.

Right-click on PowerShell and select "Run as administrator" before running these commands.

:::

  • Stable version
   New-Item -Path "$env:PROGRAMDATA\Netdata" -ItemType Directory -Force
   @'
   Invoke-WebRequest https://github.com/netdata/netdata/releases/latest/download/netdata-x64.msi -OutFile $env:PROGRAMDATA\Netdata\netdata-x64.msi
   msiexec /qn /i $env:PROGRAMDATA\Netdata\netdata-x64.msi TOKEN="<CLAIM_TOKEN>" ROOMS="<ROOM_ID>"
   '@ | Out-File -FilePath "$env:PROGRAMDATA\Netdata\netdata-updater.ps1" -Encoding UTF8
  • Nightly version
   New-Item -Path "$env:PROGRAMDATA\Netdata" -ItemType Directory -Force
   @'
   Invoke-WebRequest https://github.com/netdata/netdata-nightlies/releases/latest/download/netdata-x64.msi -OutFile $env:PROGRAMDATA\Netdata\netdata-x64.msi
   msiexec /qn /i $env:PROGRAMDATA\Netdata\netdata-x64.msi TOKEN="<CLAIM_TOKEN>" ROOMS="<ROOM_ID>"
   '@ | Out-File -FilePath "$env:PROGRAMDATA\Netdata\netdata-updater.ps1" -Encoding UTF8

:::info

Configuration Required

Replace <CLAIM_TOKEN> with your Netdata Cloud claim token and <ROOM_ID> with your room identifier.

:::

2. Create an entry in Task Scheduler

Tab Setting Value
General Run whether user is logged in or not ✓ Checked
Run with highest privileges ✓ Checked
Configure for Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008
Triggers Schedule Daily
Time Your preferred time (e.g., 7AM UTC)
Actions Program/Script powershell
Arguments -noprofile -executionpolicy bypass -file %PROGRAMDATA%\Netdata\netdata-updater.ps1

:::tip

Alternative Scheduling Options

Instead of daily updates, you might prefer:

  • Weekly updates (select "Weekly" in Triggers tab)
  • Multiple times per day for critical systems
  • Only on specific days of the week

:::

Working with Netdata on Windows

Netdata on Windows includes a bundled MSYS2 environment for working with Netdata configuration files and other internals.

Open the MSYS2 environment

Launch the bundled MSYS2 shell using one of these methods (the paths below assume Netdata is installed in the default location):

  • Windows Run dialog: Press Win + R, enter "C:\Program Files\Netdata\msys2.exe", and press Enter.
  • PowerShell: & "C:\Program Files\Netdata\msys2.exe"
  • Command Prompt: "C:\Program Files\Netdata\msys2.exe"

When msys2.exe starts, it opens a shell environment for working with the Netdata files installed on your system.

Writing Windows paths in MSYS format

Netdata configuration files consumed from the MSYS side require MSYS-style paths instead of native Windows drive-letter format.

Conversion pattern:

  • Replace the drive letter with its lowercase equivalent preceded by / (e.g., C: → /c, D: → /d)
  • Replace backslashes \ with forward slashes /
  • Keep spaces in the path, but quote or escape the full path when using it in shell commands

Examples:

Windows path MSYS-style path
C:\Program Files\Netdata\etc\netdata /c/Program Files/Netdata/etc/netdata/
C:\Program Files\Netdata\usr\bin\netdata.exe /c/Program Files/Netdata/usr/bin/netdata.exe

Editing configuration files

Inside the MSYS2 environment, use the edit-config helper to edit Netdata configuration files:

cd /etc/netdata
./edit-config netdata.conf

For the complete edit-config workflow and configuration directory layout, see Netdata Agent Configuration.

On Windows, edit-config opens files with the nano editor.

Basic nano commands

Action Keybinding
Edit text Type normally, use arrow keys to navigate
Search Ctrl + W, type search text, Enter
Save Ctrl + O, Enter to confirm filename
Exit Ctrl + X
Exit with save prompt Ctrl + X, then Y to save or N to discard