This guide outlines exactly how to convert your Windows machine into a frontend development server so you can pull your Next.js code down from the web and work on it locally.
Goal: Install the core software stack required to run, edit, and push a headless Next.js application from a local Windows environment.
- Node.js (The JavaScript Engine)
Node.js is the runtime that allows your computer to understand and build Next.js applications without needing a web browser.
- Download: Go to nodejs.org and download the LTS (Long Term Support) version for Windows.
- Installation: Run the installer. Leave all settings on their defaults. Make sure the box that says “Add to PATH” is checked (it usually is by default).
- Verification: Once installed, we need to ensure your computer recognizes it.
Test Command:
Open your default Windows Command Prompt and type:
Bash
node -v
npm -v
(This should return version numbers, like v20.x.x, confirming the engine is active.)
2. Visual Studio Code (The Code Editor)
VS Code is the industry-standard desktop application where you will write your Next.js components and manage your project files.
- Download: Go to code.visualstudio.com and download the Windows installer.
- Installation: During the setup wizard, check the boxes that say “Add ‘Open with Code’ action to Windows Explorer”. This makes it incredibly easy to open project folders later.
Setup Action: Once open, go to ‘View’ and find and click the “Extensions” icons and install the Tailwind CSS IntelliSense and ESLint extensions. These will highlight errors and auto-complete your code as you type.
3. Git Bash (The Version Control Terminal)
Git Bash replaces the standard Windows terminal with a powerful, Linux-style command line. It provides the secure bridge needed to sync your local code with GitHub.
- Download: Go to gitforwindows.org and download the installer.
Installation guide
Do Nothing. Click Next.
Do Nothing. Click Next.
Do Nothing. Click Next.
When reaching to ‘Naming of The Initial Branch in New Repositories.‘ You should select the second option: Override the default branch name for new repositories.
Make sure the text box below it says main.
Why? A few years ago, the tech industry (including GitHub) changed the standard default branch name from master to main.
If you choose the first option (“Let Git decide”), your computer will name your projects master, but GitHub will expect main. This mismatch causes incredibly annoying syncing errors when you try to push your code later.
Select that second option to keep everything safely named main, and then click Next!
Why GIT INSTALLATION GIVE THE OPTION: Git gives this option so old computer systems don’t break. For a long time, the old name was the only one people used. If Git forced everyone to use the new name all at once, it would crash millions of older websites and programs. So, Git keeps the old name available to protect them, but gives you a choice to use the new name so your work perfectly matches modern websites like GitHub.
When adjusting the path environments to use Git from the command line, Choose the middle option. Here is a quick breakdown of why:
- First Option: Locks Git only inside its own terminal.
- Middle Option (Recommended): Connects Git to programs like VS Code automatically without any extra setup.
- Third Option: Replaces basic Windows background tools with complex Linux versions, which can confuse your computer and cause normal programs to crash.
When selecting the SSH executable, or secure shell client, Choose the first option (“Use bundled OpenSSH”).
This option uses the secure connection tools that come perfectly packaged right inside Git. It guarantees everything will work smoothly right out of the box when you need to connect to GitHub later.
If you choose the second option, Git tries to look for outside tools on your Windows computer. If Windows is missing those tools or they are outdated, your connection to GitHub will break.
When choosing HTTPS transport backend or SSL/TLS library, Choose the first option (“Use the OpenSSL library”).
This is the standard way Git securely connects to websites like GitHub. The second option is usually only needed for people working on strict corporate networks with custom security rules.
Sticking with the first option guarantees your computer will communicate perfectly with GitHub without any extra setup. Just leave it on the default and click Next!
To get your GIT treat line endings, in text files well, choose the first option (“Checkout Windows-style, commit Unix-style line endings”).
Windows and Linux (the system that GitHub and Vercel use) have different invisible ways of pressing “Enter” at the end of a line of code.
If those invisible characters get mixed up, GitHub gets confused and thinks your files are broken or completely rewritten.
The first option acts as an automatic translator: it lets you work comfortably on your Windows computer, but safely translates those hidden “Enters” to the Linux style right before you send your code up to GitHub.
Switch it to that first option and click Next!
For a terminal emulator, choose the first option (“Use MinTTY”).
This gives you a much better, modern terminal window built specifically for Git. It is easy to resize and lets you copy and paste code smoothly.
The second option forces Git to use the old, clunky Windows command prompt, which can be frustrating to work with.
For a default behavior of ‘git pull’, Choose the first option (“Fast-forward or merge”).
Why?
This is the standard, safest way for Git to combine code you download from GitHub with the code already on your computer.
If there are any differences between the two, this option safely merges them together without losing any of your work. The other options are for advanced developers who want to rewrite their project’s history, which can get very confusing and risk deleting code.
Just leave it on the default first option and click Next!
For a credential helper configuration, choose the first option (“Git Credential Manager”). This acts like a secure digital vault for your GitHub login.
Whenever you send your code from your computer up to GitHub, GitHub needs to verify that it is actually you. If you choose “None,” you will be forced to type in your username and a complicated password every single time you want to save your work.
By choosing the first option, Git securely remembers your login behind the scenes, meaning you only have to sign in once.
Just leave it on the default first option and click Next!
Leave both options checked exactly as they appear in your screenshot.
- File system caching: This gives Git a massive speed boost on your Windows computer so it runs incredibly fast when checking your code.
- Symbolic links: This simply allows Git to understand special “shortcut” files if your Next.js project ever needs to use them.
Finalize the Installation and done.
Verification:
Search your Windows start menu for “Git Bash” and open it. Type the following command to confirm it is working:
Bash
git –version
It will show current version you are using.
Note: try not to copy paste for bash. Type and writ.
Editing the System Environment Variables (PATH)
To make Git Bash work perfectly inside VS Code without errors, there is one more “System Setting” you might be thinking of: Editing the System Environment Variables (PATH).
Even though the installer usually does this, sometimes Windows needs a manual push to ensure Git Bash and VS Code are fully synced.
The “System Path” Update
This tells Windows exactly where the Git Bash “brain” is hidden so VS Code can find it instantly.
- Press the Windows Key and type “Env”.
- Select “Edit the system environment variables”.
- In the small window that pops up, click the Environment Variables button at the bottom.
- Under the System variables section (the bottom half), find the one named Path and double-click it.
- Check the list: Look for a line that looks like
C:\Program Files\Git\binorC:\Program Files\Git\cmd. - If it’s not there: * Click New on the right.
- Paste this:
C:\Program Files\Git\bin - Click New again and paste:
C:\Program Files\Git\cmd
- Paste this:
- Click OK on all three windows to save.
4. The Integration (Connecting the Tools)
Now that the software is installed, you need to tell VS Code to use Git Bash as its primary brain.
- Open VS Code.
- Press Ctrl + ` (the backtick key, usually above Tab) to open the terminal at the bottom of the screen.
- On the right side of that new terminal window, look for a dropdown menu that says “PowerShell” or “cmd”.
- Click that dropdown, select “Select Default Profile”, and choose Git Bash from the list at the top of your screen.
- Click the + icon to open a new terminal tab. It will now load Git Bash directly inside your editor.
Step 5: The “Handshake” (Connecting VS Code to GitHub)
Now that the software is installed, you need to prove to GitHub that you are the owner of your code. Think of this as the “digital signature” on everything you build.
1. Set Your Identity (One-Time Terminal Setup)
Before you can send code to GitHub, Git needs to know who is “signing” the work. You only have to do this once.
Open VS Code.
Open your Git Bash terminal (`Ctrl + “).
Type these two commands one by one, pressing Enter after each:
git config --global user.name "Your GitHub Username"
git config --global user.email "your-email@example.com" (Note: Use the exact same email you used to create your GitHub account.)
2. Link the Account (The Visual Way)
Even if Git Bash knows your name, VS Code still needs permission to access your repositories.
Look at the very bottom-left corner of VS Code for the Accounts icon (it looks like a small person’s silhouette).
Click it and select “Sign in with GitHub.”
A popup will appear at the top of the screen asking for permission. Click Allow.
Your web browser will open automatically. Click the green “Authorize” button.
When the browser asks to “Open Visual Studio Code,” click Open.
3. Verification: How to Know You Are Synced
You can confirm the connection is active with these two quick checks:
Check the Icon: Look back at the Accounts icon in the bottom-left. It should now show your GitHub profile name.
The Source Control Test: Click the Source Control icon (the tree branch) on the left sidebar. If you see a blue button that says “Publish to GitHub,” your connection is perfect!
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