Installing Nim on Windows

This guide shows several ways to install Nim on Windows: the official method (choosenim) and alternative methods (Scoop/Chocolatey), as well as environment setup, installation verification, and common troubleshooting solutions.

Requirements

• User rights (admin rights may be required for installation via package managers).
• Internet access.
• Terminal: Windows Terminal / PowerShell (recommended) or cmd.

Method 1 (recommended): Installation via choosenim

1) Install choosenim

Open PowerShell and run:

# Download and run the choosenim installer
iwr https://nim-lang.org/choosenim/init.ps1 -useb | iex

If the PowerShell execution policy prevents running scripts, temporarily allow it for the current process:

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass
iwr https://nim-lang.org/choosenim/init.ps1 -useb | iex

Note: After installation, close and reopen the terminal to refresh the PATH.

2) Install/Update Nim

To install the stable version:

choosenim stable

Check available versions:

choosenim show

Update choosenim and Nim:

choosenim update self
choosenim update stable

3) Verify Installation

nim -v
nimble -v
where.exe nim
where.exe nimble

You should see the version of Nim, the version of Nimble, and the paths to the executables.

Method 2: Installation via Scoop

1) Install Scoop (if not installed)

Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned
iwr -useb get.scoop.sh | iex

2) Install Nim

scoop install nim

Verification:

nim -v
nimble -v

Method 3: Installation via Chocolatey

Administrator rights and installed Chocolatey are required.

Installation:

choco install nim -y

Verification:

nim -v
nimble -v

Method 4: Manual Installation (if managers are unavailable)

1. Download the Nim release for Windows from official sources (Nim releases).
2. Extract the archive, for example to:
   • C:\Tools\Nim\
3. Add the folders containing nim.exe and nimble.exe to PATH (see section below).
4. Restart the terminal and check:

   nim -v
   nimble -v
   

Dependencies: C Compiler for Building Nim Projects

Nim compiles code to C/C++, so a toolchain is needed to build most projects.

Option A (recommended): MSVC (Visual Studio Build Tools)

1. Install Build Tools for Visual Studio (C++ build tools).
2. Ensure the following components are installed:
   • MSVC v14x
   • Windows SDK

Check in Developer PowerShell for VS:

cl

If cl is available — MSVC is installed.

Option B: MinGW-w64

If you are using MinGW (often convenient in conjunction with Scoop):

scoop install mingw
gcc --version

Setting Up PATH (if commands are not found)

Quick Diagnosis

where.exe nim
where.exe nimble

If nothing is found — PATH does not contain the path to Nim.

Where Nim is Usually Located

Depends on the installation method:

• choosenim: often in the user profile, for example:
  • %USERPROFILE%\.nimble\bin (for nimble utilities)
  • Nim directories inside %USERPROFILE%\.choosenim\... (may vary)
• Scoop:
  • %USERPROFILE%\scoop\apps\nim\current\bin
• Chocolatey:
  • C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\bin (often as shim) + package folders

You can clarify the actual paths like this:

# Shows where nim.exe is located (if already present)
where.exe nim

# Path to nimble packages/binaries
nimble path

Adding to PATH via Windows Interface

1. Win + R → sysdm.cpl → Advanced tab → Environment Variables.
2. In User Variables, select Path → Edit.
3. Add the path to the folder with nim.exe and (if necessary) %USERPROFILE%\.nimble\bin.
4. Click OK and restart the terminal.

Quick Test: Compile and Run a Program

Create a file hello.nim:

echo "Hello from Nim on Windows!"

Compile and run:

nim c -r hello.nim

If everything is set up, you will see the output string in the terminal.

Installing Packages via Nimble

Update the package list:

nimble refresh

Install a package (example):

nimble install winim

Check that Nimble binaries are included in PATH:

# Folder where Nimble stores installed binaries
nimble path

Usually, you need to add to PATH: %USERPROFILE%\.nimble\bin.

Common Issues and Solutions

1) nim/nimble is not recognized as a command

Causes: PATH has not been updated, terminal has not been restarted, installation did not complete.

Solution:

• Restart the terminal.
• Check where.exe nim.
• Add the correct paths to PATH.

2) Compilation/linking errors (no C compiler)

Symptoms: messages about cl.exe/gcc/linker, errors at the CC: stage.

Solution:

• Install MSVC Build Tools (recommended) or MinGW-w64.
• Run the build from an environment where the compiler is available (for example, Developer PowerShell for MSVC).

3) Network loading/installation error (including proxy/antivirus)

Solution:

• Check access to Nim/domains/repositories.
• In a corporate network, configure the proxy for PowerShell and Git (if used).
• Retry the installation after temporarily disabling filtering (if allowed by policies).

4) Related Windows system error 0x8007045D

Code 0x8007045D is usually associated with input/output (I/O) errors when reading/writing. If the Nim installation/downloads are interrupted:

• Try a different disk/folder (for example, not in a network folder).
• Check free space.
• Run a disk check:

  chkdsk C: /scan
  

• Download the installer/archive again (the file may be corrupted).

Recommendations for IDEs and Suggestions

For autocompletion and code analysis, nimsuggest is often used (usually installed with Nim).

Popular editors:

• VS Code (extensions for Nim)
• Neovim/Vim/Emacs (via LSP/plugins)

Check:

nimsuggest --version

What Next

• Set up a working project and .nimble file (if using Nimble).
• Lock the version of Nim for the team/CI (choosenim simplifies version management).
• Add %USERPROFILE%\.nimble\bin to PATH if you are installing CLI utilities via Nimble.