Claude Code Chat UI – for Windows (No WSL)
A Native UI for Windows That Makes Claude Code Instantly Better! 🚀
🌐 Languages: English | 简体中文 | 繁體中文
🎯 Core Advantages
- ✅ Zero WSL Dependency: Runs with just Git Bash and Node.js.
- ✅ Real-time Cost Tracking: Instantly see token counts and costs.
- ✅ MCP Adaptation: Adapts to various MCPs with support for dynamic MCP tool queries.
- ✅ Third-party API Adaptation: Supports various third-party APIs including anyrouter/tuziapi, as well as Kimi K2.
- ✅ Image Copy-Paste/File Retrieval Support: Maximize the use of multimodal models - image pasting is essential!
- ✅ Multi-language Support: Multi-language communication and code comments.
- ✅ Perfect for "Vibe Coding": Smooth UI interface for an ultra-comfortable coding environment.
- 🔄 Operation History: Real-time display of all file operations with one-click undo/redo
Coming soon: Token & Fee visualization, VSCode integration-code awareness.
🚩 Why You Need This Project
- No More WSL Hassle:
Finally, run Claude Code with 100% native Windows support. It just works!
- Say Goodbye to Path Errors:
Seamlessly converts between
C:\
and /usr/
paths to avoid wasting time and tokens.
- Ditch the Terminal:
A full-featured GUI chat interface for easy copy-pasting and image insertion. No more window switching!
📸 Features at a Glance
Main Chat Interface

Real-time Token Stats

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

🚀 Installation and Usage
🎉 Now Available on VS Code Marketplace! Install with just one click.
This guide covers Environment Setup, Extension Installation, and Packaging Instructions.
Version Compatibility Notice
⚠️ Important Version Notice (Updated 2025.07.18):
Claude Code official has released v1.0.62, but this version can be directly installed using methods compatible with v1.0.48. We recommend using v1.0.62 with plugin version 1.5.1.
Downgrade Guide: If you need to downgrade from a higher version to v1.0.48, please follow these steps:
- Add
C:\Program Files\Git\bin
and C:\Program Files\Git\bin\bash.exe
to system environment variables
- Delete the
shell-snapshots
folder in C:\Users\<yourname>\.claude
folder
- Uninstall the current version and reinstall v1.0.48
⚡ Claude Code v1.0.51-54 users notice:
- Ensure your system PATH does NOT contain
Git\bin
, or you'll encounter startup errors
- You must restart your computer after modifying system environment variables
- See Environment Setup for details
⚠️ Note: Versions between v1.0.54-v1.0.62 have not been tested. If you encounter issues, please contact the author.
🔹 Step 1: Set Up Your Environment (One-Time Only)
This core step resolves the No suitable shell found
error on Windows.
# 1. Install Git for Windows (includes Git Bash, which is required)
# Download here: https://git-scm.com/
# 2. Install Node.js (LTS version recommended, ≥ 18)
# Download here: https://nodejs.org/
# 3. Open PowerShell or CMD as an [Administrator] and run the following commands to set environment variables
setx NPM_CONFIG_IGNORE_SCRIPTS true
# ⚠️ Claude Code version differences:
# - v1.0.50 and below: Need to set SHELL environment variable
setx SHELL "C:\\Program Files\\Git\\bin\\bash.exe"
# Note: If you installed Git in a different directory, update the path accordingly.
# 4. ⚠️ IMPORTANT: You must RESTART YOUR COMPUTER after modifying system environment variables!
# Simply closing PowerShell/CMD window is NOT enough
# 5. After restart, verify your environment setup
🔹 Step 2: Install and Verify Claude Code CLI
# 1. In a [new] terminal window, globally install the Claude Code CLI, recommend v1.0.62
npm install -g @anthropic-ai/claude-code@1.0.62
# ⚠️ If you encounter PowerShell script execution policy errors, try these solutions:
# Error example: "cannot be loaded because running scripts is disabled on this system"
# Solution: Temporarily relax the execution policy for the current session (more secure)
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Force
# Or use CMD instead of PowerShell to run npm commands
# 2. Ensure the npm global directory is in your system's Path environment variable
# The default path is usually: C:\Users\YourUsername\AppData\Roaming\npm
# If you're unsure, add it manually to your system's "Path" variable.
# 3. Log in to Claude Code for the first time (if using official account)
claude code
# A browser window will open for authorization → Log in and copy the token → Paste it back into the terminal.
# 💡 Tip: If you plan to use third-party APIs, see the API setup examples below.
# 4. Quickly verify the installation
claude chat -m sonnet -p "hello"
# If you see a reply from Claude, your environment is ready!
Version notes:
- Claude Code v1.0.51 added native Windows support, requires PATH to only contain Git\cmd
- Claude Code v1.0.48 changed the shell snapshot location from
/tmp
to ~/.claude
🔹 Step 3: Install This Extension
✨ Method 1: Install from VS Code Marketplace (Recommended)
The extension is now available on the VS Code Marketplace! 🎉
Quick Install:
- Open VS Code or Cursor
- Press
Ctrl+Shift+X
to open Extensions
- Search for
Claude-Code ChatUI
or lkbaba
- Click Install
Direct Link: ➡️ Install from VS Code Marketplace
📦 Method 2: Download from GitHub Release (Offline Installation)
If you can't access VS Code Marketplace, download the pre-packaged extension file:
- 🔗 Go to Releases page to download the latest version
- Download the
claude-code-chatinwindows-1.x.x.zip
package
- Extract and find the
claude-code-chatinwindows-x.x.vsix
file
- In VS Code/Cursor, press
Ctrl+Shift+P
, type Install from VSIX
and select "Extensions: Install from VSIX..."
- Select the extracted
.vsix
file to install
💡 Tip: This method is suitable for offline installation.
Method 3: Advanced Installation (for Developers)
If you want to run from source or package the extension manually, follow these steps.
Run from Source
# Clone the project locally
git clone https://github.com/LKbaba/Claude-code-ChatInWindows.git
cd Claude-code-ChatInWindows
npm install # Install dependencies
# Press F5 in VS Code or Cursor to start debugging
Package as VSIX and Install
# 1. Make sure you are in the project root and have run npm install
# 2. Compile and package the extension
npm run package
# This command will automatically compile and package the extension into a .vsix file.
To install the .vsix
file:
- In VS Code or Cursor, press
Ctrl+Shift+P
to open the Command Palette.
- Type
Install from VSIX
and select "Extensions: Install from VSIX...".
- Select the generated
.vsix
file from the project root to install.
🎉 Getting Started
💡 Important: If using a VPN, ensure TUN mode is enabled, otherwise Claude Code may fail to connect.
- Open Chat Panel: Press
Ctrl+Shift+C
- File Explorer Icon: There's an icon next to the new folder button, click it to open
🔑 Using Third-Party APIs
This extension supports third-party API services (e.g., tu-zi.com, openrouter.ai). Here's how to use them:
Usage Steps
A. Extension Configuration
- Open Settings: Click the settings button ⚙️ in the chat interface
- Enable Custom API: Check "Use Custom API Endpoint"
- Configure API:
- API Key: Enter your API key (e.g.,
sk-ant-xxxxxxxxxx
)
- Base URL: Enter the API endpoint (e.g.,
https://api.tu-zi.com
)
- Save Confirmation: Settings are saved automatically with a "Settings updated successfully" notification

- First-time Initialization (Important)
⚠️ Note: First-time custom API use requires command line initialization. After that, it works normally in the extension.
B. First-time Initialization
Windows PowerShell Users:
# Open a new PowerShell session
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Force # Bypass script restrictions
$Env:ANTHROPIC_API_KEY = "sk-xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx" # Enter your API key, note the quotes are required
$Env:ANTHROPIC_BASE_URL = "https://api.tu-zi.com" # Consult your API provider for the URL, quotes are required
claude code # Run CLI to read environment variables
Follow the prompts to confirm third-party API can return messages.
claude chat -m opus "hello" # Test if configuration works
💡 Tips:
- Important: Initialization is required again after system restart 💡
- Third-party APIs are usually more affordable for budget-conscious users. Common services: api.tu-zi.com, openrouter.ai, anyrouter.top
- Toggle between official account and custom API anytime via the switch
- Wrong API key will show "processing" until timeout
❓ FAQ
Q: Getting "No suitable shell found" error after upgrading to Claude Code v1.0.51?
A: Claude Code v1.0.51's native Windows support requires specific environment setup:
- Open system environment variables (Win + X → System → Advanced system settings → Environment Variables)
- Edit PATH variable, remove all entries containing
Git\bin
- Ensure PATH contains
C:\Program Files\Git\cmd
- Important: You must restart your computer for changes to take effect
Temporary test method (PowerShell, no restart needed):
# Temporarily remove Git\bin (current session only)
$env:PATH = $env:PATH -replace 'C:\\Program Files\\Git\\bin;?', ''
claude --version
claude code
If the temporary test works, follow the steps above to permanently modify environment variables and restart.
Q: Why doesn't chat respond after configuring API?
- A: First-time custom API use requires command line initialization to ensure messages can be returned.
Q: How to switch back to official account?
- A: Uncheck "Use Custom API Endpoint" in settings
Q: Getting "rg: command not found" error?
A: This is optional. If you want to install ripgrep for better search performance:
# In Git Bash:
curl -L https://github.com/BurntSushi/ripgrep/releases/download/14.1.0/ripgrep-14.1.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc.zip -o ripgrep.zip
unzip ripgrep.zip && mkdir -p ~/bin
cp ripgrep-14.1.0-x86_64-pc-windows-msvc/rg.exe ~/bin/
echo 'alias rg="~/bin/rg"' >> ~/.bashrc && source ~/.bashrc
- Note: The extension's built-in Grep tool works fine without ripgrep.
🤝 How to Contribute
- Fork the project and create a feature branch.
- Focus on a single new feature or pain point.
- Test thoroughly on a real Windows machine.
- Run
npm test
before submitting (if tests are available).
- Open a Pull Request with a clear description and screenshots.
We welcome all AI engineers, developers, geeks, and vibe-coders on Windows to join in!
📝 License
This project is licensed under the MIT License, consistent with the upstream project. See LICENSE for details.
🙏 Acknowledgments and Inspiration
Special thanks to:
- andrepimenta – for the original claude-code-chat project
- CCUsage – for the inspiration on real-time token tracking
- Mrasxieyang (from linux.do community) – for providing the core solution for the native Windows installation
- Anthropic – for creating the powerful Claude and Claude Code
- All developers contributing to the Claude Code application ecosystem ❤️