"aria2c is not recognized"
The folder is not in Path, or the terminal was open before you installed. Open a new terminal; if it still fails, run the Path step again.
Install · Windows 10 and 11
Install aria2 on Windows
aria2 for Windows is a single aria2c.exe with everything built in: no installer and no extra DLLs. Install it with one command, or unpack the official ZIP yourself.
Install with one command
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal, pick the package manager you use, and run its line. Then open a new terminal so the aria2c command is found.
winget install -e --id aria2.aria2Built into Windows 10 and 11. Installs the official 1.37.0 ZIP as a portable app and adds the aria2c command.
scoop install aria2Scoop's main bucket has 1.37.0. Once aria2 is installed, Scoop uses it for its own downloads; turn that off with scoop config aria2-enabled false.
choco install aria2Run in a terminal opened as administrator. The Chocolatey package is 1.37.0.
Expand-Archive .\aria2-1.37.0-win-64bit-build1.zip C:\ToolsThe manual way, without a package manager: see the steps below.
Check the install
aria2c --versionaria2 version 1.37.0Which method should you use?
All four install the same official build. They differ in how you update it.
| Method | Version | Updates | Needs admin |
|---|---|---|---|
| winget | 1.37.0 | winget upgrade aria2.aria2 | No |
| Scoop | 1.37.0 | scoop update aria2 | No |
| Chocolatey | 1.37.0 | choco upgrade aria2 | Yes |
| Official ZIP | 1.37.0 | Download the new ZIP by hand | No |
Install the official ZIP by hand
Useful on a PC without winget, or when you want aria2 in a folder you choose. The commands are for PowerShell.
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Download the ZIP
From the aria2 releases page on GitHub, download aria2-1.37.0-win-64bit-build1.zip (5.5 MB). A 32-bit build exists for old PCs; Windows on Arm runs the 64-bit build through Windows' built-in x64 emulation.
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Check that the download is genuine
Compare its SHA-256 with the one below. It is the hash the winget package lists, and the one we got from the file on GitHub.
Get-FileHash .\aria2-1.37.0-win-64bit-build1.zip67D015301EEF0B612191212D564C5BB0A14B5B9C4796B76454276A4D28D9B288 -
Unpack it
The ZIP holds one folder with aria2c.exe and its documentation.
Expand-Archive .\aria2-1.37.0-win-64bit-build1.zip C:\ToolsRename-Item C:\Tools\aria2-1.37.0-win-64bit-build1 aria2 -
Add the folder to your Path
This adds it for your user only, so no administrator rights are needed.
[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('Path', [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable('Path', 'User') + ';C:\Tools\aria2', 'User') -
Open a new terminal and test
Windows reads Path when a terminal starts, so close the old one first.
aria2c --versionaria2 version 1.37.0
Where aria2.conf goes on Windows
aria2 looks for %USERPROFILE%\.aria2\aria2.conf, for example C:\Users\you\.aria2\aria2.conf. If the HOME variable is set (some tools such as Git set it), aria2 uses %HOME%\.aria2 instead. Create the folder and open the file:
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force "$env:USERPROFILE\.aria2"notepad "$env:USERPROFILE\.aria2\aria2.conf"Run aria2 in the background
The Windows build cannot detach itself: --daemon does not work there. Start it without a window from PowerShell instead:
Start-Process aria2c -ArgumentList "--conf-path=$env:USERPROFILE\.aria2\aria2.conf" -WindowStyle HiddenTo start it at every login, create a task in Task Scheduler with the trigger "At log on" and the same program and arguments, and choose "Run whether user is logged on or not" so no window appears.
Update and uninstall
- winget
winget upgrade aria2.aria2·winget uninstall aria2.aria2- Scoop
scoop update aria2·scoop uninstall aria2- Chocolatey
choco upgrade aria2·choco uninstall aria2- ZIP
- Delete C:\Tools\aria2 and remove it from Path
Things that are different on Windows
Press Ctrl+C only once
The first Ctrl+C saves progress and stops cleanly. The Windows build does not handle a second Ctrl+C properly and kills aria2 at once, which can lose data.
No TLS 1.3
The official Windows build does not do TLS 1.3. Servers still offer TLS 1.2, so HTTPS downloads work.
falloc skips zero-filling
On Windows, --file-allocation=falloc reserves space without overwriting old data on the disk, which the aria2 notes flag as a security concern. The default, prealloc, is the safe choice.
32-bit build: IPv6 off
The 32-bit build has IPv6 turned off by default, and DHT may not work with it switched on. Use the 64-bit build on any 64-bit Windows.
Questions
Is there an aria2 installer (.exe or .msi) for Windows?
No. The official download is a ZIP with aria2c.exe inside. winget, Scoop and Chocolatey unpack that same ZIP for you and put aria2c on your Path.
Does aria2 need extra DLLs on Windows?
No. The official build is statically linked. We checked aria2c.exe: it only uses DLLs that are part of Windows itself.
Does aria2 have a window on Windows?
No, it runs in a terminal. For a graphical interface, run aria2 with RPC and use AriaNg, our online WebUI or a browser extension.
Is aria2 safe on Windows?
Yes, if you get it from GitHub releases, winget, Scoop or Chocolatey. Check the SHA-256 of a ZIP you downloaded by hand against the value on this page.