How to Check if Git is Installed on Windows?

Git is a powerful version control system used by developers worldwide for managing code changes. If you’re a Windows user and want to check if Git is installed on your machine, you’re in the right place. Whether you’re setting up your environment for the first time or troubleshooting an issue, confirming that Git is installed is the first step.

In this blog, we’ll show you how to check if Git is installed on Windows and how to get it up and running if it’s not.

Why Check if Git is Installed?

Git is essential for developers working with code repositories, particularly when using platforms like GitHub, GitLab, or Bitbucket. It allows you to clone repositories, commit changes, branch, merge, and more. If you are working with any of these tools, it’s important to have Git installed.

Knowing whether Git is installed also helps to avoid issues when running Git commands in the command prompt or integrated development environments (IDEs) like Visual Studio Code.

---

Step 1: Open Command Prompt or Git Bash

Git can be checked using the Command Prompt or Git Bash, which is the terminal used specifically for Git operations. Here’s how you can open each:

• Command Prompt:
• Press Win + R, type cmd, and hit Enter to open the Command Prompt.
• Git Bash:
• If you have Git Bash installed, you can open it by searching for “Git Bash” in the start menu or by right-clicking on the desktop and selecting Git Bash Here.

---

Step 2: Check Git Version

To check if Git is installed and see its version, type the following command in either the Command Prompt or Git Bash:

git --version

If Git is Installed:

If Git is installed, you will see the version number of Git displayed. It will look something like this:

git version 2.40.0.windows.1

This confirms that Git is installed on your machine.

If Git is Not Installed:

If Git is not installed, you will see an error message like:

'git' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

This indicates that Git is either not installed or not added to the system PATH.

---

Step 3: Check Git Installation Path

If the command shows that Git is installed but you want to check where it is installed, you can use the following command:

where git

This will display the directory where Git is installed, like:

C:\Program Files\Git\bin\git.exe

If the where git command does not return anything, it means Git is not installed or it has not been added to your system’s PATH variable.

---

Step 4: Verifying Git Installation via Git Bash (Optional)

If you’re using Git Bash, you can further verify if it was installed correctly by running a simple Git command like:

git status

If Git is properly set up, this command will either show the status of your current repository (if you’re inside a Git project) or let you know that you’re not currently in a Git repository.

---

What to Do If Git Is Not Installed

If you discover that Git is not installed on your Windows machine, you can follow these steps to install it:

Step 1: Download Git for Windows

1. Go to the official Git website: https://git-scm.com/downloads.
2. The website will automatically detect your operating system and show the correct download option for Windows.
3. Click Download to get the Git installer for Windows.

Step 2: Install Git

1. Once the installer is downloaded, double-click the file to run it.
2. Follow the installation prompts:

• Choose the installation location (the default is fine for most users).
• Select the components you want to install (again, the default options are usually sufficient).
• Ensure that Git Bash Here is selected (this will allow you to open Git Bash from any folder).
• On the “Adjusting your PATH environment” step, choose Use Git from Git Bash only or Use Git from the Windows Command Prompt if you want to use Git commands directly in the Windows command prompt.

Step 3: Verify the Installation

After Git is installed, you can follow the earlier steps to verify the installation by running:

git --version

---

Troubleshooting Git Installation on Windows

If you’ve installed Git and it’s still not working as expected, consider the following steps:

1. Restart Your System:

• Sometimes, after installation, you may need to restart your system for changes to take effect.

1. Check System PATH Variable:

• Ensure that Git’s installation directory is added to your system’s PATH environment variable. This allows you to run Git commands from any command prompt or Git Bash window. To check or add Git to the PATH, navigate to System Properties → Environment Variables and check the Path variable for Git’s directory (C:\Program Files\Git\bin\).

1. Reinstall Git:

• If Git is still not working, try uninstalling and reinstalling it, ensuring you select the correct options during installation.

---

Conclusion

Checking if Git is installed on your Windows machine is a quick and simple process. Using the git --version command in Command Prompt or Git Bash will tell you whether Git is available and which version you’re running. If Git is not installed, you can easily download and install it from the official website and follow the installation instructions to get up and running.

By ensuring that Git is properly installed, you’ll be equipped to start using it for version control, managing repositories, and collaborating with others in the Git ecosystem.