# Install on Windows

Requires a fast PC running Windows 7 or better.

Files for the latest release are here:
https://github.com/tom-seddon/b2/releases/latest

Download the `b2-windows-XXX.zip` file. (You don't need to download
any of the other files; this file contains everything required.)

Unzip to a folder of your choice and run `b2.exe`.

If you're a programmer, you might also want to try `b2_Debug.exe`, run
in the same way, an extended version with [additional debugging
features](./Debug-version.md) for use when creating new programs or
investigating existing software.

## Windows 7 performance

If you have trouble with slow startup and poor performance on Windows
7, try running `b2.exe` from the command line with the `--timer`
option: `b2 --timer`.

This setting is sticky, and will be saved on exit for future runs. So
after you've done this once, you can just run it from Windows Explorer
in future.

# Prerelease versions

Prerelease versions may also be available:
https://github.com/tom-seddon/b2/releases (look for the ones marked
`Pre-release`)

These will include new features and fixes added since the latest
release, but won't have had as much testing. (But they aren't
unsupported! Please do report any problems via
[the b2 GitHub issues page](https://github.com/tom-seddon/b2/issues)
or
[the b2 thread on Stardot](https://stardot.org.uk/forums/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=13081).

(Periodically, I promote one of the later prerelease versions to be
the new latest release, and remove any now-redundant prerelease
versions. That's why the latest release's date and the time stamp in
the file names for it aren't always in sync.)
