Windows setup

FEWD Studio works on Windows 11 and Windows 10. This page covers the setup, and a few things that catch out anyone used to a Linux-based workflow.

Node.js

FEWD uses Node.js to scaffold Astro projects and run the development server from the built-in terminal. You need Node installed natively on Windows — not inside WSL or any other Linux environment.

Install the LTS build from nodejs.org. The installer adds Node and npm to your PATH. To confirm, open Command Prompt:

node -v
npm -v

Both should return version numbers. If they do not, restart the machine — the PATH update sometimes needs it.

Do I need WSL?

No. WSL is not required and should not be used with FEWD. FEWD is a Windows application: it runs its terminal through cmd.exe and works entirely within the Windows filesystem.

If you have WSL installed for other reasons that is fine. Keep your FEWD projects in normal Windows folders and install Node for Windows separately.

Where to put projects

Always a standard Windows path:

C:\Users\YourName\Projects\my-site

Not a path inside a WSL filesystem (\\wsl.localhost\Ubuntu\...). Windows treats those as network paths, cmd.exe cannot use one as a working directory, and project creation fails with an error about UNC paths. There is more on that below.

Keep projects on a local drive rather than a network share or an external drive. The file watcher FEWD uses to notice changes is most reliable on local NTFS.

The terminal

FEWD’s terminal runs through cmd.exe on Windows. Connect an Astro project and it opens a terminal pane and runs npm run dev for you; the preview loads once the dev server answers. You do not need a separate terminal window.

Paths use backslashes and FEWD handles that internally — nothing to reformat when using the file picker or the project panel.

If the terminal does not start: confirm Node is installed natively on Windows, check npm -v answers in Command Prompt, and reinstall Node if it does not.

Common problems

”UNC paths are not supported”

Your project folder is inside a WSL filesystem. Move it to a normal Windows folder such as C:\Users\YourName\Projects\. WSL is not needed — install Node for Windows instead.

This is the single most common Windows support issue, and it is always this.

An instant error about “distributions” when creating a project

WSL is installed and has put its own bash.exe on your PATH at C:\Windows\System32\bash.exe. FEWD was picking that up as the shell, so WSL answered with a Linux distributions error before anything could begin.

Fixed in FEWD 1.7.7 and later. On an older version, install Git for Windows — FEWD will use Git Bash instead.

SmartScreen, Defender or antivirus warnings

The Windows build is not code-signed, so SmartScreen shows a blue warning on a new release until the build has been seen enough times. More info → Run anyway.

Electron applications are also occasionally flagged by antivirus software on first launch. If yours quarantines the installer, add an exception for it.

Licence activation fails

Windows Firewall can block a new application from making outbound connections, which stops activation. Allow FEWD on both Private and Public networks.

It may not be listed by name — look for a string of numbers.

The app does not open after installing

Right-click and Run as administrator once. After that first launch, an ordinary double-click works.