How to Download and Install Golang on Windows

So you want to download and install the Go programming language on Windows?

Then look no further!

In this guide, you’ll learn how to download the compiler…

…and how to install it so you can use it from command line.

So let’s fire away:

What is Golang?

Go (often referred to as Golang) is an open source programming language. It comes with built-in concurrency and is strong and static typed. Go is an imperative language that supports object-oriented programming (OOP).

Golang is maintained and developed by a team at Google and many contributors from the open source community.

Step #1: Download

Head over to the Golang downloads page. Here you will find all the available binary releases.

Verify your windows bit version and click on the corresponding link under the Stable versions section:

• For 32-bit = goX.XX.windows-386.msi
• For 64-bit = goX.XX.windows-amd64.msi

In this tutorial, we will download the 64-bit version.

At the time of writing the latest stable Golang release was version: 1.11.

Wait for the download to complete.

Step #2: Install

Open the location of the downloaded executable.

Double-click it to run the installer.

On Windows 10 a pop-up window will appear: The app you're trying to install isn't a verified app from the Store

Click on Install anyway.

The Golang installer wizard will start. Click Next.

Make sure the I accept the terms in License Agreement checkbox is selected. Click Next.

You can change the installation location by clicking on the Change… button.

In this example, we keep the default install location of C:\Go\.

Click Install to start the installation.

The Golang installation will now start.

A progress bar shows the various steps that are executed.

Once the installation is complete, click Finish.

Step #3: Test

Let’s test the setup.

Click on the search button. Then type “cmd” (without quotes).

Click on the Command Prompt shortcut.

Wait for the command prompt to open.

Type “go version” and press ENTER.

The above command prints the installed Golang version: go version go1.11.

Congratulations, you have installed Golang on Windows 10!

If you want to know your GOPATH directory, type “echo %GOPATH%” in a command prompt and press ENTER.

Now go ahead and learn some Golang basics.

Have fun coding!

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