Windows setup path

This lesson prepares Windows for practical AI work. The goal is not to become a Windows expert. The goal is to make your laptop ready for terminals, installers, projects, and AI agents.

What we need

• A modern browser.
• Windows Terminal or PowerShell.
• Permission to install software.
• A folder where your workshop projects will live.
• Patience when something asks to restart the terminal.

Open the terminal

Press the Windows key and search for PowerShell or Terminal.

Run this command:

pwd

You should see your current folder. pwd means "print working directory". It tells you where the terminal is standing right now.

Make a workshop folder

mkdir ai-workshop
cd ai-workshop

What happened: mkdir created a folder, and cd moved the terminal into it.

Learn three terminal habits

You only need a few habits to start:

• pwd shows where you are.
• ls lists files in the current folder.
• cd folder-name moves into a folder.

Try them now:

pwd
ls

Safety checkpoint

Do not paste commands you do not understand, especially commands that include words like delete, remove, rm, format, token, or secret.

If an AI agent gives you a command, ask it: "Explain this command before I run it."

Official references

• Windows Terminal↗
• PowerShell documentation↗