---
title: Windows Setup
description: "This guide walks you through installing the required tools to run the Elements Local SDK on a Windows machine. You can either follow the **manual step-by-step instructions** to understand each component being installed, or use the **full setup script** at the bottom for a…"
url: "https://namazustudios.com/docs/custom-code/setup-for-windows/"
updated: "2026-08-13"
category: "Your Game Code - Adding Custom Elements"
---

# Windows Setup

This guide walks you through installing the required tools to run the Elements Local SDK on a Windows machine.

You can either follow the **manual step-by-step instructions** to understand each component being installed, or use the **full setup script** at the bottom for a one-shot install.

---

## Manual Step-by-Step Installation

### 1. Install Chocolatey

[Chocolatey](https://chocolatey.org/install) is a Windows package manager used to install other dependencies easily.

1. Open **PowerShell as Administrator**
2. Run the following command:
   - `Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072 iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))`
3. Close and reopen PowerShell after installation.

---

### 2. Install OpenJDK

Install OpenJDK using Chocolatey:

```
choco install openjdk -y
```

Verify the installation:

```
java -version
```

---

### 3. Install Maven

Install Maven using Chocolatey:

```
choco install maven -y
```

Verify the installation:

```
mvn -version
```

---

### 4. Install IntelliJ IDEA

Download and install IntelliJ IDEA from:

[https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/download/](https://www.jetbrains.com/idea/download/)

- Community Edition is sufficient
- Ensure Java and Maven plugins are enabled (usually enabled by default)

---

### 5. Clone and Import the Example Project

Clone the Elements example project:

```
git clone https://github.com/NamazuStudios/element-example.git
```

Then:

1. Open IntelliJ IDEA
2. Click **Open** and select the `Element-example` directory
3. If prompted, import as a Maven project
4. If not prompted, right-click `pom.xml` and select **Add as Maven Project**

---

### 6. Run the Local SDK

1. In IntelliJ, navigate to the `dev.getelements.sdk.local` package
2. Locate and run the `LocalSdkMain` class (or the appropriate main class)
3. The local server should boot up and be accessible for testing

---

## Full Setup Script (For Convenience)

To install everything in one shot, open **PowerShell as Administrator** and paste the following:

```
# Set execution policy and install Chocolatey
Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force
[System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072
iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))

# Refresh environment
refreshenv

# Install OpenJDK and Maven
choco install openjdk -y
choco install maven -y

# Verify installations
java -version
mvn -version
```

---

## You’re Ready

Once you’ve completed the setup:

- You can build and run the Elements example project locally
- You’re now ready to begin backend development using the Elements SDK