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Windows

Windows-specific issues and solutions.

Installation​

How do I install on Windows?​

PowerShell:

irm https://raw.githubusercontent.com/runkids/skillshare/main/install.ps1 | iex

Or download manually:

  1. Go to releases
  2. Download the .zip for Windows
  3. Extract and add to PATH

Permissions​

Does skillshare need admin privileges?​

No. Folders (skills, and agents or extras in symlink mode) are linked with NTFS junctions, which work like symlinks for directories and don't require admin privileges.

Single files can't be linked with a junction. Modes that link files — agents in merge mode, the files of a directory extra in merge mode, and single-file extras such as a shared AGENTS.md — use real symlinks, which need Developer Mode (or an Administrator shell). Without it, skillshare copies those files instead.

File Locations​

Where are config files on Windows?​

%AppData%\skillshare\config.yaml
%AppData%\skillshare\skills\
%AppData%\skillshare\backups\

Typically:

C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\skillshare\

Where are target directories?​

%USERPROFILE%\.claude\skills\
%USERPROFILE%\.cursor\skills\
%USERPROFILE%\.codex\skills\

Environment Variables​

How do I set GITHUB_TOKEN on Windows?​

Current session only:

$env:GITHUB_TOKEN = "ghp_your_token"

Permanent (user-level):

[Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable("GITHUB_TOKEN", "ghp_your_token", "User")

Then restart PowerShell.

How do I set SKILLSHARE_CONFIG?​

$env:SKILLSHARE_CONFIG = "C:\path\to\custom\config.yaml"
skillshare status

Common Issues​

junction creation failed​

Cause: Target path already exists as a file or incompatible type.

Solution:

# Backup and remove existing
skillshare backup
Remove-Item -Path "$env:USERPROFILE\.claude\skills" -Recurse -Force
skillshare sync

path too long​

Cause: Windows has a 260 character path limit by default.

Solution: Enable long paths:

# Run as Administrator
Set-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem" -Name "LongPathsEnabled" -Value 1

Then restart.

access denied​

Cause: File or directory is in use or protected.

Solutions:

  1. Close any programs using the files
  2. Check antivirus isn't blocking
  3. Run PowerShell as Administrator (rarely needed)

Cause: Windows only lets you create file symlinks with Developer Mode on (or from an Administrator shell). Agents in merge mode, directory extras in merge mode, and single-file extras (such as a shared AGENTS.md) link single files, so without Developer Mode sync copies them instead and shows this line. status, doctor, and extras list show these targets as copy.

The copies are tracked, so they still behave like links as far as sync is concerned:

  • They are updated when the source changes, and removed when the source is removed.
  • Files you created yourself in the target are left alone, as in merge mode.
  • Once file links work, the next sync replaces the copies with links.

Solution: Nothing is required; the copies keep working. To get links instead, turn on Developer Mode (Windows 11: Settings → System → For developers → Developer Mode; Windows 10: Settings → Update & Security → For developers), then run skillshare sync --all again. Restart skillshare ui if it is running.

Identical local files are reported as local preserved; sync extras does not suggest --force for them. They remain local files, not managed links.

Agent files or AGENTS.md show a folder icon and can't be read​

Cause: Older versions linked single files with a directory junction. Explorer shows the file as a folder, and tools can't read it.

Solution: Run skillshare sync --all (or skillshare sync agents / skillshare sync extras). Sync replaces these broken links with a file symlink, or with a copy when Developer Mode is off. On the dashboard's AGENTS.md tab, an affected target shows a warning; switching it to copy also fixes it.

Note: On Windows, skillshare links folders with NTFS junctions and single files with symlinks. If you see symlink errors, ensure you're using the Windows version of skillshare.

Incorrect function in Antigravity​

Antigravity cannot traverse junctions. See Antigravity does not load synced skills.

PowerShell Tips​

Aliases​

Add to your PowerShell profile ($PROFILE):

Set-Alias -Name ss -Value skillshare
function sss { skillshare sync }
function ssp { param($m) skillshare push -m $m }
function ssl { skillshare pull }

Check PowerShell version​

skillshare works with PowerShell 5.1+ and PowerShell Core 7+:

$PSVersionTable.PSVersion

WSL Compatibility​

If you use Windows Subsystem for Linux:

Separate installations​

Keep separate skillshare installations for Windows and WSL:

  • Windows: %AppData%\skillshare\
  • WSL: ~/.config/skillshare/

Share via git​

Use the same git remote to sync between them:

# Windows
skillshare push -m "From Windows"

# WSL
skillshare pull

Getting Help​

Include in bug reports:

  • Windows version: winver
  • PowerShell version: $PSVersionTable.PSVersion
  • skillshare version: skillshare --version
  • Full error message