Install the Azure CLI on Windows

The Azure Command-Line Interface (CLI) is a cross-platform command-line tool that can be installed locally on Windows computers. You can use the Azure CLI for Windows to connect to Azure and execute administrative commands on Azure resources. The Azure CLI can also be used from a browser through the Azure Cloud Shell or run from inside a Docker container.

For Windows, the Azure CLI is installed via an MSI or a ZIP package, which gives you access to the Azure CLI through PowerShell or the Windows Command Prompt (cmd.exe). When you perform an installation for Windows Subsystem for Linux (WSL), packages are available for your Linux distribution. See the main install page for the list of supported package managers or how to install manually under WSL.

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Install or update

The MSI and ZIP distributable are used for installing or updating the Azure CLI on Windows. You don't need to uninstall current versions before using the MSI installer because the MSI updates any existing version.

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[!INCLUDE cli-install-windows-msi]

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[!INCLUDE cli-install-windows-msi-powershell]

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Run the Azure CLI

After installation, close and reopen any active terminal window. Run the Azure CLI with the az command from either PowerShell or the Windows Command Prompt.

Before you can execute Azure CLI commands, you must sign into Azure. To sign in interactively, use az login. For information on authentication, see Sign into Azure with Azure CLI.

az login

A common first step is to check your active subscription.

az account show

Troubleshooting installation

Here are some common problems seen when installing the Azure CLI on Windows. If you experience a problem not covered here, file an issue on GitHub.

PATH variable not set

The most common cause of this problem is not restarting the active terminal window after installation. Close and reopen any active terminal window.

Proxy blocks connection

If you can't download the MSI installer because your proxy is blocking the connection, make sure that you have your proxy configured. For Windows 11, these settings are managed in the Settings > Network & Internet > Proxy pane. Contact your system administrator for the required settings, or for situations where your machine might be configuration-managed or require advanced setup.

(New-Object System.Net.WebClient).Proxy.Credentials = `
  [System.Net.CredentialCache]::DefaultNetworkCredentials

To get the MSI, your proxy needs to allow HTTPS connections to the following addresses:

• https://aka.ms/
• https://azcliprod.blob.core.windows.net/

For more information, see Work behind a proxy in the Azure CLI troubleshooting guide.

Slow response times

See Migrate to 64-bit Azure CLI

Enable tab completion in PowerShell

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Update the Azure CLI

[!INCLUDE az upgrade]

If you're using the ZIP distribution, remove the old installation folder and extract the new version to the same location.

Migrate to 64-bit Azure CLI

Starting from 2.51.0, Azure CLI also provides a 64-bit MSI, which is recommended for better performance.

Follow these steps to migrate to the 64-bit version of Azure CLI:

1. Check your current Azure CLI version and installed extensions by running az --version.
2. Extensions require reinstallation. Back up the current extension folder %userprofile%\.azure\cliextensions by renaming it in case you decide to revert to the 32-bit version. This folder is created automatically when you reinstall an extension.
3. Download and install the latest 64-bit installer as described in Install or update. The 32-bit MSI is automatically uninstalled.
4. Install extensions by running az extension add --name <extension> --version <version>. If you don't want to reinstall extensions manually, the Azure CLI prompts you to install an extension on first use. For more information on installing extensions, see How to install extensions.

If you experience issues after migration, you can uninstall the 64-bit version and reinstall the 32-bit MSI. If you made a backup of your 32-bit extensions folder, restore or rename your extension folder after the change.

Uninstall

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You uninstall the Azure CLI from the Windows "Apps and Features" list. To uninstall:

Once on this screen type Azure CLI into the program search bar. The program to uninstall is listed as Microsoft CLI 2.0 for Azure. Select this application, then select the Uninstall button.

Remove data

If you don't plan to reinstall Azure CLI, remove its data from C:\Users\<username>\.azure\msal_token_cache.bin or C:\Users\<username>\.azure\msal_token_cache.json.

Next Steps

Now that you installed the Azure CLI on Windows, learn about the different ways to sign in.

[!div class="nextstepaction"] Sign in with Azure CLI