Emacs or EMACS is a free and open-source text editor for all the major operating systems. You can download and install emacs for Windows, Linux, and macOS. Also, it is among the oldest free and open-source projects still under development.
Here, we’re going to learn how to install the Emacs text editor on Windows computers. If you are interested in any other text editor, then you can also install Notepad++. At the time of writing this article Emacs 30.1, is the latest version of Emacs.
Download Emacs Text Editor on Windows 11
In this section, we’ll discuss how to download Emacs. It doesn’t have a direct download option; however, it can be downloaded from a nearby GNU mirror or from the main GNU FTP server. Just download the installer.exe file, and you’re ready to install.
To do that, follow these simple steps:
1. Open any browser, search for Emacs, and open the link from gnu.org
2. On the download page you have to select your operating system and it will redirect you to the download page. There click on the main GNU FTP server.
3. After that, you’ll see a list of all the Emacs releases. Select the latest one.
4. You’ll find several download options. Click on emacs-installer.exe to download the Emacs text editor installer file.
How to Install Emacs Text Editor on Windows 11
Once you’ve downloaded the Emacs text editor, you can easily install it on the Windows operating system by running the installer file.
This will install Emacs and create shortcuts for you. Here’s how:
1. Open the Emacs installer file and allow Windows permission if prompted.
2. Click the Next button to proceed.
3. On the next screen, read the license agreement. If you accept the terms, click I Agree to continue.
4. Choose the installation location where you want to install the Emacs text editor. You can also go with the default installation path.
5. Click Install to begin the installation.
6. The installation process will take a few moments. Wait until it completes. Once done, you’ll see a confirmation window, click Next to continue.
7. Now, choose a name for the Start Menu folder. By default, it is Emacs-28.1. You can rename it if you like, or check the option Do not create a Start Menu folder.
8. Then click Close to finish.
And that’s it! You’ve successfully downloaded and installed the Emacs Text Editor on Windows 11.
If you downloaded the ZIP version instead of the installer, just extract the archive first. Then, open the extracted Emacs folder, go into the bin directory, and locate the Emacs application file. To make things easier, right-click on it and create a desktop shortcut for quick access.
That’s not it. Not yet
The most difficult part is to integrate emacs into windows 11 as an editor that ist started when clicking a text file. When you start emacsclientw.exe and get the error messages (about args needed, the ALTERNATE EDITOR problem, etc).
Read this updated guide and install the latest version of Emacs 30.1. To open a text file in Emacs, you need to use the .emacs extension instead of .txt.
If you select Do not create a shortcut for a Start Menu folder, then you will not see the Emacs Text Editor in the Start Menu. So, make sure to uncheck the box.