This guide will show you how to install kodi on Windows. The steps described below were realized on Kodi 19.3 matrix, the latest available version, and apply to many version of Windows such as Windows 7, Windows 8 and Windows 10 & 11.
We assume that you already know what this application is about, but if you do not know, you can follow this link for more info about kodi and how to make the best of it.
Since Kodi is appears under both 32-bit and 64-bit version after the release of Kodi 18 Leia, it is also possible to install it from the Microsoft App Store, available on Windows 10.
The recommended version of Kodi is the current release Kodi v19.3 Matrix. This is the stable build and is recommended for general users. You can download Kodi from the Windows store, which will keep Kodi updated automatically, or you can download an executable installer file (.exe). In addition, we will also see how to create a portable version.
1 – Kodi requirements on Windows
- CPU: Kodi will run on any processor, either 32-bit or 64-bit. Specifically it needs an Intel Pentium 4, Athlon 64 or higher processor. Basically, any processor that is 2005 or newer will be more than enough.
- RAM: Kodi needs you to have at least 1GB of RAM, although it is recommended that you have at least 2GB in case you run any other application in the background besides Kodi. This amount of RAM may vary depending on the operating system.
- GPU: Any graphics card with DirectX 9 support will work with Kodi. Basically, any graphics card that is 2008 or newer that supports Kodi’s decoding system will work. Among them: ATI Radeon R420 or higher, and NVIDIA GeForce 6 or higher. However, Kodi developers recommend having at least an ATI Radeon R700 or NVidia GeForce 8 series graphics card.
- HDD: Kodi requires you to have at least 200MB of free space on your hard drive. To play streaming content without problems, the required free space amounts to 500MB. In case you have a local library or you are going to download content, make sure you have enough space available.
- OS: The Windows version of Kodi requires that you have Windows 7 or any other newer Windows version installed. Unfortunately, Kodi is not available for Windows XP or Windows Vista, as they do not support hardware video decoding. If you have a very old computer on which you cannot install Windows 7, it is better to try installing any Linux distribution.
Given the Kodi requirements, let’s look at the different methods of installing Kodi on Windows.
2 – How to install Kodi on Windows manually?
This is a quick guide to installing Kodi. You must follow these steps:
- Download the latest version of Kodi for Windows from the official website.
- Click on the downloaded Kodi file to start the installer.
- Click the “Run” button.
- When the installer window appears, click “Next“.
- Once the installation is complete, click “Finish” to close the installer.
Below is the complete guide to install Kodi on Windows by downloading the .EXE file from the official website. To do this, follow these steps:
The first thing you need to do is to access the download page of the official Kodi website. If you scroll down, you will see the versions of Kodi available for each system.
Click on the Windows icon to download the Windows version. A panel will be displayed with the different versions you can download.
Depending on your operating system you may need to download the 32-bit or 64-bit version. If your processor is 64-bit, which is most likely, download the INSTALLER (64BIT) file. If your processor is 32-bit, which is unlikely, download the INSTALLER (32BIT) file. You can also download beta versions of Kodi, but this is not recommended, as they may cause problems.
- Once you have downloaded the file, run it. The file is probably downloaded to the Window’s download folder or the desktop. Use the Windows file explorer to access it.
Running the .EXE file will launch the Kodi installer. You must click Next to continue.
- There are a few different components that you can choose whether you want them installed or not, such as the Audio Coding Addons, PVR Addons and some skins. If this is your first Kodi installation, it is recommended to keep the default components.
- Finally, you will be able to choose the installation path. The default path is C:\Program Files\Kodi, but you can change the path if you prefer to install the application somewhere else or on another hard drive. You can then decide whether you want to add a shortcut on the desktop or in the start menu.
- When the installation is complete, you will be able to choose an option to run Kodi when closing the installer.
- Once the installation is complete, click on the new Kodi icon in the start menu or taskbar. When you start the program, you should be able to see the Kodi startup screen.
And that’s it. You have now installed Kodi on Windows.
3 – How to install kodi on Windows via the Microsoft Store?
Let’s see how to install Kodi on Windows using the Microsoft Store. You must follow these steps:
- Launch the Microsoft store. You can find it by going to the Start menu and typing “Store” in the search field. The Microsoft Store should appear in the search results. Click on it.
- Once you are in the Mocrosoft App Store, you can use the search field on the top right. Type “Kodi” and then press Enter. Kodi should appear in the search results. You will see different applications with a similar name, but you are only interested in the official one, created by the XMBC Foundation.
- Clicking on the Kodi icon will take you to the application preview. Since it is free, all you need to do is click on Install.
- Kodi will download and install the application on Windows as a background task. When the installation is finished a notification will be displayed at the bottom right of the screen. Click on it to start Kodi.
- Kodi is now installed on Windows. You can access Kodi from the Start menu, either by navigating through the menus or by typing “Kodi” in the search field.
Whichever installation method you use, the result will always be the same, since the Kodi version will be the same in all cases. However, if you download Kodi from the App Store you will have an additional advantage, and that is that you will be able to keep the application updated at all times.
In case the Microsoft App Store method does not work for any strange reason, you can try the manual installation method, which consists of downloading the Kodi installer with EXE extension from the official website.
4 – How to install Kodi on Windows using a portable mode ?
In order to create a portable kodi version for installation, you will need to download kodi .EXE file and upload it to a USB drive. The complete guide is explained below:
- First, go to the download page of the official Kodi website and scroll down until you see the list with the different Kodi versions.
- Click on Windows. You will see different installers; click Installer (64BIT) to download the version for 64-bit processors. If you have a 32-bit processor, download the INSTALLER (32BIT) version.
- Once you have downloaded the file, launch the .EXE file to run the Kodi installer. This time you will need to look carefully at the different options.
- You will be asked where you want to install Kodi. Click Browse and select the USB drive, which should be inserted into a port on your computer. Click Next until the last step of the installation. Do not finish the Kodi installation.
- In the last step of the installation you will be able to check the option to run Kodi at the end of the installation. Make sure that this option is not selected. Finally, finish the Kodi installation.
- Once the installation is finished, access the directory where you have installed Kodi, which will be inside the USB drive.
- In the Kodi installation directory you will see a file called Kodi.exe. You must create a shortcut for this file. To do this, right click on the file and select the Create shortcut option. Drag this file to the Windows desktop. Another option to create the shortcut is to right-click on the file and select the Send to -> Desktop (create shortcut) option.
- On the desktop, right click on the shortcut you just created and then select Properties. You will see a field called Destination. You must add “-p” (without quotes) to the end of the file name shown in this field. For example, if the file is located at “G:\kodi.exe“, it should look like this: “G:\kodi.exe -p“. Then click Apply and then OK.
- Next, start Kodi from this shortcut.
Now, each file or Addon you install will be saved in Kodi’s own directory, located on the external drive. These files include addons, local content, skins and user data. You can find these files in the portable_data folder, inside the Kodi installation directory. Likewise, any changes you make will take effect on the external drive.
You will be able to use this version of Kodi on any other computer without any problem.
And this has been all regarding the installation of kodi on windows. Still, to be able to take advantage of this amazing media center to the fullest, you need to adjust some basic configurations, and then install kodi addons to get a wide range of entertainment at your fingertips.
