How to install PostgreSQL on Windows

Download the installer

Open postgresql.org/download/windows and follow Download the installer. It leads to EDB’s download page. In the row of the newest stable version (18 at the moment), click the download for Windows x86-64. A version marked beta or RC is a test release, skip it.

The installer is the only file you need. Take it from that page and not from other sites: it is the build the PostgreSQL project links to.

How to install PostgreSQL on Windows

1. Run postgresql-18.…-windows-x64.exe and allow it to make changes. Keep the Installation Directory, C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\18.
2. Select Components: keep PostgreSQL Server, pgAdmin 4 and Command Line Tools. Stack Builder only downloads add-ons, you can untick it.

3. Data Directory: keep the default C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\18\data or choose a folder on a fast disk.
4. Password: type a password for the postgres superuser and retype it. Use your own strong password and keep it: there is no other way in at first.
5. Port: keep 5432. If another PostgreSQL already holds it, the installer offers the next free one, such as 5433.
6. Advanced Options: Default locale takes the language of your Windows. Keep it unless your project needs another one.
7. Click Next on Pre Installation Summary and Ready to Install. On the last page untick Stack Builder if you don’t need add-ons and click Finish.

With winget in Terminal as administrator, the same installer opens with its wizard:

PostgreSQL runs as a Windows service named postgresql-x64-18 and starts with Windows.

Use psql in Terminal

The installer doesn’t change PATH, so a new Terminal doesn’t know psql yet. Add the folder once:

1. Open Start, type “environment” and choose Edit the system environment variables. Click Environment Variables.
2. Under System variables select Path, click Edit, then New, and paste C:\Program Files\PostgreSQL\18\bin. Click OK in every window.
3. Close Terminal and open it again.

Now sign in as postgres. Give the user name every time: on Windows psql otherwise takes your Windows account name. It asks for the password from the installer and prints the server version.

For a project, create its own user and database instead of working as postgres. Change the names and the password to your own:

Open the server in pgAdmin

pgAdmin 4 is in the Start menu. It opens in its own window. In the tree on the left, open Servers and then the server the installer added, PostgreSQL 18, and type the postgres password. From there you can browse databases and tables and run queries in Query Tool.

If PostgreSQL doesn’t install or connect

• 'psql' is not recognized as an internal or external command, operable program or batch file (in PowerShell: The term 'psql' is not recognized): the bin folder is not in PATH. Add it as above and open a new Terminal.
• password authentication failed for user "postgres": the password is wrong. If the message names your Windows account instead of postgres, you forgot -U postgres.
• Connection refused (0x0000274D/10061) and Is the server running on that host and accepting TCP/IP connections?: the service is stopped. Start it in the Services app, or in Terminal as administrator. Check it: Get-Service postgresql* Then start it: Start-Service postgresql-x64-18 Also check the port if you chose another one: psql -U postgres -p 5433
• Problem running post-install step or The database cluster initialisation failed: EDB says the installer doesn’t handle some non-Latin characters in user names, computer names and paths. Run it again and choose a data folder with Latin letters only, such as C:\PostgreSQL\18\data. Details are in install-postgresql.log in the %TEMP% folder.
• WARNING: Console code page (437) differs from Windows code page (1252): letters outside English may show wrong in psql. The psql manual says to set the font to Lucida Console and to switch the console to the Windows code page from the message: chcp 1252