Setting Up Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini on a Friend's Windows PC

Background

A friend asked me to set up Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini on their Windows PC
They are not comfortable with a terminal, so everything had to be done through a GUI installer, no command line
As of 2026, all three companies now ship an official native Windows desktop app, so this turned out to be much easier than it would have been a year ago
This post is a short walkthrough of the install steps for each app, plus a few notes on what to watch out for

Windows 10 or 11 (all three apps require at least Windows 10)
A Google account, an Anthropic account (or Google/email sign-in), and an OpenAI account, one for each service
None of the apps require administrator rights to install under a normal user profile, but having admin access handy avoids surprises

Anthropic shipped the Windows version of Claude Desktop in February 2026, with feature parity to the macOS app
The free plan covers basic chat. Claude Code and Claude Cowork require a paid plan
Computer use (letting Claude operate the screen directly) is still in beta on both Mac and Windows, gated to Pro and Max plans
Dictation and local file access are supported on Windows, which is convenient for a non-technical user who would rather talk than type

Go to the ChatGPT download page, which routes through the Microsoft Store
Click Install in the Store page
Launch ChatGPT from the Start menu once installation finishes
Sign in with an OpenAI account (a free account works, no ChatGPT Plus required for installation)

Since the app is distributed through the Microsoft Store, updates are handled automatically by Windows, which is one less thing to explain to a non-technical friend
The current Windows app is a unified build that bundles ChatGPT, Work, and Codex into one interface, with support for projects, parallel chats, a built-in browser, and file previews
Not every feature is available on every plan. Usage limits, available models, and some integrations depend on the account tier and region
For anyone who prefers not to go through the Store, winget install --id 9PLM9XGG6VKS -s msstore does the same thing from a terminal, though that defeats the point of a GUI-only setup

Google rolled out the native Gemini Windows app globally on September 10, 2026, supporting both x64 and ARM64 machines
Once installed, Gemini is reachable instantly with Alt+Space, or from the system tray icon, similar to how Spotlight works on macOS
It integrates directly with Gmail, Drive, Docs, and Calendar, so it can search across a friend’s email threads or summarize a document without extra setup
Some features, such as Gemini Spark (an autonomous agent for multi-step tasks) and Gemini Omni, require a paid Google AI subscription
The service has an 18+ age restriction and availability varies by region, worth checking before promising a friend it will work

-	Claude Desktop	ChatGPT Desktop	Gemini Desktop
Distribution	Direct installer	Microsoft Store	Direct installer
Released on Windows	February 2026	Earlier, unified app updated through 2026	September 2026
Quick-access shortcut	Launch from Start menu	Launch from Start menu	Alt+Space / system tray
Free tier	Yes, chat only	Yes, install and basic chat	Yes, basic chat
Deep OS/service integration	Local file access, dictation	Built-in browser, file previews	Gmail, Drive, Docs, Calendar

Setting up all three took under fifteen minutes total, with no terminal involved at any point
The Microsoft Store distribution for ChatGPT is probably the easiest to explain to a non-technical user, since updates are automatic and there is no installer file to track down again later
Gemini’s Alt+Space shortcut and deep integration with Gmail/Drive/Docs make it a natural fit for someone already living inside Google Workspace
Claude Desktop is the best fit if the friend is going to do anything involving local files, longer agentic tasks, or eventually wants to try Claude Code
None of this required any configuration file editing or command-line work, which matches the brief: GUI-only, friend-friendly setup