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mike-snhu edited this page Oct 8, 2026 · 1 revision

IT-140 | 1-1 Setup Tasks on Windows

This wiki page provides step-by-step instructions for installing the course development environment (CDE) and code repository on your local Windows computer. Complete the steps listed in the Table of Contents in the order listed. Do not skip any steps.

Table of Contents

  1. README First
  2. Check System Compatibility
  3. Install the Course Development Environment (CDE)

README First

This section provides important information and instructions that you should read carefully before proceeding with the setup tasks for the course development environment (CDE). Failure to follow these instructions may result in an incomplete or unsuccessful setup.

a modern version of Windows. These local installation files and automation scripts are designed exclusively for students who have access to an administrator account on their computer. Following these steps will configure all the necessary programming software and developer tools required to complete course assignments.

Important

The following setup phases are sequential. Do NOT proceed with the next phase of the installation until you have fully completed the preceding phases. Refer to the Troubleshooting section of this guide for additional help. If you get stuck, you can always use the course development environment (CDE) in the Codio Virtual Desktop (CVD) to complete assignments until you get your local course development environment (CDE) working.

Important

How to recognize a successful script result

IT 140 lifecycle scripts may use technical terms instead of the word SUCCESS. In a final summary, Result: PASS means the script succeeded, and Failures: 0 means no failures were found. If the summary includes Exit code: 0, that also means the script completed successfully.

A successful script may still require a restart or another action before you continue. A required restart or other Next step is not a failure. Always follow the Next step shown in the final summary.

Prepare Your System

Check System Compatibility

Before setting up the course development environment (CDE) on Windows, we must verify that your computer's security permissions allow you to run software developer tools. It is common for users of computers owned by others to have restricted account privileges. Another restriction can come from manufacturer default settings, such as Windows S Mode. This simple 5-second test will determine if your machine can support local setup of the course development environment (CDE), or if you should bypass it and use just the Codio Virtual Desktop (CVD) option.

  1. On your keyboard, press the Windows (⊞) + R keys at the same time to open the Run dialog box.

  2. Type cmd into the box and press Enter.

  3. Observe what happens on your screen:

    • GO: A terminal window opens and shows a blinking cursor after the command prompt. Your computer's operating system likely allows local command-line tools. Recommendation: Continue with local setup of the course development environment (CDE).

    Note. This test only confirms that command-line tools can open. Step 4: Install the course development environment (CDE) also requires an administrator account. If you cannot approve an administrator prompt when you reach Step 4, use the CVD instead.

    • NO GO: An error popup appears, or the window immediately closes. Your computer's operating system or employer-managed security policy blocks local command-line tools. You will not be able to install or run the course development environment (CDE) locally unless you resolve these issues. Recommendation: Use just the CVD. Go to the Codio README.md to configure the CVD, if you have not done so already. Otherwise, return to the main README.md to complete any outstanding tasks.

Create a Restore Point

Before installing any software, it is best practice to enable system protection and create a restore point using Windows System Protection. That way, you can undo system changes if something goes wrong during setup.

  1. On your keyboard, hold down the Windows (⊞) key and press the S key to open the Search application. In the search box, start typing Create a restore point. Select the Create a restore point app from the results when it appears.

    Create a restore point System Protection Tab

  2. If the Create… button is selectable in the preceding image, skip to Step 4. If the Create… button is not selectable, as shown in the above second image, click the Configure… button.

  3. Select the Turn on system protection radio button and adjust the Max Usage slider to 5%. Click the OK button.

    System Protection for Drive Off System Protection for Drive On

  4. Click the Create… button. Enter a descriptive name, such as Before General Update, for the restore point in the System Protection popup window and click the Create button.

    System Protection Create Restore Point System Protection Created Restore Point

  5. After the restore point is created, click the Close… button.

Restore System (if needed)

Note

If you ever want to restore your system to the state before you created a restore point without affecting your personal files, repeat Step 1 and click the System Restore button and then the Next> button. Select the desired restore point from the list and click the second Next> button. Then, click the Finish button.

System Restore Step 1: Information System Restore Step 2: Select Restore Point System Restore Step 3: Finish Restore

Update the Operating System

Before installing the a modern version of Windows. These local installation files and automation scripts are designed exclusively for students who have access to an administrator account on their computer. Following these steps will configure all the necessary programming software and developer tools required to complete course assignments., make sure Windows has the latest updates. Updating first helps prevent problems when the course automation scripts install programming software.

  1. On your keyboard, hold down the Windows (⊞) key and press the S key to open Search.

  2. Type Check for updates in the search box, then select Check for updates from the results. This opens Windows Update in the Settings app.

  3. Click the Check for updates button.

  4. Allow Windows to download and install any required updates it finds.

    [!NOTE] You do not need to install optional updates, preview updates, or optional driver updates for this course.

  5. If Windows asks you to restart your computer, save any open work and click Restart now.

  6. After your computer restarts, sign back in and repeat Steps 1–3. Continue installing required updates and restarting when requested until Windows Update reports that your computer is up to date.

  7. Create another restore point using the instructions in Step 1: Create a Restore Point. Name this restore point:

    Before IT140 course development environment (CDE) Setup

    This restore point gives you a known working Windows configuration to return to if you experience a problem while setting up the course development environment (CDE).

Once Windows is up to date and you have created the new restore point, continue to Step 3.

Update WinGet sources

  1. Open a Windows PowerShell terminal.

  2. Update WinGet sources. Enter the following command into the terminal and press Enter.

    winget source update

    Expected Output: You should see messages indicating that all sources are being updated, as shown below. Your output may vary slightly. Key indicator of success is that each source shows as Done.

    Updating all sources...
Updating source: msstore...
Done
Updating source: winget...
Done
Updating source: winget-font...
██████████████████████████████  100%
Done

    Troubleshooting: If you encounter errors while updating sources, ensure that you have an active internet connection and that your system's date and time are correct. You may also try running the command with elevated privileges (i.e., Run as Administrator).

Install Git and GitHub CLI

In this step, you will install Git SCM and GitHub CLI (command line interface) using the WinGet package manager. These tools are essential for version control and interacting with GitHub repositories.

  1. Open a Windows PowerShell terminal.

  2. Update WinGet sources. Enter the following command into the terminal and press Enter.

    winget source update

    Expected Output: You should see messages indicating that all sources are being updated, as shown below. Your output may vary slightly. Key indicator of success is that each source shows as Done.

    Updating all sources...
Updating source: msstore...
Done
Updating source: winget...
Done
Updating source: winget-font...
██████████████████████████████  100%
Done

    Troubleshooting: If you encounter errors while updating sources, ensure that you have an active internet connection and that your system's date and time are correct. You may also try running the command with elevated privileges (i.e., Run as Administrator).

  3. Copy and paste the following commands into the terminal and press Enter.

    winget source update
winget upgrade --all --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements --include-unknown

    {{What success looks like}}

    {{What failure looks like}}

  4. Close the terminal once the installations are complete.

  5. Copy and paste the following commands into the terminal and press Enter.

    Expected Output: File path may vary.

    winget update --accept-source-agreements
winget upgrade --all --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements --include-unknown
winget install --id Git.Git -e --source winget
winget install --id GitHub.cli -e --source winget

    {{What success looks like}}

    {{What failure looks like}}

  6. Close the terminal once the installations are complete.

  7. Open a new WindowsPowerShell terminal.

  8. Copy and paste the following commands into the terminal and press Enter.

     git --version
 gh --version

    Expected Output: Each of the commands should display the installed version of Git and GitHub CLI, respectively, as shown below. Version numbers and dates will vary.

     git version 2.55.0.windows.5
 gh version 2.102.0 (2026-09-30)

    ** Troubleshooting:** {{What failure looks like}}

Note

Git for Windows includes Git BASH. Git BASH (Bourne Again SHell) provides a Unix-like command-line environment for Windows users. Git BASH is based on GNU Bash, the version used by most Linux distributions. BASH stands for Bourne Again SHell.

Prepare the Course Automation Package

Before the course development environment (CDE) can be installed, you need the current IT 140 automation package. This first setup action is sometimes called bootstrapping. The commands below download the current Prepare script, which places the course automation files in your it140 folder and makes the Windows lifecycle scripts available to PowerShell.

Important

Run this step from a regular Windows PowerShell terminal. Do not run it as an administrator.

  1. Hold down the Windows (⊞) key on your keyboard and press the R key to open the Run application.

  2. In the Run dialog box, type powershell and press Enter.

    Run Dialog: Open PowerShell as regular user

  3. Make sure Administrator does not appear in the PowerShell window title bar. If it does, close the window and repeat Steps 1–2.

  4. Click the Copy button in the top-right corner of the code block below.

    $PrepareScript = Join-Path $env:TEMP "prepare_it140.ps1"
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/GC-STEM/it140/main/scripts/win/prepare_it140.ps1" -OutFile $PrepareScript -UseBasicParsing
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Force
& $PrepareScript

  5. Paste the copied commands into the Windows PowerShell terminal by right-clicking at the command prompt.

  6. Press Enter once if the commands do not start automatically.

  7. Wait for the Prepare script to finish and for the PowerShell command prompt to return. Review the final messages before continuing. If the final Prepare output shows [SUCCESS], Prepare succeeded. Follow the Next step shown in the final message.

  8. Type exit and press Enter to close the PowerShell terminal window.

Install the course development environment (CDE)

The Install script adds or repairs the system-level software required for the course. This step requires administrator privileges.

  1. Open a new Windows PowerShell terminal with administrator privileges.

    1. Press Windows (⊞) + R.
    2. Type powershell.
    3. Press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
    4. If Windows displays a User Account Control prompt, click Yes.
    5. Make sure Administrator appears in the PowerShell window title bar.

    Run Dialog: Open PowerShell as Administrator PowerShell Terminal: Administrator Privileges

  2. Click the Copy button in the top-right corner of the code block below.

    cd "$env:USERPROFILE\it140\scripts\win"
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Force
.\install_it140.ps1

  3. Paste the copied commands into the Administrator: Windows PowerShell terminal by right-clicking at the command prompt.

  4. Press Enter once if the script does not start automatically.

    Run install script

  5. Wait for the Install script to finish. This may take several minutes. Review the final SETUP SUMMARY and follow its Next step instructions. Make sure:

    • Result: PASS
    • Failures: 0

    Review install script summary

    PASS means Install succeeded, and Failures: 0 means no failures were found. If the summary tells you to restart Windows, the restart is a required next step, not a failure.

  6. If the Install script tells you to restart Windows, save your work, restart the computer, and sign back in before continuing to Step 5.

  7. If a restart is not required, type exit and press Enter to close the Administrator PowerShell window before continuing to Step 5.

5. Configure the course development environment (CDE)

The Configure script sets up the course development environment (CDE) for your Windows user account. It may ask you to sign into GitHub and confirm your Git display name. This process is very similar to configuring the course development environment (CDE) in the Codio Virtual Desktop (CVD). If you need more detailed instructions or screenshots, see the codio/README.md file.

  1. Open a new PowerShell terminal window as a regular user.

    1. Hold down the Windows (⊞) key on your keyboard and press the R key to open the Run application.
    2. In the Run dialog box, type powershell and press Enter.
    3. Make sure Administrator does not appear in the terminal window title bar. If it does, close the window and repeat Steps 5.1.1–5.1.2.

  2. Click the Copy button in the top-right corner of the code block below.

    cd "$env:USERPROFILE\it140\scripts\win"
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Force
.\configure_it140.ps1

  3. Paste the copied commands into the Windows PowerShell terminal by right-clicking at the command prompt.

  4. Press Enter once if the script does not start automatically.

    Run configure script

  5. Follow the on-screen prompts to complete the configuration. If GitHub authentication is required, the script will guide you through the secure web sign-in process.

    Run configure script

  6. When the script finishes, review the final CONFIGURATION SUMMARY and follow its Next step instructions. Make sure:

    • Result: PASS
    • Failures: 0

    Review configure script summary

    PASS means Configuration succeeded, and Failures: 0 means no failures were found. Follow the Next step shown in the summary.

  7. Type exit and press Enter to close the PowerShell terminal window.

6. Verify the course development environment (CDE)

The Verify script checks that the required course software and settings are ready to use. It does not install or change the course development environment (CDE).

  1. Open a new PowerShell terminal window as a regular user.

    1. Hold down the Windows (⊞) key on your keyboard and press the R key to open the Run application.
    2. In the Run dialog box, type powershell and press Enter.
    3. Make sure Administrator does not appear in the terminal window title bar. If it does, close the window and repeat Steps 6.1.1–6.1.2.

  2. Click the Copy button in the top-right corner of the code block below.

    cd "$env:USERPROFILE\it140\scripts\win"
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Force
.\verify_it140.ps1

  3. Paste the copied commands into the Windows PowerShell terminal by right-clicking at the command prompt.

  4. Press Enter once if the script does not start automatically.

    Run verify script

  5. Review the final VERIFICATION SUMMARY. If Verify reports a problem, follow the remediation instructions shown in the terminal before continuing. Make sure Failures: 0.

    Review verify script summary

    If the final summary shows [SUCCESS] The Windows course environment passed all required checks. and Exit code: 0, verification succeeded. Failures: 0 means no required checks failed. Review any warnings and their recommended actions; warnings do not by themselves mean verification failed.

  6. Type exit and press Enter to close the PowerShell terminal window.

7. Configure Visual Studio Code

  1. Press the Windows (⊞) key, type Visual Studio Code, and open Visual Studio Code from the search results.

  2. Sign into VS Code using one of the following methods:

    • Continue with GitHub (highly recommended)
    • Sign in with Google (click on the G icon)
    • Sign in with Apple (click on the Apple icon)
    • Continue without Signing in

    Note. If you do not see the Welcome page, click the blue Sign in button on the VS Code menu bar.

  3. If prompted, authorize VS Code to access GitHub or other linked account(s).

  4. If prompted, check the Always allow box and click the Open button.

  5. If prompted, select your color theme. Course screenshots and videos show the Dark High Contrast theme, but you may choose the theme you prefer.

  6. Click the Get Started button on the Welcome page to dismiss it.

    Important. If VS Code reports that an update is available, you do not need to install it directly from VS Code. The IT 140 Update script maintains VS Code and the other managed course development environment (CDE) components. See Step 8: Periodic Updates to course development environment (CDE) below.

8. Periodic Updates to course development environment (CDE)

The IT 140 Update script keeps the managed course development environment (CDE) software, Python tools, VS Code extensions, and course automation files current. It does not run Windows Update; continue using Windows Update normally for operating-system updates.

Run the IT 140 Update script when your course instructions ask you to update the IDE or when you need to bring the managed course software up to date.

  1. Open a new PowerShell terminal window as a regular user.

    1. Press Windows (⊞) + R.
    2. Type powershell and press Enter.
    3. Make sure Administrator does not appear in the terminal window title bar.

  2. Click the Copy button in the top-right corner of the code block below.

    cd "$env:USERPROFILE\it140\scripts\win"
Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope Process -ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Force
.\update_it140.ps1

  3. Paste the copied commands into the Windows PowerShell terminal and press Enter once if the script does not start automatically.

  4. If Windows displays a User Account Control prompt during the update, click Yes. The Update script requests administrator privileges only when it needs to maintain system-wide course software.

  5. Wait for the Update script to finish. Review the final UPDATE SUMMARY and follow its Next step instructions.

    If the final UPDATE SUMMARY reports Result: PASS, Update succeeded. If it also shows Exit code: 0, that confirms success. A required restart or another Next step does not mean Update failed. Follow the Next step exactly as shown before running another lifecycle script.

  6. After a successful update, open a new regular PowerShell window before running the next lifecycle script. In most cases, Update will tell you to run Verify. If it tells you to run Configure first, complete Configure and then run Verify in another new PowerShell window.

Next Step

Once you have completed setting up the course development environment (CDE) on one local computer, you may stop here until you are ready to start on the Module Two assignment. However, we recommend you also configure the course development environment (CDE) on Codio, if you have not done so already.

Optionally, if you have another local computer, you can also set up the course development environment (CDE) on that machine. See the following links for instructions:

  • Set up the course development environment (CDE) on another local computer

Troubleshooting

If a setup or verification script reports an error, review the final summary and the log file identified by the script. IT 140 automation logs are stored in your it140\logs folder.

For troubleshooting guidance and information to include when asking for help, see Setup Problems and Support.

Activity Metadata

  • Course: IT 140 - Introduction to Scripting
  • Activity Title: 1-1 Setup Tasks | Local Setup | Windows
  • Activity Type: Optional, non-graded, no submission
  • Activity Purpose: Prepare the IT 140 development environment for completing course assignments on your local Windows computer.
  • Activity Description: This activity provides step-by-step instructions for installing the IT 140 development environment (course development environment (CDE)) on a publisher-supported version of Windows. These local installation files and automation scripts are designed exclusively for students who have access to an administrator account on their computer. Following these steps will configure all the necessary programming software and developer tools required to complete your course activities.
  • Artifact Version: 1.0.4
  • Artifact Date-Time Group: 2026-09-07-14-30
  • Development Status: Pilot — Active Development

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