[[!meta title="installing tinc on Windows 2000/XP/7/8"]]

## Example: installing tinc on Windows 2000/XP/7/8

This example shows how to install and configure tinc on Windows 2000, XP, 7 or 8. It
is not a HOWTO, it is recommended that you read the manual as well.

[[!toc levels=2]]

### Downloading and installing tinc

First, [[download]] the installer from the website. You don't have to save it,
run it from its current location.

[[!img examples/windows/download.png]]

Follow the instructions of the installer. If you already installed a TAP-Win32
or CIPE driver, you can uncheck the TAP-Win32 driver component.

[[!img examples/windows/components.png]]

### Configuring tinc

Next, open the explorer and go to the directory where you installed tinc. This
probably is `C:\Program Files\tinc`. To start configuring tinc for your VPN,
create a new folder and give it the name of your VPN (if you don't have a name
for it, use `vpn` or make one up).

[[!img examples/windows/newfolder.png]]

In this folder you will have to create a new file named `tinc.conf`.

[[!img examples/windows/newfile.png]]

Open this file with notepad or wordpad. In this file you have to specify the
name of your computer on the VPN. This doesn't have to be the name you gave to
Windows, we assume you're calling it `home`. You can also specify to which other
tinc daemons you want to connect. You should also specify the network interface
that tinc will use. We will create that interface later, we will assume it is
called something like `VPN`.

[[!img examples/windows/edittincconf.png]]

In the current directory, you have to create a directory called `hosts`. In this
directory the host configuration files are stored. First you have to create one
for your own tinc daemon. The name of the file must be the same as the Name you
specified in the `tinc.conf` file: `home`. This file should contain a Subnet
variable, indicating which IP addresses your tinc daemon represents on the VPN.
This is probably just a single address, we will assume the subnet is
10.20.40.1/32.

[[!img examples/windows/edithostshome.png]]

Now you have to generate the public and private key for your tinc daemon. You
do this by starting command.com. Go to the directory where tinc is installed.
Start tinc with the `-n` option set to the name of your VPN and use the `-K`
option: `tincd -n vpn -K`. The keypair will be generated, and you are asked to
enter the names of the files to store them. Just press enter twice to use the
default filenames.

[[!img examples/windows/genkey.png]]

Now that the keys are generated, you should give the office a copy of your
`hosts\home`, and you should get a copy of `hosts\office` and store it in your
`hosts\ directory`. The configuration of tinc is finished.

[[!img examples/windows/files.png]]

### Configuring the virtual network device

Next you will have to set up the virtual network device. The installer will not
create those for you, you have to run `addtap.bat` in tinc's installation
directory. This will add a new virtual network device. (If you want to run more
than one tinc daemon, you will need to create extra virtual network devices.)

[[!img examples/windows/addtap.png]]

After that, open the Network and Dial-up connections control panel, and change
the name of the new interface to the same as you specified in `tinc.conf`, in
our case to `VPN`.

[[!img examples/windows/rename.png]]

Then, double-click on the new interface. You can enable the icon in the taskbar
if you want. Click on Internet Protocol and then on Configure. Manually set the
address to that of your computer on the VPN, in this example 10.20.40.1. The
subnet mask should be set to that of the entire VPN, in this example
255.255.0.0.

[[!img examples/windows/configure.png]]

### Starting tinc

Now that everything has been set up, it is time to start tinc. Start
command.com, go to tinc's installation directory and start tinc with the right
`-n` option: `tincd -n vpn`. If everything went well, it will tell you that it
installed itself as a service and started it.

[[!img examples/windows/start.png]]

If you enabled the taskbar icon, you will notice that it changes form:

[[!img examples/windows/iconstarted.png]]

You can temporarily stop and start tinc from the Service control panel.

[[!img examples/windows/servicemgr.png]]