Setting Up Claude MCP Servers on Windows

Hello and welcome! This guide will walk you through the process of setting up Model Context Protocol (MCP) servers for Claude Desktop on a Windows system. By following these steps, you’ll enable Claude to interact with various data sources and tools, enhancing its capabilities.

Prerequisites

Before we begin, please ensure you have the following installed on your system:

1. Claude Desktop: Download and install the latest version from Claude’s official website.​DEV Community
2. Node.js (version 18.x or later): Node.js is a JavaScript runtime required for running MCP servers.​
   • Download: Visit https://nodejs.org/ and download the latest stable version.​
   • Install: Run the downloaded installer and follow the on-screen instructions. During installation, ensure that the option “Add to PATH” is selected.​
   • Verify Installation:
     • Open Command Prompt.
     • Type the following commands and press Enter after each:

node --version
npm --version
where node
npm root -g

These commands will display the installed versions of Node.js and npm, as well as their installation paths.

Step-by-Step Installation

1.Install MCP Servers

MCP servers extend Claude’s functionality by connecting it to various data sources and tools.​Medium+2modelcontextprotocol.io+2The Verge+2

• Open Command Prompt as Administrator:
  • Click on the Start menu.​
  • Type cmd in the search bar.​
  • Right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as administrator”.​
• Install Core MCP Servers Globally:
  • In the Command Prompt window, execute the following commands:

npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-filesystem
npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-memory
npm install -g @modelcontextprotocol/server-brave-search

These commands will globally install the Filesystem, Memory, and Brave Search MCP servers.

• Verify Installation:
  • After installation, run:

npm list -g --depth=0

This will display a list of globally installed npm packages. Ensure that the MCP servers you installed are listed.

2. Configure Claude Desktop

To integrate the installed MCP servers with Claude Desktop, you’ll need to modify its configuration file.​

• Locate the Configuration File:
  • Press Win + R, type %APPDATA%\Claude\, and press Enter.​
  • This will open the directory containing Claude Desktop’s configuration files.​
• Edit or Create claude_desktop_config.json:
  • If the file claude_desktop_config.json exists, open it with a text editor like Notepad. If it doesn’t exist, create a new file with that name.​Reddit+6modelcontextprotocol.io+6scottspence.com+6
• Add MCP Server Configurations:
  • Insert the following JSON configuration into the file:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "filesystem": {
      "command": "C:\\Path\\To\\node.exe",
      "args": [
        "C:\\Path\\To\\server-filesystem\\dist\\index.js",
        "C:\\Users\\YourUsername\\Documents"
      ]
    },
    "memory": {
      "command": "C:\\Path\\To\\node.exe",
      "args": [
        "C:\\Path\\To\\server-memory\\dist\\index.js"
      ]
    },
    "brave-search": {
      "command": "C:\\Path\\To\\node.exe",
      "args": [
        "C:\\Path\\To\\server-brave-search\\dist\\index.js"
      ],
      "env": {
        "BRAVE_API_KEY": "your_brave_api_key_here"
      }
    }
  }
}

Important:

• Replace "C:\\Path\\To\\node.exe" with the actual path to your node.exe file, which you noted earlier from the where node command.
• Replace "C:\\Path\\To\\server-filesystem\\dist\\index.js" and similar paths with the actual paths to the respective MCP server’s index.js files. These are typically located in the node_modules directory returned by the npm root -g command.
• For the Brave Search server, replace "your_brave_api_key_here" with your actual Brave API key.

Save and Close the File.

3. Enable Developer Mode in Claude Desktop

To allow Claude Desktop to utilize the MCP servers, you need to enable Developer Mode.​Medium

• Open Claude Desktop.
• Enable Developer Mode:
  • Click on your name or profile icon in the lower-left corner.​Reddit
  • Select “Enable Developer Mode”.​
  Note: If you don’t see this option, ensure you’re running the latest version of Claude Desktop and that you have the necessary permissions.​

4. Restart Claude Desktop

After making these changes, restart Claude Desktop to apply the new configurations.​

• Close Claude Desktop Completely:
  • Ensure that Claude Desktop is not running in the background. You can check this in the Task Manager.​
• Reopen Claude Desktop:
  • Launch Claude Desktop as you normally would.​

Upon restarting, Claude Desktop should recognize and connect to the configured MCP servers.

Step 5: Troubleshooting

If you encounter issues during this setup:

• Check Configuration Paths:
  • Ensure all file paths in the claude_desktop_config.json file are correct and point to the actual locations of the respective files.​
• Run as Administrator:
  • When installing MCP servers or editing configuration files, ensure you’re running Command Prompt or your text editor with administrative privileges.​
• Review Logs:
  • Claude Desktop logs MCP-related activities, which can be helpful for debugging.​
  • Access the logs at %APPDATA%\Claude\logs\mcp.log and review any error messages.​
• Consult Official Documentation:
  • Refer to the Model Context Protocol Quickstart Guide for additional information and support.​Model Context Protocol

By following these steps, you should have successfully set up MCP servers for Claude Desktop on your Windows system. This integration enhances Claude’s capabilities, allowing for a more interactive and powerful user experience.