# Build instructions for Windows

- [Prepare folder](#prepare-folder)
- [Install third party software](#install-third-party-software)
- [Choose architecture and initialize terminal](#choose-architecture-and-initialize-terminal)
- [Clone source code and prepare libraries](#clone-source-code-and-prepare-libraries)
- [Build the project](#build-the-project)
- [Qt Visual Studio Tools](#qt-visual-studio-tools)

## Prepare folder

The build is done in **Visual Studio 2026** with **10.0.26100.0** SDK version.

Choose an empty folder for the future build, for example **D:\\TBuild**. It will be named ***BuildPath*** in the rest of this document. Create two folders there, ***BuildPath*\\ThirdParty** and ***BuildPath*\\Libraries**.

The default modern toolset from Visual Studio 2026 (`v145`) does not support Windows 7, so for Telegram Desktop you must use `-vcvars_ver=14.44` (`v144.4`, based on `v143` with Windows 7 support).

### Obtain your API credentials

You will require **api_id** and **api_hash** to access the Telegram API servers. To learn how to obtain them [click here][api_credentials].

## Install third party software

* Download **Python 3.10** installer from [https://www.python.org/downloads/](https://www.python.org/downloads/) and install it with adding to PATH.
* Download **Git** installer from [https://git-scm.com/download/win](https://git-scm.com/download/win) and install it.

## Choose architecture and initialize terminal

Before preparing libraries and running build commands, initialize the Visual Studio environment for your target architecture.
The default modern toolset from Visual Studio 2026 (`v145`) does not support Windows 7, so for Telegram Desktop you must use `-vcvars_ver=14.44` (`v144.4`, based on `v143` with Windows 7 support).

For `win` (32-bit):

    %comspec% /k "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\18\Community\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars32.bat" -vcvars_ver=14.44

For `win64` (64-bit):

    %comspec% /k "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio\18\Community\VC\Auxiliary\Build\vcvars64.bat" -vcvars_ver=14.44

Run both `Clone source code and prepare libraries` and `Build the project` sections in the terminal initialized with one of the commands above.

## Clone source code and prepare libraries

In the initialized terminal, go to ***BuildPath*** and run

    git clone --recursive https://github.com/TDesktop-x64/tdesktop.git
    tdesktop\Telegram\build\prepare\win.bat

## Build the project

Go to ***BuildPath*\\tdesktop\\Telegram** and run (using [your **api_id** and **api_hash**](#obtain-your-api-credentials)):

For `win` (32-bit):

    configure.bat -D TDESKTOP_API_ID=YOUR_API_ID -D TDESKTOP_API_HASH=YOUR_API_HASH

For `win64` (64-bit):

    configure.bat x64 -D TDESKTOP_API_ID=YOUR_API_ID -D TDESKTOP_API_HASH=YOUR_API_HASH

* Open ***BuildPath*\\tdesktop\\out\\Telegram.slnx** in Visual Studio 2026
* Select Telegram project and press Build > Build Telegram (Debug and Release configurations)
* The result Telegram.exe will be located in **D:\TBuild\tdesktop\out\Debug** (and **Release**)

### Qt Visual Studio Tools

For better debugging you may want to install Qt Visual Studio Tools:

* Open **Extensions** -> **Manage Extensions**
* Go to **Online** tab
* Search for **Qt**
* Install **Qt Visual Studio Tools** extension

[api_credentials]: api_credentials.md