Hermes Agent Windows: Install the New Signed App (2026)

Hermes Agent Windows installs got a lot simpler in Hermes v0.22. The desktop app is now one signed Windows package (an MSIX for x64 and ARM64) that you install through Windows App Installer or the Microsoft Store. It carries its own Python and Node and updates itself, so the first launch builds nothing. The old NSIS and MSI installers are gone. In the video below I walk through Hermes on Windows. Here’s how to install it today, what you need, and how to fix the usual problems.

What changed for Hermes Agent on Windows

Hermes Agent v0.22.0, released on 14 October 2026, rebuilt how the desktop app ships. The release notes describe it as a sealed, signed package that carries its own Python and Node and updates itself, so first launch builds nothing. Windows gets a signed MSIX in two flavours, x64 and ARM64, delivered through Windows App Installer or the Microsoft Store.

Two things were removed at the same time. The notes say the Windows desktop is now MSIX-only and needs Windows 11 22H2 or newer, and that the NSIS and MSI installers are gone. If you installed Hermes on Windows earlier in 2026 with one of those installers, the steps below are the new way in.

What you need before you install

• For the desktop app: Windows 11 22H2 or later. The official platform support table says the MSIX package requires Windows 11 22H2 or later.
• For the command line only: Windows 10 or 11. The same table lists Windows 10 / 11 (x86_64 and aarch64) for the install.ps1 script, and the v0.22 notes say the installer now works on Windows 10 and on Unicode Windows paths.
• A model to talk to: a provider key, a Nous account, or a local model. A brand-new desktop install also opens on a guided setup chat that runs on a free trial model, so you can start before you have an API key.
• An internet connection for the first download and for providers. The bundled package doesn’t build its base runtime on first launch, but provider access and optional integrations still need the network.

Not sure which version of Windows you’re on? Open Settings, then System, then About. The edition and version are listed under Windows specifications.

How to install the Hermes Agent Windows desktop app

There are two official routes, and both install the same signed app:

Option 1: Windows App Installer (sideload)

• Go to the Hermes website and download the Windows package. It arrives as an .appinstaller file.
• Open that file. Windows App Installer opens it, installs the signed MSIX bundle and records where future updates come from.
• Launch Hermes from the Start menu. A first install opens on the guided setup chat.

Option 2: the Microsoft Store

• Install Hermes from the Microsoft Store.
• The installation docs note that Store packages have separate Store ownership, so the Store handles their updates.
• If you want the Store route step by step, my Hermes Agent Microsoft Store guide covers it.

Whichever you choose, the bundle contains the agent, Python, supported dependencies and the prebuilt interfaces. You don’t need to install Python or Node yourself.

Installing the command line only (Windows 10 or 11)

If you only want the CLI, or you’re on Windows 10 where the MSIX desktop isn’t supported, the docs give one PowerShell command:

iex (irm https://hermes-agent.nousresearch.com/install.ps1)

According to the v0.22 notes, the installer verifies pinned versions of uv and Git, hands off to Hermes’s package manager and logs to logs/install.log. If you later want the desktop app on top of a command-line install, the docs say to run:

hermes desktop

Prefer Linux tools? You can also run Hermes inside WSL2 with the Linux script. The docs list WSL2 alongside Linux and macOS for install.sh, and say they test on the latest Ubuntu and WSL2.

What’s inside the package: hermes pm

Under the hood, v0.22 added one package manager, hermes pm, that owns every pinned, hash-checked tool and Python environment. On Windows that includes Git and Bash, alongside Python 3.14, uv, Node, ripgrep, FFmpeg and Chromium. The useful commands from the release notes are:

Updates now build a fresh environment and switch to it only after it passes a check, so a failed or killed update can’t leave you half-applied. The notes also say packaged installs work end to end: the agent’s own terminal can run hermes, and plugins that need Python dependencies install inside the MSIX.

How updates work on Windows

For the sideload app, the docs explain that Hermes checks the registered App Installer source, downloads the update descriptor, stops its own backends, opens the file and quits so Windows can replace the package. It then tries to relaunch itself once the new version is in place.

The v0.22 notes add that Windows updates now finish while the old runtime is still in use. Windows can hold files open while processes run, so Hermes prepares the new dependencies separately rather than swapping files underneath a running process. In a package, hermes update points you to the right updater instead of trying to rewrite the app’s files.

Moving from the old NSIS or MSI installer

• Back up first. The docs recommend running hermes backup before you remove an installation; the archive includes credentials.
• Remove the old app the normal Windows way, through Settings, Apps, Installed apps.
• Install the new signed app with App Installer or the Store, as above.
• Your user data lives outside the package, and the docs say data deletion is separate from package removal, so removing the old app doesn’t wipe your Hermes data.

Troubleshooting Hermes Agent on Windows

The full Hermes docs have a Windows section if you hit something not covered here.

My verdict on Hermes Agent Windows

This is the easiest Hermes has ever been to install on a PC. One signed package, no Python or Node setup, and updates that can’t leave you half-installed. If you’re on Windows 11 22H2 or later, use the App Installer or the Microsoft Store and you’ll be chatting with Hermes in minutes. On Windows 10, the install.ps1 script still gets you the full agent from the command line. Either way, Hermes Agent Windows setup is now a five-minute job. For everything else in the release, see my Hermes Agent v0.22 breakdown.

About Julian Goldie

I’m Julian Goldie — founder of Goldie Agency and the AI Profit Boardroom. I test new AI agents almost every day for 432K+ YouTube subscribers and run Hermes, OpenClaw, OpenCode, Claude and Codex side by side in my own Agent OS. Claim your free strategy session or join the AI Profit Boardroom.

Want another angle? Read the AI Profit Boardroom guide to Hermes Agent Windows.

FAQ: hermes agent windows

How do I install Hermes Agent on Windows?

Download the Windows package from the Hermes website and open the .appinstaller file with Windows App Installer, or install Hermes from the Microsoft Store. For a command-line-only install, run the install.ps1 PowerShell command from the docs.

What Windows version does Hermes Agent need?

The MSIX desktop app needs Windows 11 22H2 or newer. The command-line install script, install.ps1, supports Windows 10 and 11.

Is Hermes Agent available for Windows on ARM?

Yes. Since v0.22.0 the Windows desktop app ships as a signed MSIX for both x64 and ARM64.

What happened to the Hermes NSIS and MSI installers?

They were removed in Hermes v0.22.0. The Windows desktop is now MSIX-only, installed through App Installer or the Microsoft Store.

How do I update Hermes on Windows?

Sideloaded MSIX installs update through the app’s Update control and Windows App Installer, Microsoft Store installs update through the Store, and command-line installs use hermes update.

Related reading

• Hermes Agent Microsoft Store app
• Hermes Agent v0.22 explained
• How to update Hermes Agent

Last updated October 2026. This page is a living guide to hermes agent windows — the facts here move fast and it is updated as they do.