Resources · Claude connector

Claude Windows-MCP connectorWhat Claude can do on your Windows PC.

The Claude Windows-MCP connector exposes 18 tools. 4 read: screenshots, the desktop state, web pages and a pause. The other 14 act on the machine through the mouse, the keyboard, apps, files, PowerShell and the registry. 0 undocumented. Publisher: CursorTouch, not Microsoft.

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Overview

What changes when Claude can operate your Windows desktop

This extension gives Claude hands on a Windows machine. It captures what is on screen, finds buttons and fields, then clicks, types, scrolls and presses shortcuts like a person at the keyboard. It can also launch and arrange applications, read and write files and run PowerShell commands. CursorTouch, its publisher, warns that it works with full system access.

A repetitive form filled for you. Snapshot lists the interactive elements of the screen with their coordinates, then MultiEdit enters text into several fields in one go and Click submits.

Files sorted without opening Explorer. FileSystem reads, writes, copies, moves, deletes, lists and searches files. Relative paths start from your Desktop folder, so give full paths for anything else.

A quick check of what is running. Screenshot grabs the screen with the open windows, and Process lists running programs, or ends one by its ID or name.

What it will not do: run unattended. Claude only calls these tools while it answers you in Claude Desktop, never on a schedule. It is also not a web connector: the directory sheet lists it as a local extension for Claude Desktop only. For recurring jobs, automation platforms are listed on the Integrations hub, and other connectors on the Claude integrations page.

Vocabulary

Five words before you install Windows-MCP

The terms this page keeps using, explained once.

Connector
The link between Claude and something outside it. Here, an extension that runs on your own Windows PC inside Claude Desktop.
Tool
One named thing the extension lets Claude do, such as Click or PowerShell. Claude picks the ones it needs as it answers.
Approval
The confirmation Claude waits for before an action that changes something on your behalf, shown in the conversation.
Directory
The official catalogue where each connector has a sheet with its publisher, purpose and the named list of its tools.
Protocol
The shared standard (MCP) that lets an assistant like Claude call outside tools, here the ones running on your Windows machine.
Connect

Set up Windows-MCP in Claude Desktop in three steps

  1. 01

    Check the prerequisites

    CursorTouch lists Python 3.13 or later and the UV package manager. It prefers English as the Windows display language; on other languages it advises disabling the App tool. On a Team or Enterprise workspace, an Owner or Primary Owner enables the extension first.

  2. 02

    Add the extension

    In Claude Desktop, go through Customize then Connectors, find Windows-MCP and add it. The publisher notes the first install can take a minute or two while dependencies load, and the first run may time out: restart it if so.

  3. 03

    Choose the active tools

    CursorTouch's README says every tool is enabled by default, and that a list of allowed or blocked tools narrows the scope. Decide what the extension keeps before you first use it. To remove it later, go back through Connectors.

Tools

The 18 Windows-MCP tools, by what they do

Windows-MCP gives Claude 18 tools: 4 that read your account, 14 that change something in it.

Two groups: what Claude only looks at, and what acts on your PC. CursorTouch describes all eighteen in the extension's manifest. Names stay exactly as Claude shows them.

  • 4 read
  • 14 write

What Claude only looks at (4)

4 tools

Four tools that capture or fetch information without changing anything on the machine.

Screenshot

Takes a fast capture of the desktop with the cursor position, the active and open windows, and an image. The publisher calls it the default first call when Claude mainly needs visual context.

When it helps
you want Claude to see what is on screen before it does anything.
Watch out
the publisher notes the returned image may be downscaled.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

Snapshot

Captures the full state of the desktop: system language, focused and open windows, interactive elements such as buttons, fields, links and menus with their coordinates, and scrollable areas. It can also extract a browser page's content.

When it helps
Claude needs exact targets before clicking or typing in an app.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

Wait

Waits for a set number of seconds, leaving everything as it is. CursorTouch recommends it while an app launches, an animation ends, a page renders or a dialog appears.

When it helps
a slow program needs time to open before the next click lands on the right spot.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

Scrape

Fetches the content of a URL or of the active browser tab. By default it uses a lightweight HTTP request to the address given.

When it helps
you want Claude to read a page's text without driving the browser click by click.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

What Claude does on your PC (14)

14 tools

Fourteen tools that move the mouse, type, open apps or change files, processes and settings. No source describes a confirmation for them: the general rule below applies.

App

Approval: see the rule

Manages applications in three modes: launch one, resize or move a window, or bring a given window to the front.

What Claude asks for
no source describes a step specific to this tool; see the approval rules below.
When it helps
you want two programs opened and placed side by side.
Watch out
on a non-English Windows, the publisher advises disabling it.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

PowerShell

Approval: see the rule

Runs any PowerShell command: navigating the file system, managing files and processes, system-level operations, network resources and administrative tasks.

What Claude asks for
nothing documented for this tool alone; the default rule applies.
When it helps
a task is quicker as one command than as twenty clicks.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

FileSystem

Approval: see the rule

Handles files in eight modes: read, write, copy, move, delete, list, search by pattern and inspect metadata such as size and dates. Relative paths resolve from your Desktop folder.

What Claude asks for
CursorTouch documents no confirmation here; the general section covers it.
When it helps
a folder of exports needs renaming and sorting.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

Click

Approval: see the rule

Clicks at given coordinates or on an element's label: left, right or middle button, as a hover, single or double click.

What Claude asks for
the sources say nothing specific; rely on the default rule.
When it helps
a dialog needs a button pressed in an app with no shortcut for it.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

Type

Approval: see the rule

Types text at a position or into a labelled element, either clearing the existing text or appending to it, and can press Enter afterwards to submit.

What Claude asks for
no tool-level confirmation is documented; the approval section holds.
When it helps
a search field or a form entry has to be filled in a desktop app.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

Scroll

Approval: see the rule

Scrolls vertically or horizontally at a point, on an element or where the mouse sits, to move through long content, lists and web pages.

What Claude asks for
nothing specific is described; see the rules below.
When it helps
the item Claude must reach sits far down a long list.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

Move

Approval: see the rule

Moves the cursor to coordinates or onto an element, as a simple hover by default, or as a drag-and-drop from the current position when dragging is switched on.

What Claude asks for
the publisher documents no prompt for it; the default rule covers it.
When it helps
a file must be dragged onto an app window.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

Shortcut

Approval: see the rule

Presses key combinations such as copy, paste, switching apps, opening the Run dialog, the Start menu or the Task Manager.

What Claude asks for
no specific confirmation is documented; the general rule applies.
When it helps
an action has a shortcut and pressing it is more reliable than hunting for a menu.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

MultiSelect

Approval: see the rule

Selects several items at once, such as files, folders or checkboxes, holding Ctrl, or performs a series of clicks without it. Targets are given as coordinates or labels.

What Claude asks for
the sources stay silent on this point; the default rule holds.
When it helps
a dozen files in a folder must be selected before moving them.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

MultiEdit

Approval: see the rule

Enters text into several input fields in one call, each given by coordinates or by label with its own text.

What Claude asks for
CursorTouch describes no step for it; read the approval section.
When it helps
a long form with name, address and reference fields must be filled at once.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

Clipboard

Approval: see the rule

Reads the current content of the Windows clipboard, or replaces it with new text.

What Claude asks for
nothing documented for this tool; the default rule is the reference.
When it helps
you copied something in an app and want Claude to use it.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

Process

Approval: see the rule

Lists running processes with filtering and sorting, or terminates them by ID or by name.

What Claude asks for
no confirmation specific to this tool is described; the general rule applies.
When it helps
a frozen program has to be closed.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

Notification

Approval: see the rule

Shows a Windows toast notification with a title and a message on your screen.

What Claude asks for
the publisher is silent on this; follow the default rule.
When it helps
a long task is finished and you want a visible signal on the desktop rather than only a line in the chat.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

Registry

Approval: see the rule

Accesses the Windows Registry to read a value, create or update one, delete a value or key, or list what sits under a path.

What Claude asks for
no step is documented; the approval rules below apply.
When it helps
you need to check a setting stored in the registry.

Sourcegithub.com · October 1, 2026 ↗

Approvals

What Claude asks before it acts on your PC

Claude's baseline: an action it carries out for you waits for your explicit go-ahead, asked in the conversation at the moment it matters.

In a Team or Enterprise organization, owners decide whether members may skip that prompt for some actions, and they can narrow what an extension may do for everyone. With this extension the stakes are higher than usual: CursorTouch states it operates with full system access and can perform irreversible operations. The publisher describes no confirmation of its own for any tool. Go over each proposed command, deletion or registry change before you accept it.

Plans

Which Claude plans include Windows-MCP

Across the 819 sheets of the official directory, none lists plan availability. For this extension as for the rest, no source states it: the catalogue leaves that hole.

What is published is the general rule: desktop extensions install on Claude Desktop, while remote connectors are open to every user on Claude, Cowork, Claude Desktop and mobile. On Team and Enterprise, an Owner or Primary Owner enables a connector before members use it. Check the extension's sheet in the official directory for its current state. Only CursorTouch documents it.

Limits

Where Windows-MCP stops

A connector is not an automation. Claude calls these tools while it answers you in Claude Desktop: nothing runs on the PC while you are away.

The tool list is an observed floor, not a promise. The partner badge in the directory is not a security audit, and Anthropic says on every sheet that it does not choose a publisher's tools or vouch for their behaviour. Install this only if you trust CursorTouch with full access to the machine. No Claude help page covers this extension; its documentation is the publisher's README and manifest, both on GitHub.

Need help

Need help connecting Windows-MCP to Claude?

A person reads every message.

FAQ

Questions about the Claude Windows-MCP connector

01What can Claude do with the Windows-MCP connector?
Claude can see and operate a Windows PC through Claude Desktop. Four tools only look: a fast screenshot, a full desktop state with interactive elements, a pause and fetching web content. Fourteen tools act: launching and arranging apps, clicks, typing, scrolling, mouse moves, shortcuts, multiple selections and fields, the clipboard, processes, notifications, files, the registry and any PowerShell command. CursorTouch, an independent publisher, describes all eighteen in the manifest of its extension.
02Can Claude delete files or change settings with Windows-MCP?
Yes. FileSystem can write, move and delete files and folders, Registry can create, update and delete values and keys, Process can terminate programs, and PowerShell can run any command, including administrative ones. CursorTouch states that the extension operates with full system access and can perform irreversible operations. The README also explains how to limit the enabled tools, with a list of allowed or blocked tools, if you want a narrower setup.
03Does Claude ask before it acts on my PC?
By default, yes: Claude asks for confirmation before an action it takes on your behalf. CursorTouch describes no confirmation specific to any of its tools, so that default rule is what applies. In Team and Enterprise organizations, owners decide whether members may skip the prompt for some actions and can narrow the extension for everyone. Given the full system access, read each command or deletion carefully before you accept it.
04Which Claude plans include the Windows-MCP extension?
No official source publishes plan availability connector by connector, and none of the 819 directory sheets shows it. The general rule: desktop extensions install on Claude Desktop, remote connectors are open to every user on Claude, Cowork, Claude Desktop and mobile, and an Owner or Primary Owner enables connectors first in Team and Enterprise organizations. The extension's sheet in the directory is the place that shows its current state for your account.
05Is Windows-MCP an official Microsoft connector?
No. Windows-MCP is an open-source project published by CursorTouch under the MIT license, listed in the Claude directory as a partner extension. Microsoft is not named as its publisher anywhere in the sources. Anthropic says on every directory sheet that it does not choose the tools a publisher exposes nor vouch for how they behave, so judge whether you trust CursorTouch with full access to your machine before installing it.
06Why does Windows-MCP fail to install or respond?
The publisher lists a few known causes in its README. The first install can take a minute or two while dependencies load, and the first run may time out: restart it. Python 3.13 or later and the UV package manager must be present. With the Microsoft Store version of Claude Desktop, installing from the directory fails because of a path issue; the publisher's README covers that case, so read it before retrying.
07Claude or an automation platform for Windows tasks?
They cover different needs, so neither wins. Claude with this extension suits work you supervise in the moment: sorting a folder, filling a form, checking a setting, with you reading each step. An automation platform runs scenarios on its own when an event happens, without anyone watching the screen. With a connector, Claude calls the tools while it answers you: nothing fires on its own when a file or message arrives.