# Set up Windows development
> Configure your development environment to run, build, and deploy Flutter apps for Windows.
Learn how to set up your development environment
to run, build, and deploy Flutter apps for the Windows desktop platform.
:::note
If you haven't set up Flutter already,
visit and follow [Install Flutter][] first.
If you've already installed Flutter,
ensure that it's [up to date][].
:::
[Install Flutter]: /install
[up to date]: /install/upgrade
## Set up tooling {: #set-up-tooling}
With [Visual Studio][vs], you can run Flutter apps on Windows as well as
compile and debug native C and C++ code.
Note that **Visual Studio** is an IDE separate from **Visual Studio _Code_**
and only supported on Windows.
1. Install Visual Studio
If you haven't done so already,
follow the Microsoft guide to
[install and set up Visual Studio][vs].
If you've already installed Visual Studio,
[update it to the latest version][vs-update].
1. Set up Visual Studio workloads
When the Visual Studio installer prompts you to choose workloads,
select and install the **Desktop development with C++** workload.
If you already installed Visual Studio,
follow the Microsoft guide to
[Modify Visual Studio workloads][vs-modify].
:::tip
If installing with the command line,
the ID of the **Desktop development with C++** workload is
`Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop`.
:::
{: .steps}
[vs]: https://visualstudio.microsoft.com/
[vs-install]: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/install/install-visual-studio
[vs-update]: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/install/update-visual-studio
[vs-modify]: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualstudio/install/modify-visual-studio
## Validate your setup {: #validate-setup}
1. Check for toolchain issues
To check for any issues with your Windows development setup,
run the `flutter doctor` command in your preferred terminal:
```console
$ flutter doctor -v
```
If you see any errors or tasks to complete under the
**Windows version** and **Visual Studio - develop Windows apps** sections,
complete and resolve them, then
run `flutter doctor -v` again to verify any changes.
1. Check for Windows devices
To ensure Flutter can find and connect to your Windows device correctly,
run `flutter devices` in your preferred terminal:
```console
$ flutter devices
```
If you've set everything up correctly,
there should be at least one entry with the platform marked as **windows**.
1. Troubleshoot setup issues
If you need help resolving any setup issues,
check out [installation and setup troubleshooting][troubleshoot].
Depending on your issue,
also check out Microsoft's guide on
[Visual Studio troubleshooting][vs-troubleshoot].
If you still have issues or questions,
reach out on one of the Flutter [community][] channels.
{: .steps}
[troubleshoot]: /install/troubleshoot
[vs-troubleshoot]: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/developer/visualstudio/installation/troubleshoot-installation-issues
[community]: https://flutter.dev/community
## Start developing for Windows {: #start-developing}
Congratulations!
Now that you've set up Windows desktop development for Flutter,
you can continue your Flutter learning journey while testing on Windows
or begin expanding integration with Windows.
