Windows Installation

Install changedetection.io on Microsoft Windows

Running changedetection.io on Windows requires some additional setup. This guide covers installation methods and common issues specific to Windows.

Recommended Method: Docker Desktop

The easiest way to run changedetection.io on Windows is using Docker Desktop.

1. Install Docker Desktop

   Download and install Docker Desktop for Windows.

   Docker Desktop requires Windows 10/11 Pro, Enterprise, or Education with Hyper-V support, or Windows 10/11 Home with WSL 2.

2. Enable WSL 2 (if required)

   Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

   wsl --install
   

   Restart your computer after installation.

3. Run changedetection.io

   Open PowerShell or Command Prompt:

   docker run -d --restart always -p "127.0.0.1:5000:5000" -v changedetection-data:/datastore --name changedetection.io ghcr.io/dgtlmoon/changedetection.io
   
4. Access the web interface

   Open your browser and navigate to:

   http://127.0.0.1:5000
   

Alternative: Python Installation

You can install changedetection.io directly using Python on Windows, though some features may have limitations.

Prerequisites

1. Install Python

   Download and install Python 3.10 or higher.

   During installation, make sure to check “Add Python to PATH”.

2. Verify installation

   Open Command Prompt or PowerShell:

   python --version
   pip --version
   

Installation

1. Install changedetection.io

   pip install changedetection.io
   
2. Create a data directory

   mkdir C:\changedetection-data
   
3. Run the application

   changedetection.io -d C:\changedetection-data -p 5000
   

   Or with Python module syntax:

   python -m changedetectionio -d C:\changedetection-data -p 5000
   
4. Access the web interface

   Open your browser and navigate to:

   http://127.0.0.1:5000
   

Windows-Specific Limitations

jq Not Available

The jq package is not available on Windows via pip. You can:

1. Use JSONPath instead for JSON filtering
2. Download jq manually from stedolan.github.io/jq and add it to your PATH

Playwright May Not Work

Playwright installation on Windows can be problematic. If it fails:

pip install changedetection.io
# Playwright installation might fail, but the app will still work

The application will work without Playwright, but JavaScript-heavy websites won’t be supported.

File Path Differences

Use Windows-style paths:

# Correct
changedetection.io -d C:\changedetection-data -p 5000

# Also correct (forward slashes work too)
changedetection.io -d C:/changedetection-data -p 5000

# Incorrect (Unix-style path)
changedetection.io -d /var/lib/changedetection -p 5000

Running as a Windows Service

Using NSSM (Non-Sucking Service Manager)

1. Download NSSM

   Download NSSM and extract it.

2. Install the service

   Open Command Prompt as Administrator:

   nssm install changedetection
   

   In the NSSM GUI:

   • Path: C:\Python310\Scripts\changedetection.io.exe (adjust to your Python path)
   • Startup directory: C:\changedetection-data
   • Arguments: -d C:\changedetection-data -p 5000
3. Start the service

   nssm start changedetection
   

Using Task Scheduler

1. Create a batch file

   Create start-changedetection.bat:

   start-changedetection.bat

   @echo off
   cd C:\changedetection-data
   C:\Python310\Scripts\changedetection.io.exe -d C:\changedetection-data -p 5000
   
2. Create a scheduled task

   1. Open Task Scheduler
   2. Create Basic Task
   3. Trigger: “When the computer starts”
   4. Action: “Start a program”
   5. Program: Path to start-changedetection.bat
   6. Check “Run with highest privileges”

Docker Compose on Windows

If you have Docker Desktop installed:

1. Create docker-compose.yml

   Create a file named docker-compose.yml:

   docker-compose.yml

   services:
     changedetection:
       image: ghcr.io/dgtlmoon/changedetection.io
       container_name: changedetection
       volumes:
         - changedetection-data:/datastore
       ports:
         - 127.0.0.1:5000:5000
       restart: unless-stopped
   
   volumes:
     changedetection-data:
   
2. Start the service

   In the same directory:

   docker compose up -d
   

Environment Variables on Windows

Set environment variables in PowerShell:

# Temporary (current session only)
$env:PORT = "5000"
$env:LOGGER_LEVEL = "INFO"
$env:BASE_URL = "https://example.com"
changedetection.io -d C:\changedetection-data

Set permanent environment variables:

# Using PowerShell
[System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('PORT', '5000', 'User')
[System.Environment]::SetEnvironmentVariable('LOGGER_LEVEL', 'INFO', 'User')

Or through GUI:

1. Search for “Environment Variables” in Windows
2. Click “Edit environment variables for your account”
3. Add new variables under “User variables”

Updating

Docker Method

docker pull ghcr.io/dgtlmoon/changedetection.io
docker stop changedetection.io
docker rm changedetection.io
docker run -d --restart always -p "127.0.0.1:5000:5000" -v changedetection-data:/datastore --name changedetection.io ghcr.io/dgtlmoon/changedetection.io

Pip Method

pip install --upgrade changedetection.io

Troubleshooting

Python not found

Ensure Python is in your PATH:

1. Search for “Environment Variables” in Windows
2. Edit “Path” under “System variables”
3. Add Python installation directory (e.g., C:\Python310)
4. Add Python Scripts directory (e.g., C:\Python310\Scripts)
5. Restart Command Prompt/PowerShell

pip install fails with SSL error

Upgrade pip and try again:

python -m pip install --upgrade pip
pip install changedetection.io

Port 5000 already in use on Windows 10/11

Windows may reserve port 5000 for other services. Use a different port:

changedetection.io -d C:\changedetection-data -p 8080

Or free port 5000:

# Run as Administrator
net stop winnat
net start winnat

Permission denied accessing datastore

Run Command Prompt or PowerShell as Administrator, or ensure the data directory is in a location your user can write to:

mkdir C:\Users\YourUsername\changedetection-data
changedetection.io -d C:\Users\YourUsername\changedetection-data -p 5000

Docker Desktop won’t start

Common issues:

1. Hyper-V not enabled: Enable in “Turn Windows features on or off”
2. WSL 2 not installed: Run wsl --install in PowerShell as Administrator
3. Virtualization disabled in BIOS: Enable Intel VT-x or AMD-V in BIOS settings

Application closes immediately

Check for errors:

changedetection.io -d C:\changedetection-data -p 5000 2>&1 | more

Or redirect to a log file:

changedetection.io -d C:\changedetection-data -p 5000 > C:\changedetection.log 2>&1

Firewall blocking access

Add an exception for Python or the port:

1. Open Windows Defender Firewall
2. Click “Allow an app through firewall”
3. Click “Change settings” then “Allow another app”
4. Browse to Python executable or add port 5000

Performance Tips

Use SSD for datastore

Store the datastore on an SSD for better performance:

changedetection.io -d D:\SSD\changedetection-data -p 5000

Reduce fetch workers

On lower-end systems, reduce concurrent fetchers:

$env:FETCH_WORKERS = "5"
changedetection.io -d C:\changedetection-data -p 5000

Docker resource limits

In Docker Desktop settings:

1. Go to Settings > Resources
2. Adjust CPU and Memory limits
3. Click “Apply & Restart”

Next Steps

Configuration

Configure notifications and features

Docker Installation

Learn more about Docker method

Additional Resources

For more detailed Windows-specific information, see the official wiki.