Three downloads, three different users
The Windows section of the release page carries three files: an .msi package, an .exe installer with setup in the name, and a portable archive. The first two end up in the same place, so take either. The .msi only matters where software goes out by group policy.
The portable build is different. Configuration sits next to the executable rather than in AppData, which suits a USB stick or a machine whose system folders you would rather not touch. You update it by replacing the folder yourself.
Then architecture. x64 covers almost every laptop and desktop, and arm64 exists for ARM machines such as Snapdragon laptops. Getting it wrong does not make the app slow, it stops it starting.
One page only: github.com/clash-verge-rev/clash-verge-rev/releases
Repackaged builds from mirror sites often carry extras, and there is nothing to audit afterwards.
From double click to a working window
- 1
Match the file to the machine
Open Settings, then System, then About, and read the system type line. x64 based means the x64 file, ARM based means arm64. Unpack a portable build somewhere you can write to, not inside Program Files.
- 2
Get past SmartScreen
Run the installer and Windows may show the blue panel saying it protected your PC. Click More info at the bottom left, then Run anyway. The signature simply has not built up download reputation with Microsoft. No scanner found anything.
- 3
Add the exclusion before installing
Some security suites block the virtual adapter driver, others quarantine the main executable. Putting the target folder on the exclusion list first takes a minute. Retrieving files from quarantine and reinstalling the driver takes much longer.
Three things to confirm before going further
A visible window does not mean the core is running, because the interface and the Mihomo core are separate processes. Leave TUN off for now as well: on Windows it depends on service mode, and the first attempt raises an administrator prompt. Confirm these three first.
- A Clash Verge icon sits in the notification area, and if Windows folded it away, click the arrow
- The Logs page keeps producing lines, because a blank page means the core never started
- Nothing else holds the mixed port, which is 7897 on current builds and may still be 7890 in an older config
Common questions
Windows says it protected my PC. Should I worry?
That panel appears when a signature has not earned enough reputation with Microsoft, which is normal for open source software. If the file came from github.com/clash-verge-rev/clash-verge-rev/releases, click More info and then Run anyway. If it came from anywhere else, delete it and download again.
Can I install to the D drive, and does a drive letter change lose my config?
The installer lets you pick a path, so the D drive is fine. Configuration lands under %APPDATA% no matter where the program sits, so a drive letter change does not touch it. The portable build is the opposite: data travels with the folder, so move the folder, not just the executable.