Install the R Language on Windows

Before you start

R runs on Windows 7 and later (64-bit is advised). You need around 1 GB of free disk space. Install R before RStudio, if you plan to use RStudio.

Download R

Open the CRAN website (cran.r-project.org), click Download R for Windows, then base, and Download R x.y.z for Windows.

Install R

Step 1: Run the installer. Open the downloaded .exe file.

Step 2: Choose the language of the installer.

Step 3: Accept the license (GNU GPL) and click Next.

Step 4: Choose the install folder. The default is C:\Program Files\R\R-x.y.z.

Step 5: Select the components

• Main files. The core R software, including the R console.
• 64-bit files. The 64-bit version of R.
• Message translations. Translations of the R messages.

Keep the defaults.

Step 6: Choose the Start Menu folder.

Step 7: Finish. Click Next and wait for the install.

Step 8: Complete. Click Finish.

Check R

Open R from the Start menu (the R Console). Type:

version

and press Enter. You see the R version. Try a calculation:

2 + 2

Install a package

install.packages("ggplot2")
library(ggplot2)

Why use R on Windows

• A great choice for data analysis and statistics.
• Cross-platform. Your scripts also run on Linux and macOS.
• Thousands of packages on CRAN.
• A strong community.
• Works well with RStudio (a friendly IDE).

Quick recap

• Download R from CRAN and run the installer.
• Keep the default components.
• Check with version in the R console.