https://www.gnu.org/software/emacs/download.html

2. Scroll down to Windows section, and choose the latest 64-bit zip version.

3. Extract the ZIP file to a folder like C:\Emacs.

4. Inside the extracted folder, open bin\runemacs.exe.

This will launch Emacs without a terminal window – perfect for GUI users!

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🖼️ Step 2: Understand the Interface

When Emacs opens, you'll see:

A Welcome screen

A Menu bar (File, Edit, Options, etc.)

A scratch buffer (a place to write temporary notes or code)

It might not look fancy, but Emacs is extremely powerful under the hood.

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⌨️ Step 3: Learn Basic Keys (Don’t Panic!)

Emacs uses keyboard shortcuts a lot, but let’s start with just a few:

> Pro tip: When you see Ctrl + x, Ctrl + f, press and release Ctrl + x, then press and release Ctrl + f.

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📁 Step 4: Create and Save a File

1. Press Ctrl + x, then Ctrl + f.

2. Type a file name like hello.txt and press Enter.

3. Write something!

4. Press Ctrl + x, then Ctrl + s to save.

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🎨 Step 5: Customize the Look

1. Go to Options in the menu bar.

2. Choose Set Default Font, pick something comfortable.

3. To save this for future sessions, go to:

Options > Save Options.

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🧩 Step 6: Optional – Install a Starter Kit

If you want a more modern, user-friendly Emacs, try a starter kit like:

Doom Emacs – very powerful, but needs Git

Emacs for Windows Beginners – simpler

> If you're not ready for Git or terminal tools, skip this for now and enjoy vanilla Emacs.

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🧠 Bonus: What's So Special About Emacs?

It's a text editor, but also a todo list, email client, web browser, IDE, and more.

You can customize everything with Emacs Lisp (a bit like coding your own editor).

Emacs grows with you – it starts simple, and becomes your superpower.