Clash Verge Rev on Windows 11: A Beginner-Friendly Install Guide
Get Clash Verge Rev running on Windows 11 with clear steps for downloading the installer, completing setup, and checking the first launch. Includes practical pointers for security prompts and common installation problems.
Before you install: check Windows and choose a trusted installer
Clash Verge Rev is a Windows graphical client for managing Mihomo, the proxy core that processes configurations, proxy nodes, DNS, and routing rules. Installing the client does not provide a subscription or guarantee that a proxy connection will work. You will need a compatible configuration or subscription separately, and you can complete the installation before importing one.
On Windows 11, first check that you are using a supported, up-to-date Windows installation and that you can approve software installation on the PC. If the computer is managed by a school or workplace, its administrator may block unapproved apps or require a particular installation method. Do not try to bypass those restrictions; ask the administrator whether the client is permitted.
Download the Windows installer from a source you trust. The site’s download center is the starting point for checking available clients and platform options. Avoid repackaged installers from file-sharing pages, download mirrors you cannot verify, or advertisements that imitate a download button. A client installer can request permission to write files or configure networking, so its source matters.
- Check the platform: Select the Windows build rather than an Android, macOS, or Linux package. If the download page offers more than one Windows format, use the one identified for the current Clash Verge Rev release.
- Check the file: Confirm that the downloaded file has the name and file type described by the download source. Do not run a second installer just because a webpage claims that an extra “download manager” is required.
- Keep a record: Note the installer name and the date you downloaded it. If troubleshooting is needed later, the exact installer and Windows version help narrow down the cause.
- Close conflicting clients: If another proxy client or VPN is already running, disconnect it before testing Clash Verge Rev. Two apps may compete to control the system proxy, a virtual network adapter, or the same local port.
Run the installer and complete setup
After the download finishes, open File Explorer and locate the installer, usually in Downloads. If your browser shows a download list, use its option to open the file’s location and confirm you are launching the file you intended to download. Close the browser’s download notification rather than clicking another pop-up that imitates the installer.
- Double-click the verified installer. If Windows displays a User Account Control prompt, read the app name and publisher shown on the prompt before choosing Yes. A UAC prompt means the installer is requesting permission to make system-level changes; it is not a proxy connection prompt.
- Follow the installer’s own screens. Read any choices about the installation location or shortcuts, and keep the default selection if you have no specific reason to change it.
- If the installer reports that an existing version is running, cancel or close the installer, exit Clash Verge Rev from its notification-area icon if it is open, and then run the installer again. Saving any work in other applications first is sensible when Windows asks to close processes.
- Wait for the installer to report completion. Start the app from the final screen if that option is offered, or open it from the Start menu afterward. Avoid repeatedly launching the installer when the setup window appears to take a moment; check whether a confirmation or permission prompt is waiting behind another window.
Installation and first-run authorization are separate stages. The application may open normally without taking control of Windows networking. Later, enabling the system proxy or TUN mode can cause additional Windows prompts, because those features change how traffic is routed. Read each prompt and make sure it names the action you just requested. A prompt asking to make networking changes should not be confused with permission to install an unrelated program.
If you chose a custom installation folder, remember its location. This makes it easier to identify the installed copy if you have another version or a portable copy elsewhere. If the Start menu shortcut does not appear, use Windows Search to look for Clash Verge Rev, then check the installer’s completion message before concluding that installation failed.
Check the first launch before importing a configuration
When Clash Verge Rev opens, first confirm that the window belongs to the application you just installed. Check the title and the client’s About or version information if available. On a first launch, the app may show an empty profile list, a setup screen, or controls that are not yet active. That can be normal: the graphical client and Mihomo core need a usable configuration before proxy groups and nodes can be selected.
Use a configuration or subscription that you are authorized to use. Import it through the client’s profile or configuration controls, following the instructions supplied by its provider. A subscription link can contain private access credentials: do not paste it into a public chat, issue tracker, screenshot, or shared log. If the provider gives you a file, keep an unchanged backup before editing it.
- Confirm that the profile loads: Look for a successful import or update result, then check whether the client displays the expected proxy groups or nodes. A profile containing only node definitions may not include the proxy groups and rules of a complete configuration.
- Check the core state: The interface being open does not prove the Mihomo core has started. Look for the client’s core or running status and review its logs if startup fails.
- Start with one network control: For a basic test, enable the system proxy if that is the intended operating mode. Do not also enable TUN, change DNS, and edit several rules at the same time; otherwise, a failure is harder to diagnose.
- Test a known request: Choose a proxy group and node that are expected to be available, then open a site or application that follows Windows system proxy settings. Check the client’s connection log to see whether a request arrived and which rule or policy handled it.
A Windows system proxy and TUN mode are not the same setting. The system proxy directs applications that honor Windows proxy settings to a local proxy endpoint; some applications ignore that setting or use their own network options. TUN mode can capture a broader range of traffic through a virtual network interface, but it may require additional permissions and has more potential interactions with firewalls, VPNs, and other network tools. You do not need to enable TUN just to finish installing the app or to test the system proxy.
Resolve common Windows 11 installation problems
Start with the exact symptom rather than repeating the installation or changing Windows security settings. Note the installer’s error text, the point where it appeared, and whether the app opens after the installer exits. These details help distinguish a download problem from a permission issue, an incomplete installation, or a first-run networking problem.
| Symptom | Check first | Practical next step |
|---|---|---|
| Windows says the file cannot be opened or is not a valid app | Whether the download completed, the file is the Windows build, and its name matches the source | Remove the incomplete file and download the Windows installer again from a trusted source |
| SmartScreen displays an unfamiliar-app warning | Download source, file details, and any available publisher information | Pause and verify the file; do not disable SmartScreen to run an unverified installer |
| UAC asks for permission | App name, publisher information, and whether you started the installer | Approve only if the prompt corresponds to the verified installer and you intended to install it |
| Setup says the app is still running | Clash Verge Rev window and notification-area process | Exit the client, confirm it has closed, and run setup again |
| The app installs but does not appear to start | Windows Search, installer completion message, and any error or security notification | Launch from the Start menu, then review Windows Security or application error details if it still fails |
| The app opens but has no usable nodes | Profile import result, subscription update status, and configuration contents | Check the provider’s instructions and confirm the profile includes the required nodes, groups, and rules |
| Installing works, but traffic stops when connecting | Core logs, selected node, system proxy state, and another active VPN or proxy client | Test with one network mode and one client at a time; inspect the first failed request in the logs |
If a download appears blocked, check the browser’s download history and Windows Security’s protection history before trying again. Verify that the file came from the intended source and that the browser did not save an HTML error page with an installer-like name. A fresh download is useful only after verifying the source; repeatedly downloading the same untrusted file does not make it safer.
If Windows reports that installation is restricted, the device may be using an organization policy, parental controls, or a Windows edition with restricted app installation. Check Windows Settings and the device owner’s policy rather than changing registry values or running a script from an unknown source. On a work-managed device, contact the administrator with the app name and the precise message.
If the installation succeeds but the connection does not, do not reinstall immediately. First determine whether the client can load the profile and start the core. Then check whether a request appears in the logs and whether Windows is using the proxy mode you selected. A DNS error, a rejected rule, an unavailable node, and a disabled system proxy are different problems; changing the installer will not correct them.
Update or remove the app safely
For an update, use a trusted source and confirm that the new installer is for Clash Verge Rev on Windows. If setup reports that the app is running, exit the client fully before continuing. Keep a backup of any configuration you edited locally, and note which profile is active. Subscription credentials and locally stored client settings may not be preserved in the same way across every upgrade or uninstall, so do not assume that removing the application also removes, or safely backs up, all private data.
To uninstall, open Settings → Apps → Installed apps, find Clash Verge Rev, and choose the uninstall option. Follow the displayed instructions and restart Windows only if the uninstaller or system requests it. If you plan to reinstall, keep your configuration backup outside the application’s installation directory so that uninstalling cannot remove the only copy. Do not delete unrelated folders or Windows networking components to fix a client issue.
After first launch, make changes incrementally. Record whether you are using the system proxy or TUN, keep other VPN clients disconnected during initial testing, and check the Mihomo logs when a request fails. When asking for help, include the Windows 11 version, Clash Verge Rev version, the step that failed, and the relevant error text. Redact subscription URLs, tokens, passwords, and other credentials first.
Once the client opens, a configuration is loaded, and a test request is handled as expected, the installation is complete. You can then explore additional settings one at a time, keeping a known-good configuration available so that a change can be reversed without repeating the entire setup.