Current Windows installations include the curl command-line tool, so on most Windows 10 PCs you can use cURL from Command Prompt or PowerShell without installing a separate package. Because Windows 10 is out of standard support, check the installed cURL version when you rely on newer protocol or security features.
Confirm cURL is available
Open Command Prompt and run curl.exe --version. Windows displays the cURL version and supported features. Using curl.exe is explicit and avoids confusion with historical PowerShell aliases on older environments.
Make a simple request
Run curl.exe https://example.com to retrieve a public webpage and print its response to the terminal. To save a file, use an output option such as -o filename only after verifying the URL and destination.
Inspect headers before troubleshooting the wrong thing
Options such as -I can request response headers, while -v provides verbose connection information. Verbose output can expose authentication headers or other sensitive details, so do not paste it publicly without reviewing it.
Be careful with commands copied from the web
cURL can download files, send credentials, upload data, follow redirects, and call APIs. Understand every option before running a long command. Never pipe an unknown download directly into a shell or executable.
If the inbox cURL is too old for a feature you need, use an official maintained cURL distribution or move the workload to a supported Windows 11 environment rather than replacing protected Windows system files manually.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.