Install swell on Windows

swell on Windows is a single signed executable. You download it, put it somewhere on your path, and run it from PowerShell or a command prompt. There is nothing to install and no dependency to satisfy, which means it also works from a scheduled task or a remote management tool without any preparation on the host.

What do I need before I install?

• 64-bit Windows 10 or 11, or Windows Server 2012 R2, 2016, 2019, or 2022.
• Permission to write the directory you put the executable in.
• Outbound HTTPS on port 443 to Stairwell. If you have not confirmed that from this network, install swell here and then run the checks in Pre-Deployment Check.
• An auth token, which you get after installing with swell auth login.

Where do I get the executable?

From swell Downloads. Copy the Windows link from there rather than typing one from memory, because the URL carries the release date and changes with every release.

swell downloads are date-pinned, so the URL carries the release date and changes with every release:

https://downloads.stairwell.com/swell/<YYYYMMDD>/

Any script that fetches swell therefore has a date in it. Treat that date as a version to review rather than a constant to leave alone.

How do I install it?

1. Download the Windows executable from the Download Center.
2. Rename it to swell.exe if the downloaded name carries a signing suffix.
3. Move it somewhere stable, such as C:\Program Files\Stairwell\.
4. Add that directory to PATH, or call the executable by full path.

The executable is signed by Stairwell. If SmartScreen warns about it, the download did not come from the Download Center or did not complete; get it again rather than dismissing the warning.

One thing to expect on a managed machine: your own endpoint protection may quarantine a newly downloaded unfamiliar executable, and it may quarantine the files swell reads when you upload. If that happens, exclude the swell executable rather than turning anything off, and run swell verify compatibility to see which products are present.

How do I confirm it worked?

Two commands. The first proves the executable runs, the second proves it can reach Stairwell.

PS> swell version
PS> swell verify connectivity

version prints the build you installed. Note it down: it is the first thing to check when behavior does not match the documentation.

verify connectivity probes each of Stairwell's endpoints from this host and prints a pass or fail per endpoint. Four passes and you are ready to authenticate. Anything else, read the DETAIL column and go to Pre-Deployment Check.

Then log in and confirm you can see your own data:

PS> swell auth login
PS> swell foundation getenvs

A table of environments means the install is complete. Credentials are written under your user profile, so a different Windows account on the same machine starts from nothing. See swell Configuration.

What if it does not run?

• swell is not recognized. The directory is not on PATH, or you are in a shell started before you changed it. Open a new window, or call the executable by full path.
• The file disappeared after download. Your endpoint protection quarantined it. Restore it and add an exclusion for the executable.
• A TLS or certificate error against Stairwell. Do not reach for --insecure. The error is the finding: something between this host and Stairwell is intercepting the connection, and Pre-Deployment Check explains what to do about it. On a corporate network this is the most common result, because the intercepting proxy's certificate authority is trusted locally and every browser on the machine looks healthy.
• Long paths fail on upload. Enable long path support in Windows, or upload from a shorter root.

What should I read next?

• swell Command Reference, for every command and flag.
• swell Configuration, for the auth token, the config file, and precedence.
• Pre-Deployment Check, for the two checks to run before a forwarder rollout.