Self-Hosted GitHub Runners (Windows)

Step-by-step guide for provisioning a Windows 10/11 (x64) machine as a self-hosted GitHub Actions runner for the Ever Gauzy project.

note

Runner version: 2.331.0 (update the version and checksum below as needed) Estimated time: ~1–2 hours (Visual Studio Build Tools takes the longest)

Prerequisites

A fresh or clean Windows 10/11 machine with administrator access
Internet connectivity
A GitHub organization runner registration token — see Adding self-hosted runners

tip

All commands in this guide must be run in an elevated (Administrator) PowerShell terminal.

Step 1 — Install the GitHub Actions Runner

mkdir C:\actions-runner; cd C:\actions-runner

# Download the runner
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://github.com/actions/runner/releases/download/v2.331.0/actions-runner-win-x64-2.331.0.zip -OutFile actions-runner-win-x64-2.331.0.zip

# Verify checksum
if ((Get-FileHash -Path actions-runner-win-x64-2.331.0.zip -Algorithm SHA256).Hash.ToUpper() -ne '473e74b86cd826e073f1c1f2c004d3fb9e6c9665d0d51710a23e5084a601c78a'.ToUpper()) {
    throw 'Computed checksum did not match'
}

# Extract
Add-Type -AssemblyName System.IO.Compression.FileSystem
[System.IO.Compression.ZipFile]::ExtractToDirectory("$PWD\actions-runner-win-x64-2.331.0.zip", "$PWD")

Step 2 — Configure the Runner

# Replace YOUR_TOKEN with the registration token from GitHub
./config.cmd --url https://github.com/ever-co --token YOUR_TOKEN

Get a token from GitHub → Organization Settings → Actions → Runners → New self-hosted runner. Tokens are short-lived, so generate one right before running this command.

Step 3 — Enable Long Path Support

Windows has a 260-character path limit by default, which breaks many Node.js projects.

reg add "HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\FileSystem" /v LongPathsEnabled /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

warning

A reboot is required for this change to take full effect.

Step 4 — Install Chocolatey

Chocolatey is used as the primary package manager for the remaining tools.

Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force
[System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [System.Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol -bor 3072
iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))

# Refresh PATH so choco is available
$env:Path = [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path","Machine") + ";" + [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path","User")

Step 5 — Install Build Tools and Dependencies

5a. Visual Studio 2022 Build Tools

Required for compiling native Node.js modules (node-gyp, etc.). This step takes ~20–60 minutes.

choco install -y visualstudio2022buildtools --execution-timeout=21600 --package-parameters "--add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VCTools --includeRecommended --includeOptional --passive --norestart"

5b. Git, Python, Node.js, Yarn, and NSIS

choco install -y git --params "/GitAndUnixToolsOnPATH"
choco install -y python3 --params "/InstallDir:C:\Python"
choco install -y nodejs-lts
choco install -y yarn
choco install -y nsis

5c. Refresh PATH and Verify

$env:Path = [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path","Machine") + ";" + [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path","User")

Write-Host "=== Verification ===" -ForegroundColor Cyan
@("git","bash","node","npm","yarn","python","pip","makensis") | ForEach-Object {
    $cmd = Get-Command $_ -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
    if ($cmd) { Write-Host "  OK $_ : $($cmd.Source)" -ForegroundColor Green }
    else      { Write-Host "  MISSING $_ : NOT FOUND"  -ForegroundColor Red }
}

Step 6 — Create `python3` Alias

Some build scripts expect python3 to exist on Windows. Create a copy next to python.exe:

$pythonPath = (Get-Command python.exe -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue).Source
if ($pythonPath) {
    $dir = Split-Path $pythonPath -Parent
    Copy-Item $pythonPath (Join-Path $dir "python3.exe") -Force
    Write-Host "Created python3.exe at $dir" -ForegroundColor Green
} else {
    Write-Host "Python not found - check Step 5b" -ForegroundColor Red
}

Verify both work:

python --version
python3 --version

Step 7 — Configure Git for Long Paths

git config --system core.longpaths true

Step 8 — Enable Developer Mode

Required for symlink support without elevation (used by some Node.js tooling):

reg add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\AppModelUnlock" /t REG_DWORD /f /v "AllowDevelopmentWithoutDevLicense" /d "1"

Step 9 — Set Execution Policy

Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope LocalMachine -Force

Step 10 — Performance Tuning

10a. Add Antivirus Exclusions

This significantly speeds up builds by skipping real-time scanning of the runner workspace and common build processes:

Add-MpPreference -ExclusionPath "C:\actions-runner"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "node.exe"
Add-MpPreference -ExclusionProcess "pwsh.exe"

10b. Disable Windows Search Indexing

The WSearch service wastes I/O on a dedicated build machine:

Stop-Service -Name "WSearch" -Force
Set-Service  -Name "WSearch" -StartupType Disabled

Step 11 — Restart the Runner Service

After all installations, restart the runner so it picks up the updated PATH and environment:

Restart-Service actions.runner.ever-co.* -Force
Write-Host "Runner service restarted." -ForegroundColor Green

note

Replace ever-co with your organization name if different.

Tools Installed

Tool	Purpose
GitHub Actions Runner	Executes CI/CD workflows
Chocolatey	Windows package manager
Visual Studio 2022 Build Tools	Native module compilation (node-gyp)
Git (+ Unix tools)	Source control & bash shell
Node.js LTS	JavaScript runtime
Yarn	Package manager for Node.js
Python 3	Required by node-gyp and build scripts
NSIS	Installer builder for Electron apps

Final Verification

Run this block to confirm everything is working:

$env:Path = [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path","Machine") + ";" + [System.Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path","User")

Write-Host "========================================"  -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host "  GitHub Actions Runner - Verification  "  -ForegroundColor Cyan
Write-Host "========================================" -ForegroundColor Cyan

@(
    @{ Name="git";      Cmd="git --version" },
    @{ Name="bash";     Cmd="bash --version" },
    @{ Name="node";     Cmd="node --version" },
    @{ Name="npm";      Cmd="npm --version" },
    @{ Name="yarn";     Cmd="yarn --version" },
    @{ Name="python";   Cmd="python --version" },
    @{ Name="python3";  Cmd="python3 --version" },
    @{ Name="pip";      Cmd="pip --version" },
    @{ Name="makensis"; Cmd="makensis /VERSION" }
) | ForEach-Object {
    $result = try { Invoke-Expression $_.Cmd 2>&1 } catch { "NOT FOUND" }
    $color = if ($result -match "NOT FOUND|not recognized") { "Red" } else { "Green" }
    $symbol = if ($color -eq "Green") { "OK" } else { "MISSING" }
    Write-Host "  $symbol $($_.Name): $result" -ForegroundColor $color
}

Write-Host ""
Write-Host "Runner service status:" -ForegroundColor Cyan
Get-Service actions.runner.* | Format-Table Name, Status -AutoSize

Troubleshooting

Problem	Fix
`bash` not found	Reinstall Git with the `/GitAndUnixToolsOnPATH` flag
`node-gyp` build fails	Verify VS Build Tools installed with VCTools workload
`python3` not recognized	Re-run Step 6 to create the alias
PATH changes not taking effect	Restart the runner service (`Restart-Service actions.runner.*`)
Runner not picking up new tools	The runner caches its env at startup — always restart after installs
Long path errors	Verify Step 3 and Step 7 are both applied, then reboot

Optional — Fully Disabling Antivirus

Security Warning

The steps below completely turn off real-time protection and anti-spyware scanning. This improves build performance but leaves the machine fully unprotected against malware and ransomware.

Recommended approach: use the targeted exclusions from Step 10a instead — they provide most of the performance benefit while keeping the machine protected.

Only consider this if:

The machine is a dedicated build runner with no other use
It is on a private/isolated network, not used for browsing or email
You accept the risk of running without any antivirus protection

Disable Real-Time Monitoring

Set-MpPreference -DisableRealtimeMonitoring $true

note

If Tamper Protection is enabled (default on Windows 11), this command may be silently ignored. Turn off Tamper Protection manually via Windows Security → Virus & threat protection → Manage settings → Tamper Protection → Off before running the command.

Disable via Group Policy Registry Key

New-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender" -Name "DisableAntiSpyware" -Value 1 -PropertyType DWORD -Force

Restart the Runner Service

Restart-Service actions.runner.ever-co.* -Force

How to Re-Enable

To reverse the above and restore protection:

Set-MpPreference -DisableRealtimeMonitoring $false
Remove-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Policies\Microsoft\Windows Defender" -Name "DisableAntiSpyware" -Force

Prerequisites​

Step 1 — Install the GitHub Actions Runner​

Step 2 — Configure the Runner​

Step 3 — Enable Long Path Support​

Step 4 — Install Chocolatey​

Step 5 — Install Build Tools and Dependencies​

5a. Visual Studio 2022 Build Tools​

5b. Git, Python, Node.js, Yarn, and NSIS​

5c. Refresh PATH and Verify​

Step 6 — Create python3 Alias​

Step 7 — Configure Git for Long Paths​

Step 8 — Enable Developer Mode​

Step 9 — Set Execution Policy​

Step 10 — Performance Tuning​

10a. Add Antivirus Exclusions​

10b. Disable Windows Search Indexing​

Step 11 — Restart the Runner Service​

Tools Installed​

Final Verification​

Troubleshooting​

Optional — Fully Disabling Antivirus​

Disable Real-Time Monitoring​

Disable via Group Policy Registry Key​

Restart the Runner Service​

How to Re-Enable​

Related Pages​

Prerequisites

Step 1 — Install the GitHub Actions Runner

Step 2 — Configure the Runner

Step 3 — Enable Long Path Support

Step 4 — Install Chocolatey

Step 5 — Install Build Tools and Dependencies

5a. Visual Studio 2022 Build Tools

5b. Git, Python, Node.js, Yarn, and NSIS

5c. Refresh PATH and Verify

Step 6 — Create `python3` Alias

Step 7 — Configure Git for Long Paths

Step 8 — Enable Developer Mode

Step 9 — Set Execution Policy

Step 10 — Performance Tuning

10a. Add Antivirus Exclusions

10b. Disable Windows Search Indexing

Step 11 — Restart the Runner Service

Tools Installed

Final Verification

Troubleshooting

Optional — Fully Disabling Antivirus

Disable Real-Time Monitoring

Disable via Group Policy Registry Key

Restart the Runner Service

How to Re-Enable

Related Pages