#Install on Windows

This page is for installing the tool, not for downloading the source repository.

The important idea is:

Install Make Markdown Library once into Python, then run it against any folder of documents.

You do not install it into each document folder. You do not need to keep a copy of the GitHub source repository on your computer just to use the tool.

#1. Check Python first

Open PowerShell and run:

py --version

If that prints a Python version, continue.

If it does not work, install Python first:

• Install Python on Windows

#2. Download the install package

Use the public download page:

• Download Make Markdown Library

The primary button on that page downloads the .whl installer directly. The same page also links to the GitHub release page as a fallback.

The install package is a Python wheel file. It has a name like:

make_markdown_library-0.4.0-py3-none-any.whl

It is fine if the browser saves this file in Downloads. Downloads is only a temporary place for the installer file. It is not where the tool is installed.

#3. Install the package

In PowerShell, install the downloaded wheel file.

If it is in your Downloads folder, run:

py -m pip install --user "$env:USERPROFILE\Downloads\make_markdown_library-0.4.0-py3-none-any.whl"

The --user option installs the tool into your Windows user Python location. It avoids needing administrator permissions.

#4. Where is it installed?

You normally do not choose an application folder.

Python installs the tool into your user Python package area, usually somewhere under your Windows profile, such as:

C:\Users\YourName\AppData\Roaming\Python\Python3xx\site-packages

The command-line launcher may be placed under a matching Scripts folder.

That location is managed by Python and pip. You do not need to browse to it. You do not need to keep the wheel file after installation.

#5. Check it works

Use the Python module form. This avoids Windows PATH problems:

py -m make_markdown_library --version

Then run the diagnostic command:

py -m make_markdown_library doctor

#6. Use it on any folder

You can now run the tool from any PowerShell window by giving it the path to the folder you want to convert.

For example:

py -m make_markdown_library make "C:\Users\Mark\Documents\My Project" --converter auto

That creates the default outputs in the current PowerShell folder.

To write the library into the document folder, use an output path:

py -m make_markdown_library make "C:\Users\Mark\Documents\My Project" -o "C:\Users\Mark\Documents\My Project\markdown-library.md" --converter auto

If a library already exists, choose a safety behaviour.

Keep a backup of the previous output:

py -m make_markdown_library make "C:\Users\Mark\Documents\My Project" -o "C:\Users\Mark\Documents\My Project\markdown-library.md" --backup-existing

Replace the previous output intentionally:

py -m make_markdown_library make "C:\Users\Mark\Documents\My Project" -o "C:\Users\Mark\Documents\My Project\markdown-library.md" --overwrite

#7. Optional: use the short command

Some Python installs make this shorter command available:

make-markdown-library --version

If it works, you can use make-markdown-library instead of py -m make_markdown_library.

If it does not work, keep using the module form. It is longer, but reliable:

py -m make_markdown_library --version

#8. Optional: install Windows prerequisites

The tool can run without every optional system tool. If doctor reports missing OCR, LibreOffice, ImageMagick, or the lit CLI, use the prerequisites guide to decide what you actually need:

• Windows prerequisites

For most users, the most useful optional extra is Tesseract OCR for scanned PDFs and images containing text.

#9. Optional: use the GUI

Start the GUI with:

py -m make_markdown_library gui

The GUI lets you choose the source folder, output file, converter mode, Markdown policy, and index format without typing the full make command.

#10. Uninstall later

To remove the tool, see:

• Uninstall

The uninstall command removes the installed Python package. It does not delete the Markdown libraries you created.

#Common Windows problems

#The wheel file cannot be found

Check the filename in Downloads. The version number may be different from the example.

You can also drag the .whl file from File Explorer into PowerShell. Windows will paste the full path.

#py is not recognized

Install Python first:

• Install Python on Windows

Then close and reopen PowerShell.

#make-markdown-library is not recognized

Use the Python module form:

py -m make_markdown_library --version

You can also use the module form for real builds:

py -m make_markdown_library make "C:\Users\Mark\Documents\My Project" --converter auto