Howtos for The Rest of Us

Windows Setup Guide

Everything on this page is automated by the Bootstrap Scripts. This guide explains what the scripts do behind the scenes, step by step, so you understand the process whether you use the automation or follow along manually.

What the Bootstrap Scripts Do

The scripts run in three phases. Each builds on the previous one.

Phase 1: Folders and Structure

1-init.ps1

Creates the D:\AI\ folder with all 6 layers (AI_CONFIG, AI_CORE, AI_VAULT, AI_WORKSPACE, AI_TOOLS, AI_CACHE)
Populates AI_VAULT\models\diffusion\ with 12 subdirectories - checkpoints, diffusion_models, LoRAs, VAEs, ControlNet, UNet, text encoders, upscale models, IPAdapter, style models, CLIP vision, CLIP
Detects your GPU type (NVIDIA or AMD) and writes it to system_config.json
Creates symbolic links so AI tools find models in the vault
Generates starter config files: system_config.json, model_registry.json, ports.json (with default ports and listen address)

No software is installed in this phase.

Phase 2: Dependencies

2-deps.ps1

Installs the backend engine (Ollama) and all system tools the frontend apps need:

Tool	Why
Git	Required to download ComfyUI and custom nodes
Python 3.11	Main runtime for ComfyUI and most AI tools
Python 3.10	Fallback for tools that haven’t updated to 3.11
Python 3.12	Required for ROCm ComfyUI backend (optional - AMD only)
Ollama	The backend LLM engine - runs as a service. Frontend apps (ComfyUI, Open Web UI) talk to it
FFmpeg	Video processing for AI workflows

Also sets environment variables so models and caches go to the right places instead of scattering across your drive.

After this phase, restart PowerShell - newly installed tools won’t be found otherwise.

Phase 3: Applications

3-apps.ps1

Verifies OLLAMA_MODELS points to the vault before proceeding (exits if wrong)
Installs ComfyUI into AI_CORE\Apps (and optionally Open Web UI)
Creates an isolated Python virtual environment - Python 3.12 on AMD RDNA2+ (for ROCm), Python 3.11 on RDNA1 or NVIDIA
Installs PyTorch with the correct GPU engine - CUDA for NVIDIA, ROCm for AMD RDNA2+ (RX 6000/7000/9000), DirectML for AMD RDNA1 (RX 5000). Auto-detects your GPU generation and selects the appropriate backend
To override, pass --switch directml on AMD
Generates extra_model_paths.yaml mapping 12 model subdirectories to your vault (uses a named config block vault_config:, not flat key-values)
Creates launcher scripts at AI_TOOLS\launch_comfyui.ps1 and AI_TOOLS\launch_openwebui.ps1 that read port and listen address from ports.json

Running the Scripts

Unblock-File *.ps1          # only needed once after download
Set-ExecutionPolicy RemoteSigned -Scope CurrentUser   # only needed once
.\scripts\1-init.ps1        # step 1: folders + config
# restart PowerShell
.\scripts\2-deps.ps1        # step 2: Git, Python, Ollama, FFmpeg
# restart PowerShell
.\scripts\3-apps.ps1     # step 3: ComfyUI
.\scripts\ai.ps1 setup path # make ai available everywhere

Installing Manually Without Scripts

If you prefer not to use the scripts:

winget install Git.Git
winget install Python.Python.3.10
winget install Python.Python.3.11
winget install Python.Python.3.12
winget install Ollama.Ollama

Then follow the Organize Your AI Folders guide to create the folder structure by hand.

Reading the Install Summary

The script prints a summary after installing:

Install Summary
  Git: Skipped (already up to date)
  Python 3.10: Skipped (already up to date)
  Ollama: Skipped (already up to date)
  FFmpeg: Skipped (already up to date)

“Skipped (already up to date)” is not an error. It means the tool was already installed and no newer version was available. Only the first install shows “Installed” - re-runs will always show “Skipped.”

After Deps Install: Restart PowerShell

After 2-deps.ps1 installs Git, Python, Ollama, and FFmpeg, restart PowerShell. Existing windows won’t see the new tools in PATH.

If ai doctor shows FFmpeg as missing even after install, a fresh terminal is likely all you need.

Pip Version Notice

You might see this during ComfyUI install:

[notice] A new release of pip is available: 24.0 -> 26.1.2

This is a notification, not an error. The version that comes with Python 3.11 works perfectly. You can ignore it.

Common Pitfalls

Command not found? Close PowerShell and open a fresh window
Winget outdated? Download installers directly from python.org or ollama.com
Symlinks fail? Run PowerShell as Administrator, or enable Developer Mode in Windows Settings
Venv activation blocked? Run Set-ExecutionPolicy -Scope CurrentUser RemoteSigned first