Instructions for Installing R and RStudio on a Windows PC

Note: R and RStudio installations require administrative privileges on your PC.

You need to install R prior to installing RStudio. (If you already have R installed, you
may skip and go to the "Installing RStudio" section of instructions.)

Installing R

1. Go to this site:

https://cran.rstudio.com/

2. Click on "Download R for Windows" at the top section of the page .

Click on
1 download R for Installing R and RStudio
Windows

Figure 1: The Comprehensive R Archive Network Page

3. You will be redirected to the R for Windows page shown on Figure 2. Click on the
"install R for the first time" link.

Click on install R for

the first time

Figure 2: R for Windows Page

 4. Next click "Download R x.x.x for Windows" link (where x.x.x is the current version) at
the top section of the page as shown in Figure 3.

Click on
Download
Link

Figure 3: R Download Link

5. The dialog box shown in Figure 4 will open. Click "Save File" to continue (or "Open",
"Run" then skip to Step 6).

2 Installing R and RStudio

Click Save File

Figure 4: R Save File Dialog Box

Launch Windows Explorer and find the installation file you just saved. Figure 5 shows
the file in the Downloads folder.

Figure 5: R Installation File Location

Double click on that file to start the installation process.

6. You may receive a Security Warning dialog box as shown in Figure 6. Click "Run" to
continue.
 Click Run

Figure 6: Security Warning

7. The Select Setup Language dialog box on Figure 7 will open. English is the default
language choice. Click "OK" to continue.

3 Installing R and RStudio

Click OK to continue.

Figure 7: Select Setup Language Dialog Box

8. The Welcome screen of the Setup Wizard on Figure 8 will open. Click "Next" to
continue.
 Click Next to
Continue.

Figure 8: R Setup Wizard Welcome Screen

4 Installing R and RStudio
9. The information screen on Figure shows the public license agreement. Click "Next"
to continue.

Click Next to
Continue.

Figure 9: R Setup Wizard Information Screen

 10. The Destination Location screen on Figure 10 shows the default installation folder.
You may click "Browse" to change the folder. Click "Next" to continue to the next
screen.

Default
Destination
Folder

Click Next to
Continue.

5 Installing R and RStudio

Figure 10: R Setup Wizard Select Destination Location Screen

11. The Select Components screen on Figure 11 shows the application components
installation options and the storage requirements based on selected options. All
components are checked by default. Click "Next" to continue.
 Click Next to
Continue.

Figure 11: R Setup Wizard Select Components Screen

12. Make sure that "No" is selected on the Startup option screen on Figure 12. Click
"Next" to continue.
6 Installing R and RStudio

Click Next to
Continue.

Figure 1: R Setup Wizard Startup Options Screen

13. The Select Start Menu Folder screen on Figure 13 shows the default folder name in
the Startup Menu. You may rename the folder, or you may click "Browse" to select an
existing folder. Click "Next" to continue.
 Click Next to
Continue.

Figure 13: R Setup Wizard Select Start Menu Folder Screen

14. The Select Additional Tasks Screen on Figure 14 shows the Registry entries options
and the Shortcut icon options. Keep the default setting and click "Next" to continue.

7 Installing R and RStudio

Click Next to
Continue.

Figure 14: R Setup Wizard Select Additional Tasks Screen

15. Figure 15 shows the Installation progress bar.
 Figure 15: R Setup Wizard Installing Screen
16. Once the installation is finished, click "Finish" on the final setup screen on Figure 16.

8 Installing R and RStudio

Click Finish to
Continue.

Figure 16: R Setup Wizard Setup Final Screen

 Installing RStudio

Be sure that R has been installed prior to installing RStudio. (If this is not done
properly, you will need to review the Troubleshooting section at the end of this
document which explains how to remedy this.)

1. Go to the RStudio download web page at:

https://www.rstudio.com/products/rstudio/download/

Scroll to Installers for Supported Platforms section on Figure 17. Click on the first link if
you have Windows operating system (Windows Vista/7/8).

9 Installing R and RStudio

Figure 17: RStudio Download – Installers section of the page

2. The dialog box on Figure 18Figure will open. Click "Save File" (or select "Open" and
"Yes" if you get a user access confirmation dialog box, then skip to Step 3).
 Click Next to
Continue.

Figure 18: RStudio Save File Dialog box

Launch Windows Explorer, and find the installation file you just saved. Figure Shows
the file in the Downloads folder.

10 Figure19: RStudio Installation File Location Installing R and RStudio

Double click on a file to start the installation process. If you receive a user access
confirmation dialog box, click "Yes" to continue.

3. The Welcome screen of the setup Wizard on Figure 20 will appear. Click "Next" to
continue.
 Click Next to
Continue.

Figure 20: RStudio Setup Wizard Welcome Screen

4. The Choose Install Location screen on Figure 21 shows the default installation folder.
You may click Browse to change the folder. Click "Next" to continue to the next screen.

11 Installing R and RStudio

Default Destination
Folder

Click Next to
Continue.

Figure 21: RStudio Setup Wizard Choose Install Location Screen

5. The Choose Start Menu Folder screen on Figure shows the default folder name in
the Startup Menu. You may rename the folder, or you may click "Browse" to select an
existing folder. Click "Install" to continue.
 Click Install
to Continue.

Figure 22: RStudio Setup Wizard Select Start Menu Folder Screen
6. Figure 23 shows the Installation progress bar.

12 Installing R and RStudio

Figure 23: RStudio Setup Wizard Installing Screen

7. Once the installation is finished, click "Finish" on the final setup screen on Figure 24.
 Click Finish
to Continue.

Figure 24: RStudio Setup Wizard Completing Setup Screen

13 Installing R and RStudio

 Launching RStudio

Your work is typically done in RStudio since it is a much more user friendly development
environment than R (but you need R installed in order to run RStudio!)

1. Open your Start menu. Select "All Programs". Click on the "RStudio" folder.

Next, click the "RStudio" program shortcut inside the folder. See Figure 25.

14 Installing R and RStudio

Figure 25: RStudio in the Start Menu

2. If the program was installed successfully, the interface on Figure 26 will open.

Session Commands
R version History

Console-
Data and Variables in memory –
Frame where
the panel is empty since we just
you enter the
launched the program.
commands

Command
Prompt

Figure 26: RStudio Interface

3. You are ready to use RStudio!
 4. When you are done, you can quit RStudio by closing the window or selecting "File",
"Quit RStudio".

Troubleshooting

Possible RStudio Installation Error

An RStudio installation may fail if R is not installed. You may receive an Choose R
Installation dialogue box shown in Figure 27.

15 Installing R and RStudio

Figure 27: Choose R Installation Dialog Box

Click "OK". You may get an R Not Installed error message on Figure 28. Click "Yes" to
be redirected to RStudio products download web page and follow the steps above to
install R. Once R is successfully installed, the RStudio will launch successfully.
 Figure 28: R Not Installed Error

16 Installing R and RStudio