diff --git a/setup-windows.bat b/setup-windows.bat
index c2c610f..6daba00 100644
--- a/setup-windows.bat
+++ b/setup-windows.bat
@@ -21,39 +21,85 @@ echo  ============================================
 echo.
 
 REM ---------------------------------------------------------------- git check
-REM Git for Windows only adds itself to PATH if "Git from the command line" was
-REM chosen at install time, and an already-open cmd keeps its old PATH anyway.
-REM So probe the usual install homes before giving up.
+REM Git for Windows only lands on PATH if "Git from the command line" was chosen
+REM at install time, and an already-open cmd keeps its old PATH regardless. So:
+REM probe the usual homes, then offer to install, then probe again - a fresh
+REM install is never visible to `where` in this session.
+:git_probe
 where git >nul 2>&1
-if not errorlevel 1 goto :git_ok
+if not errorlevel 1 goto :git_done
 if exist "%ProgramFiles%\Git\cmd\git.exe" set "PATH=%ProgramFiles%\Git\cmd;%PATH%"
 if exist "%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Git\cmd\git.exe" set "PATH=%ProgramFiles(x86)%\Git\cmd;%PATH%"
 if exist "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Git\cmd\git.exe" set "PATH=%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Git\cmd;%PATH%"
 where git >nul 2>&1
-if not errorlevel 1 (
-    echo  [ok] git ^(found off PATH, added for this run^)
-    goto :git_done
-)
+if not errorlevel 1 goto :git_found_offpath
+if "%GIT_TRIED%"=="1" goto :git_missing
+where winget >nul 2>&1
+if errorlevel 1 goto :git_missing
+echo.
+echo  [--] Git is not installed.
+set "DOIT="
+set /p "DOIT=      Install it now with winget? [Y/n] "
+if /i "%DOIT%"=="n" goto :git_missing
+set "GIT_TRIED=1"
+echo       Installing Git ^(a UAC prompt may appear^)...
+winget install --id Git.Git -e --source winget --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements --silent
+goto :git_probe
+
+:git_found_offpath
+echo  [ok] git ^(found off PATH, added for this run^)
+goto :git_done
+
+:git_missing
 echo  [X] Git not found on PATH, and not in any of:
 echo        %ProgramFiles%\Git\cmd
 echo        %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\Git\cmd
 echo.
-echo      If Git is NOT installed:  https://git-scm.com/download/win
+echo      Install it from https://git-scm.com/download/win
 echo      If you JUST installed it: close this window, open a new Command
 echo        Prompt and run the script again - an open window keeps its old PATH.
-echo      If it is installed elsewhere: check with  where git
 goto :fail
-:git_ok
-echo  [ok] git
+
 :git_done
+echo  [ok] git
 
 REM --------------------------------------------------------------- node check
+REM winget's LTS package is deliberate: better-sqlite3 publishes prebuilt
+REM binaries for LTS Node, so installing LTS sidesteps the node-gyp build.
+:node_probe
 where node >nul 2>&1
 if not errorlevel 1 goto :node_found
 if exist "%ProgramFiles%\nodejs\node.exe" set "PATH=%ProgramFiles%\nodejs;%PATH%"
 if exist "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\nodejs\node.exe" set "PATH=%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\nodejs;%PATH%"
 where node >nul 2>&1
 if not errorlevel 1 goto :node_found
+if "%NODE_TRIED%"=="1" goto :node_missing
+where winget >nul 2>&1
+if errorlevel 1 goto :node_missing
+echo.
+echo  [--] Node.js is not installed.
+set "DOIT="
+set /p "DOIT=      Install Node 22 LTS now with winget? [Y/n] "
+if /i "%DOIT%"=="n" goto :node_missing
+set "NODE_TRIED=1"
+echo       Installing Node LTS ^(a UAC prompt may appear^)...
+winget install --id OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS -e --source winget --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements --silent
+goto :node_probe
+
+:node_missing
+echo  [X] Node.js not found on PATH, and not in any of:
+echo        %ProgramFiles%\nodejs
+echo        %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\nodejs
+echo.
+echo      Install Node 22 LTS from https://nodejs.org/ then re-run.
+echo      If you JUST installed it, open a NEW Command Prompt first.
+goto :fail
+
+:node_found
+if exist "%ProgramFiles%\nodejs\node.exe" set "PATH=%ProgramFiles%\nodejs;%PATH%"
+if exist "%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\nodejs\node.exe" set "PATH=%LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\nodejs;%PATH%"
+where node >nul 2>&1
+if not errorlevel 1 goto :node_found
 echo  [X] Node.js not found on PATH, and not in any of:
 echo        %ProgramFiles%\nodejs
 echo        %LOCALAPPDATA%\Programs\nodejs
@@ -84,15 +130,40 @@ if /i not "%GOON%"=="y" goto :fail
 :node_ok
 
 REM ------------------------------------------------------------------- python
-where python >nul 2>&1
-if errorlevel 1 (
-    echo  [--] python not found - the dashboard will still work.
-    echo       Needed only for the clicker ^(clicker\runner.py^).
-    set "HAVE_PY=0"
-) else (
-    echo  [ok] python
-    set "HAVE_PY=1"
-)
+REM Only the clicker needs Python; the dashboard runs without it.
+REM
+REM Detection is deliberately "run it and see" rather than `where python`:
+REM Windows ships a stub python.exe in WindowsApps that only opens the Microsoft
+REM Store. `where` finds it, running it does nothing useful. Asking it to print
+REM its major version separates a real interpreter from the stub. The py
+REM launcher is preferred when present - it is not shadowed by the stub.
+:py_probe
+set "PYCMD="
+for /f "tokens=*" %%v in ('py -3 -c "import sys;print(sys.version_info[0])" 2^>nul') do if "%%v"=="3" set "PYCMD=py -3"
+if not defined PYCMD for /f "tokens=*" %%v in ('python -c "import sys;print(sys.version_info[0])" 2^>nul') do if "%%v"=="3" set "PYCMD=python"
+if defined PYCMD goto :py_found
+if "%PY_TRIED%"=="1" goto :py_skip
+where winget >nul 2>&1
+if errorlevel 1 goto :py_skip
+echo.
+echo  [--] Python is not installed ^(needed only for the clicker^).
+set "DOIT="
+set /p "DOIT=      Install Python 3.12 now with winget? [Y/n] "
+if /i "%DOIT%"=="n" goto :py_skip
+set "PY_TRIED=1"
+echo       Installing Python ^(a UAC prompt may appear^)...
+winget install --id Python.Python.3.12 -e --source winget --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements --silent
+goto :py_probe
+
+:py_skip
+echo  [--] python not found - the dashboard will still work.
+echo       Needed only for the clicker ^(clicker\runner.py^).
+goto :py_end
+
+:py_found
+for /f "tokens=*" %%v in ('%PYCMD% -c "import sys;print(sys.version.split()[0])" 2^>nul') do set "PYVER=%%v"
+echo  [ok] python %PYVER% ^(via "%PYCMD%"^)
+:py_end
 
 REM ------------------------------------------------------------------- prompts
 echo.
@@ -169,17 +240,29 @@ if errorlevel 1 (
 )
 
 REM ------------------------------------------------------ python deps (option)
-if "%HAVE_PY%"=="1" (
-    echo.
-    echo  [5/5] Installing clicker Python dependencies...
-    python -m pip install --quiet --disable-pip-version-check -r clicker\requirements.txt
-    if errorlevel 1 (
-        echo  [!] pip install failed - the dashboard still works, the clicker will not.
-    )
-) else (
-    echo.
-    echo  [5/5] Skipping Python dependencies ^(python not found^).
-)
+echo.
+if not defined PYCMD goto :deps_skip
+echo  [5/5] Installing clicker Python dependencies...
+REM requirements.txt guards its pyobjc entries with sys_platform == "darwin",
+REM so on Windows this resolves to pyautogui and its wheels only.
+%PYCMD% -m pip install --upgrade --quiet --disable-pip-version-check pip
+%PYCMD% -m pip install --quiet --disable-pip-version-check -r clicker\requirements.txt
+if errorlevel 1 goto :deps_failed
+%PYCMD% -c "import pyautogui" 2>nul
+if errorlevel 1 goto :deps_failed
+echo       pyautogui imports cleanly.
+goto :deps_done
+
+:deps_failed
+echo  [!] Python dependency install failed - the dashboard still works,
+echo      the clicker will not. Retry by hand with:
+echo        %PYCMD% -m pip install -r clicker\requirements.txt
+goto :deps_done
+
+:deps_skip
+echo  [5/5] Skipping Python dependencies ^(python not found^).
+
+:deps_done
 
 REM ---------------------------------------------------------------- start file
 > "%~dp0start-autofirmer.bat" (