How to Install Clash Verge Rev on Windows: Service Mode, System Proxy & Startup

Installation order: get the system proxy working before trying TUN

For Clash Verge Rev on Windows, follow this order: check your system architecture → install the client → import a subscription → choose a policy → enable the system proxy → verify the connection. Service Mode handles privileged tasks required to run the core, while TUN routes traffic through a virtual network interface. Neither is required to import a subscription.

Clash Verge Rev is a graphical client; the mihomo core handles rules, DNS, and proxy connections. An open client window only confirms that the interface launched. A valid subscription, a running core, an available proxy port, and traffic reaching the core are four separate things to verify.

Choose an installer: check processor architecture and installation scope

Check your system type in Windows Settings

In Windows 11, open Settings → System → About and check System type. In Windows 10, the path is usually Settings → System → About. Choose the x64 installer for most 64-bit Intel and AMD PCs. PCs with Snapdragon and other ARM processors use ARM64; first check whether the release offers an ARM64 package and documents support for your system.

Choose the Windows download from the client downloads page, and confirm the project is Clash Verge Rev. Releases change, so this guide does not specify a version number; follow the current release notes if the interface or system requirements differ. After downloading, check the file’s properties and source. If Windows displays a security warning, verify where the file came from rather than disabling your security software to bypass the check.

Install the client and handle first-run dependencies

1. Quit any older client that is running. Before upgrading, back up your configuration, especially local overrides, rules, and custom proxy groups.
2. Run the installer and choose an installation location in the setup wizard. Windows may show a UAC prompt when writing to system directories or installing a service. Verify the program’s source before granting permission.
3. Launch the client and check that its window and system tray icon appear. Closing the window may minimize the client to the tray rather than quit it.
4. If prompted to install the Microsoft Edge WebView2 Runtime, follow the project’s installation instructions. Do not download individual DLLs from unknown sites and place them in the program folder.

Import a subscription: make sure the configuration is active, not just downloaded

Open the client’s Subscription page and use the New or Import option to add a Clash-compatible subscription link from your provider. The option names may vary between versions. Subscription URLs often contain credentials; do not share them in screenshots, public logs, or online configuration converters.

1. Paste the subscription link and start the download. Check for HTTP errors, timeouts, or YAML parsing errors.
2. Select the newly imported configuration in the subscription list and confirm it is active. Seeing it in the list does not mean the core is using it.
3. Open the Proxies page, set the mode to Rule, and check that the expected nodes appear in your proxy groups.
4. Choose an available node in the policy group that handles outbound traffic. If the selected option is DIRECT, requests will connect directly.

A subscription may return a webpage, a login prompt, or a format intended for another client. Opening the link in a browser does not mean mihomo can use it as a configuration. When import fails, check the specific error: a response beginning with HTML is usually not a configuration; missing required fields or references to nonexistent policy names may indicate an incompatible subscription format or an issue with your overrides.

System proxy: check the port, Windows settings, and app behavior

Enable System Proxy in the client, then open Windows Settings → Network & internet → Proxy and check that the manual proxy points to the local machine. The diagnostics below use the mixed port 7897 as an example; this is not a universal default. First find the current port in the client settings or active configuration.

The system proxy directs apps that honor Windows proxy settings to a specified endpoint; it does not automatically route traffic from every program. Browser extensions, apps with their own proxy settings, some command-line tools, and programs that use WinHTTP may use different settings. One app bypassing the proxy does not mean the client installation failed.

Isolate the issue with an explicitly proxied request

Open PowerShell and check the local port first, then send a request with Windows’ curl.exe. Including .exe avoids argument differences caused by the curl alias in some PowerShell environments.

Test-NetConnection -ComputerName 127.0.0.1 -Port 7897
curl.exe --proxy http://127.0.0.1:7897 --connect-timeout 10 --max-time 20 -I https://example.com/

• TcpTestSucceeded : True: the local port accepts connections. This does not confirm that the node or remote website is reachable.
• Connection refused immediately: first check that the port is correct and the core is running, rather than repeatedly switching nodes.
• The local port accepts connections, but the request times out: check the selected proxy group, node connectivity, matched rules, and core logs.
• The explicitly proxied request succeeds, but the browser still fails: check for conflicts between the browser’s proxy extensions and system proxy settings.

The 10- and 20-second values in the command are connection and overall request timeouts, not speed test results. While testing, open the client’s Connections page and check the destination domain, matched rule, and policy chain. Even if the request succeeds, verify that it used the proxy as expected rather than matching a rule that sends it DIRECT.

Service Mode and TUN: configure permissions and traffic routing separately

Service Mode handles permission requirements

Service Mode lets a background service handle privileged tasks such as starting the core, so you do not have to run the graphical client with elevated privileges every time. In many versions, find it under Settings → Clash Settings → Service Mode. If the layout differs, look for Service Mode or service management in Settings; names vary by version.

1. Use the service management screen to install the service. Confirm that the UAC prompt refers to the program in the current installation directory.
2. Wait for the interface to confirm that the service is installed or running. If installation fails, save the full error message instead of repeatedly trying again.
3. Restart the client or core as prompted, then check the service status and whether the configuration loaded.

A service being installed, a service running, and the core successfully loading its configuration are different states. Service Mode is also not the same as startup: a background service may start with Windows, while the graphical client’s behavior after sign-in and whether it restores the system proxy depend on client settings.

Use TUN for traffic that bypasses the system proxy

Try enabling TUN when you need apps that ignore system proxy settings to be handled by your rules. On Windows, TUN typically relies on a virtual interface, routes, and DNS handling, and requires the appropriate permissions. First confirm that Service Mode is working. Then change only the TUN setting, keeping your verified subscription and node selection unchanged.

TUN does not guarantee that every connection will use a proxy; rules still determine how traffic is handled. DNS resolution, Fake-IP mappings, route exclusions, and other VPN software can all affect the result. Enterprise VPNs, virtual machine networks, and security software can conflict over routes. If access to your local network breaks, turn off TUN to compare behavior rather than deleting network adapters.

Startup: verify the full connection path after signing back in

The startup option is usually under Settings → Verge Settings, labeled Startup or Launch at startup. If the setting is grouped differently in your version, look for the same label. After enabling it, check Settings → Apps → Startup in Windows 11 to see whether Windows has disabled the entry. In Windows 10, check the Startup tab in Task Manager.

For desktop clients, “start at startup” usually means launch after the user signs in; it does not mean the proxy is available before sign-in. Waking a laptop from sleep is not a full startup and cannot replace a sign-out, sign-in, or restart test.

After restarting, check these five things

• Only the intended client is running in the system tray; an older client has not also restored its system proxy.
• The same subscription is still active, and the proxy group has not unexpectedly switched to DIRECT.
• The core is running, and its active port still matches the Windows system proxy setting.
• If you need the system proxy or TUN, confirm the corresponding setting is on again. Do not assume every version restores it automatically.
• After sending a new request, check that it appears on the Connections page and that the destination and policy chain are as expected.

If you occasionally lose connectivity after signing in, compare the system proxy setting before and after the client starts. If Windows retains a local proxy address while the client is not running, apps that honor system proxy settings will connect to a port with nothing listening. To restore connectivity temporarily, turn off the manual proxy in Windows Settings, then troubleshoot the startup entry; reinstalling is not the first step.

Installation and runtime errors: troubleshoot by symptom instead of resetting everything

Find the process using a port

If the logs point to a port conflict, run the commands below in PowerShell. The first lists listening addresses, ports, and process IDs; the second looks up the process using the listening port. If there is no matching listener, the second command may return an error. Check the port or core status first.

Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 7897 -State Listen |
  Select-Object LocalAddress, LocalPort, OwningProcess

Get-Process -Id (Get-NetTCPConnection -LocalPort 7897 -State Listen).OwningProcess

Once you identify the process, verify what it is before stopping it. Do not terminate an unfamiliar system process. If you change the mixed port, recheck the system proxy and any apps where you configured a port manually. An old port left in a browser extension or developer tool can cause only some apps to fail.

Done: working configuration, reliable startup, and a way to roll back

Installation is not complete just because every toggle is on. For a PC used mainly for browsing, Rule mode with the system proxy may be enough. Add Service Mode and TUN only when you need them to cover other apps. Each time you enable a feature, recheck the port, connection logs, and access to your target sites.

Keep a backup of your local overrides and settings, and note the active port, subscription, and service status. Before quitting the client, turn off the system proxy or confirm that a normal exit restores Windows settings. After upgrading, repeat the sign-in startup test. For help with rules and DNS, see the user guide; for your first import and basic setup, follow the getting started guide.