Last updated on Feb 28, 2025

How do you install Boost for C++ on Windows?

Boost is a collection of free, peer-reviewed C++ libraries that can significantly enhance your programming. Installing Boost on Windows involves a few crucial steps to ensure it integrates properly with your development environment. This article will guide you through the process, providing clear instructions to get you up and running with Boost. Remember, you'll need to have a C++ compiler installed on your Windows machine before you begin, as Boost is a set of libraries that work in conjunction with your existing development tools.

1 Download Boost

To start, you need to download the Boost libraries. Navigate to the official Boost website and select the version you wish to install. It's generally best to download the latest stable release to take advantage of recent updates and improvements. Once selected, download the compressed file containing the Boost libraries to your local machine. Ensure you remember the download location, as you'll need to access this file for installation.

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sameer gaikwad
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Download Boost from the official website. Extract the downloaded file to a location on your system. Open Command Prompt and navigate to the extracted Boost directory. Run the bootstrap.bat file. After bootstrap completes, run b2.exe with appropriate options for your configuration, such as --toolset=msvc, and --build-type=complete. Finally, run b2.exe install to install Boost libraries to the default location. Alternatively, specify a custom installation directory with --prefix=path/to/installation/directory.

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Omar A.

Lead Developer | Pioneering IT Excellence | Empowering Businesses | Ensuring Robust Governance | Inspiring Visionary Leadership | Builder of Software | Tech Advisor
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-Download Boost: Visit the Boost website and download the appropriate version (e.g., boost_1_82_0.zip). -Unpack Boost: Extract the downloaded ZIP file. Set Up Include Paths: Add the boost subdirectory to your #include path in Visual Studio. -Build Boost: Either build from Visual Studio or use the Command Prompt. -Link Your Program: Link your C++ program to the desired Boost libraries. -Test Your Program: Compile and run your program to ensure it works.

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Alexander Khalyavin

Senior Pipeline Engineer, Tools Developer, Technical Artist for games and VFX. Stack: Maya, Houdini, After Effects, Nuke; V-Ray, Arnold, Unreal Engine/Unity/Oculus VR and APIs. Python / C++. VES Member since 2017.
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git clone git@github.com:microsoft/vcpkg.git cd vcpkg bootstrap-vcpkg.bat vcpkg.exe integrate install vcpkg install boost Add "-DCMAKE_TOOLCHAIN_FILE=C:/path/to/vcpkg/scripts/buildsystems/vcpkg.cmake"

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2 Extract Files

After downloading Boost, the next step is to extract the files from the compressed archive. You can use any standard file extraction program available on Windows to do this. Right-click the downloaded archive and choose the option to extract the files. It's a good idea to extract them to a known directory that's easily accessible, such as C:\Boost . This will make the installation process smoother and more manageable.

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sameer gaikwad
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To install Boost for C++ on Windows, first, download the Boost library from the official website. Extract the downloaded files to a directory. Then, open Command Prompt and navigate to the Boost directory. Use the command prompt to bootstrap the Boost.Build build system. After bootstrapping, execute the `b2` command to build the Boost libraries. Finally, set the environment variable `BOOST_ROOT` to point to the Boost directory. Now, Boost is installed and ready to be used in your C++ projects on Windows.

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3 Bootstrap Boost

With the files extracted, navigate to the Boost root directory in your command prompt. Here, you'll need to run the bootstrap.bat script. This script prepares the Boost build process by generating a customized project-config.jam file, which is necessary for building the libraries on your system. Simply type .\bootstrap.bat and press Enter. The script will execute and ready the Boost libraries for the building process.

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sameer gaikwad
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To install Boost for C++ on Windows, first, download the Boost library from its website. Extract the files to a directory. Then, open a command prompt and navigate to the Boost directory. Run `bootstrap.bat` to create necessary configuration files. Next, run `b2` command to build Boost libraries. Finally, set the environment variable `BOOST_ROOT` to the Boost directory. You can now include Boost headers in your C++ code and link against Boost libraries during compilation.

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David Cox, PhD

Senior IT Analyst with Duke University
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I am using Visual Studio 2022 Community version. Visual Studio sets CXX to clang++. However, bootstrap.bat tries to execute clang++ with switches for cl: boost_1_85_0\tools\build\src\engine>"clang++" /nologo -TP /wd4996 /wd4675 /EHs /GR /Zc:throwingNew /O2 /Ob2 /W3 /MD /Zc:forScope /Zc:wchar_t /Zc:inline /Gw /favor:blend /Feb2 -DNDEBUG bindjam.cpp builtins.cpp class.cpp command.cpp compile.cpp constants.cpp ... This results in the following errors: clang++: error: no such file or directory: '/nologo' clang++: error: no such file or directory: '/wd4996' ...

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4 Build Libraries

Once the Boost build system is bootstrapped, it's time to compile the libraries. In the command prompt, still within the Boost root directory, initiate the build by running .\b2.exe . This command will start compiling all the Boost libraries which may take some time depending on your system's performance. If you only need specific libraries or want to customize your build, you can pass additional parameters to b2.exe to tailor the build process to your needs.

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5 Set Environment

After building Boost, you need to make it accessible to your compiler and linker. To do this, set the environment variables for Boost on your Windows system. Add the path of the Boost root directory to the BOOST_ROOT environment variable. Then, update your system's PATH variable to include the directory where the compiled libraries are located. This ensures that when you compile C++ programs that use Boost, your system knows where to find the necessary files.

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sameer gaikwad
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To install Boost for C++ on Windows, download the Boost libraries from the official website. Extract the files and navigate to the Boost root directory in Command Prompt. Run `bootstrap.bat` to generate necessary build scripts. Then, execute `b2 install` to build and install Boost. Set environment variables `BOOST_ROOT` to Boost's root directory and `PATH` to include Boost's binaries. Finally, include Boost headers in your C++ code and link against Boost libraries during compilation.

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6 Configure IDE

Finally, if you're using an Integrated Development Environment (IDE) like Visual Studio, you'll need to configure it to use Boost. This involves setting up the include directories and library paths within your project's properties. Point the IDE to where you've installed Boost so it can locate the header files and libraries during compilation. This step is crucial for successfully compiling and running your C++ applications that rely on Boost libraries.

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sameer gaikwad
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To install Boost for C++ on Windows, download Boost binaries or source files from the official website. Extract the files to a directory. Then, configure your IDE to include Boost header files and link against Boost libraries. In Visual Studio, add the Boost directory to the include path and specify Boost libraries in project settings. For other IDEs, consult their documentation for configuring include paths and linking libraries. Finally, ensure Boost's environment variables are set up correctly for compilation and execution.

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7 Here’s what else to consider

This is a space to share examples, stories, or insights that don’t fit into any of the previous sections. What else would you like to add?

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How do you install Boost for C++ on Windows?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Download Boost

2 Extract Files

3 Bootstrap Boost

4 Build Libraries

5 Set Environment

6 Configure IDE

7 Here’s what else to consider

Software Development

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How do you install Boost for C++ on Windows?

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

1 Download Boost

2 Extract Files

3 Bootstrap Boost

4 Build Libraries

5 Set Environment

6 Configure IDE

7 Here’s what else to consider

Software Development

Rate this article

Thanks for your feedback

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