Windows
Windows
Both installers are graphical and both configure themselves, so there is nothing to add to your PATH by hand on this platform.
1. Install Texpile
Download the installer and run it. Texpile appears in the Start menu when it finishes.
2. Install TeX Live
Download install-tl-windows.exe from CTAN and run it. It unpacks itself, then starts the installer proper; an Advanced button exposes the scheme and directory options if you want a smaller install or a different location. When it finishes it adds the TeX Live binaries to your search path for you.
A full install is 7 GB or more and can take a long time. The Advanced screen lets you pick a smaller scheme, and TeX Live Manager adds packages later as documents need them.
MiKTeX works just as well, but only one of the two can be active at a time: they share the same search path.
3. Check it worked
The installer edits the search path, so a Command Prompt that was already open will not see TeX until you close and reopen it. Texpile reads the environment when it launches, so restart Texpile too.