Run Google's AI Locally: A Beginner's Guide to Running Gemini AI (Gemma) on Windows free forever!

Stop sending your private data to the cloud: Here’s how to run Google’s most advanced open-source AI, Gemma, directly and privately on your Windows PC.

Introduction: Why Run Gemini Locally?

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly evolving. Tools like Google's powerful Gemini can write, research, and create. But to use these tools, you typically have to send all your data—your questions, your documents, your private thoughts—over the internet to a huge cloud server.

But here’s the exciting secret: you don’t have to.

Thanks to Gemma, the open-source model built with the same research and technology as Gemini, you can run a powerful Local LLM (Large Language Model) directly on your Windows computer.

Why would you want to do this?

• Privacy is Paramount: Your conversations and data never leave your PC. It’s the ultimate private AI assistant.
• Offline Use: Once downloaded, you can use the AI model anywhere—on a plane, in a basement, or on a network with limited connectivity.
• Total Control: There are no API limits, subscription fees, or usage restrictions. You decide how and when to use it.
• Learning Opportunity: It's the best hands-on way to understand how cutting-edge AI technology truly works.

One of our blog reader asked me whether we can install Google Gemini locally after reading it was included as part of Kali Linux 2025.3 post. So, I had decided to write a separate post on it. This guide is written for Windows users, especially those who prefer clear, step‑by‑step instructions. I’ll explain every technical term in plain English as usual, so you’ll never feel lost(as much as possible). By the end, you’ll not only have Gemini running locally, but you’ll also understand how it works and how to get the most out of it. But I want to say one point clear, there is a small tradeoff you have to do. Since the model runs entirely on your machine, it won't have real-time, up-to-the-minute information from the web. If you're okay with using data it was trained on (which is still vast and powerful for most tasks), then you are ready to proceed!

Also Read: Guide to AI Models: Enhanced Reasoning, Advanced Coding, Multimodal Integration, Long Context & Trending LLMs (Gemini, DeepSeek, GPT-5 & More)

What You Need Before Installing Google Gemini on Windows

Before we dive in, let’s prepare. Think of this like gathering ingredients before cooking.

Minimum Requirements

Component	Requirement	Explanation for Beginners
Operating System	Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)	The installer requires a modern version of Windows.
RAM (Memory)	16 GB RAM	This is the absolute minimum. RAM is your computer's "short-term memory." Gemma uses it heavily.
Storage	4-10 GB free space	This depends on the specific model you choose (The suggestion is to small, efficient one). SSD is highly recommended.
Internet	Required for the initial download	You only need it to download the Ollama installer and the Gemma model file.

In Short,

• Windows 10 or 11 PC
• 16 GB RAM ( Click to Read: How to find out your RAM Capacity)
• 4-10 GB free storage (depends on the model)
• Internet connection (only for the first download)

Recommended Setup

Component	Recommendation	Why it Matters
RAM (Memory)	32 GB RAM	If you want to use larger, more powerful models (like gemma2:9b or gemma3:27b), 32 GB is ideal for faster, smoother chats.
Storage Type	SSD (Solid State Drive)	Models load much faster from an SSD than from an older mechanical Hard Drive (HDD).
Graphics Card	Dedicated GPU	An NVIDIA GPU with CUDA support provides the biggest speed boost, making the AI feel almost instantaneous.

• 32 GB RAM if you want to run larger models (like gemma3:27b)
• SSD storage for faster loading
• Dedicated GPU (graphics card) for smoother performance

Why These Requirements Matter

Running an AI model is like inviting a guest who eats a lot (just said for fun😅, no offence). The bigger the model, the more “food” (RAM and storage) it needs. If your computer doesn’t have enough, it may feel slow or struggle to keep up.

Chapter 2: Installing Ollama (The AI Engine)

Ollama is the simplest and easiest way to run local AI models. Think of Ollama as the engine that handles all the complex logistics (like downloading, memory management, and running the model) so you don't have to. It's free and open-source software.

Step‑by‑Step Installation

1. Open your browser (Edge, Chrome, or Firefox).
2. Visit https://ollama.ai.
3. Click Download for Windows (big blue button).
4. Once downloaded, double‑click the file to start the installer..
5. Follow the on‑screen instructions (usually click Next, then Install).

Ollama will install and run quietly in the background, making it ready to accept commands. You might see a small icon in your system tray (near the clock) showing it's active.

Chapter 3: Opening Command Prompt

We’ll use Command Prompt to give instructions.

1. Press the Windows key.
2. Type Command Prompt.
3. Click the black‑and‑white icon.

You’ll see a black window with white text. This is your “control center.”

Chapter 4: Downloading the Gemma Model

Now let’s bring the AI model onto your computer. We are going to use the Gemma 3 4B model (gemma3:4b) which was latest at the time of writing this post, feel free to install new versions if available. This is a modern, highly efficient version that provides great performance on 16GB RAM machines.

1. In Command Prompt, type: ollama pull gemma3:4b

What does gemma3:4b mean?

Term	What it Means
ollama pull	The instruction to download a model from the official Ollama library.
gemma3:4b	The model name. gemma3 is the name of the model family, and 4b means it has about 4 billion parameters (knowledge points).

The download will begin. This file is several gigabytes, so depending on your internet speed, this step may take several minutes. Be patient!

Don’t think much about 4b,7b. They are just parameters.  Parameters are like “knowledge points.”

• 2b (2 billion parameters) = smaller, lighter, runs on most PCs.
• 7b (7 billion parameters) = larger, smarter, but needs more memory.

For beginners, 4b is the best choice. I had tested both 7b and 4b models on one of my 16GB RAM PC, it works bit faster compared to 7b so, suggested for 4b model. If you have higher RAM capacity go directly to 7b. That model requires more system memory (22.1 GiB)

Chapter 5: Running Gemini Locally : Time to chat with your AI.

1. In Command Prompt, type: ollama run gemma3:4b
2. You’ll see a new prompt where you can type messages.
3. Try:

Hi, welcome to our home or give whatever information you need to ask! or try who are you?

5. Press Enter. The model will reply!

Who are you?

I'm Gemma, a large language model created by the Gemma team at Google DeepMind. I'm an open-weights model, which

means I'm widely available for public use!

I can take text and images as inputs and generate text-based responses.

You can learn more about me and how to use me on the Gemma project page:

[https://ai.google.com/gemma](https://ai.google.com/gemma)

I'm still under development, but I'm always learning new things!

Congratulations — you’ve just learned how to run Gemini AI offline on Windows.

Chapter 6: Troubleshooting (Common Issues and Fixes)

Even with clear steps, sometimes things go wrong. Here are common issues, and what does that mean:

Issue	Solution
"Error: Command not found"	This usually means Ollama wasn't installed correctly or the installer wasn't finished. Reinstall Ollama from the official website.
Download is very slow	The model file is large (several GB). This is normal. It will complete, just let it run.
My computer feels sluggish!	AI processing is memory intensive. Close other memory-hungry programs (like large video games or browsers with hundreds of tabs).
Black window disappears	Make sure you opened the standalone Command Prompt app, not the Run dialog (Windows Key + R).

 Chapter 8: Next Steps and Advanced Options

Once you’re comfortable with gemma3:4b, you can explore more by Trying a larger model:

• ollama pull gemma3:7b
• ollama run gemma3:7b

or ollama pull gemma2:9b and ollama run gemma2:9b or even more big ollama pull gemma3:27b and ollama run gemma3:27b

Remember: It will show Spinning symbol at the beginning which is perfectly normal.

(Needs at least 32 GB RAM for faster run like i said earlier)

Use a Graphical Chat Interface (Recommended!): If you prefer a clean, ChatGPT-style chat window instead of commands, check out free desktop apps like LM Studio or Jan. These apps use your local Ollama setup but provide a much friendlier user interface.

• Experiment with prompts:
• “Give me top 5 VPN providers.”
• “Give me top 5 Artificial intelligence models”
• “Give me top 5 selling Stocks ”

FAQ:

Q: What’s the difference between Gemini and Gemma?
A: Gemini is Google’s main AI model. Gemma is the open‑source version you can run locally. Open source means, you don’t need to pay money.

Q: Do I need the internet every time?
A: No. Only for the first download. After that, it works offline.

Q: Can I break my computer by doing this?
A: No. At worst, the program won’t run. You can always uninstall it.

Q: What if I don’t like typing commands?
A: Use LM Studio — it gives you a simple chat window.

Quick Reference:

• LLM (Large Language Model): A type of AI that understands and generates text.
• Parameters: Knowledge points the AI uses to answer questions.
• RAM: Your computer’s short‑term memory.
• Command Prompt: A text window where you type instructions.
• Ollama: The program that manages and runs AI models locally.

Running Gemini locally is like having your own private AI library — always available, always private, and always under your control.

 Welcome to the world of local AI!