Download
Go to https://bitcoincore.org/bin/bitcoin-core-24.0.1/ and install https://bitcoincore.org/bin/bitcoin-core-24.0.1/bitcoin-24.0.1-win64-setup.exe
Check for newer versions on https://bitcoincore.org/bin/ At the time this guide was created 24.0.1 was the latest.
Install bitcoin-24.0.1-win64-setup.exe
In the windows search bar type %APPDATA%
In the windows explorer you should see a folder Bitcoin. It there is none, create one.
Open that folder and create a file named bitcoin.conf with a text editor like notepad.
And copy paste the following:
txindex=1
server=1
rpcbind=127.0.0.1
rpcallowip=127.0.0.1
rpcport=8332
rpccookiefile=.cookie
rest=1
uacomment=i-love-ak-47
Save the file and exit the text editor.
After creating the Bitcoin folder you can access it directly on windows search typing %APPDATA%/Bitcoin
Run the bitcoin-qt software and your node is working.
Or use the following commands to start and stop the node on the command line bitcoind and bitcoin-cli stop
If you don't have enought storage space on the Drive C: or what to use another hard drive. Just add this to bitcoin.conf
datadir=D:\Bitcoin
And create the folder D:\Bitcoin
This in a example. The folder D:\Bitcoin will contain all the folders and files related to the bitcoin node. This folder will be used instead of the default one, %APPDATA%/Bitcoin
And put your bitcoin.conf in D:\Bitcointoo.
To start, stop and interact with the node since you are not using the default settings you need to add the parameter -conf=D:\Bitcoin\bitcoin.conf
bitcoind -conf=D:\Bitcoin\bitcoin.conf to start the node and bitcoin-cli -conf=D:\Bitcoin\bitcoin.conf stop to stop it.
Welcome to the great revolution.