The easiest way to install a C compiler in windows

Download the file setup.exe from Cygwin. Save the file on your computer and run it. This will install cygwin on your computer. The following instructions assume that you install cygwin in the folder c:\cygwin\
You will be prompted at several points during the installation. Select the default choice offered each time,i.e. click Next each time. The default settings are correct for most users.
When you come to the page where you are asked to choose the components you wish to install:
- The components you will be installing are under the DEVEL tab. Open the DEVEL tab to find them.
- Select the following components by clicking on the word Skip to the left: gcc, make, and gdb.
  The screenshots below highlight (see yellow triangle) the three components that you will select for installation. Selecting these will automatically add other related pieces. The binaries for the selected components will be installed in the bin folder under c:\cygwin\.
Add c:\cygwin\bin to the PATH environment variable on your computer. The process for editing environment variables varies. Check online documentation that corresponds to your machine.