Get the setup-x86.exe from the official site. Do not use the setup-x86_64.exe version, as it is strictly for 64-bit systems.

On the "Select Packages" screen, you can search for and add specific tools. Common tools: gcc-core , make , gdb , openssh , and git .

Choose a download site from the list. If you are using an older version, you may need to manually enter an archive URL like those provided by Cygwin Archive .

Double-click the file and choose "Install from Internet".

If the standard mirror is unavailable, you can use the Cygwin Time Machine to download a specific snapshot of the 32-bit repository. Installation Guide for Windows 7 32-bit

The default is usually C:\cygwin . It is best to keep this for compatibility.

To install Cygwin on a 32-bit Windows 7 system, you need to use a specific version, as the official project recently dropped support for older operating systems and the 32-bit (x86) architecture.