Module 0.2: Installation & Setup

Reference Guide

• Time to Complete: 15 minutes
• Prerequisites: Mac (10.15+) or Windows (10/11)

📖 Overview

Install Cursor on Mac or Windows, create a free account, and configure for Product Management work.

Key takeaway: Download from cursor.com, install, create account (email + password), enable codebase indexing.

Installation

Mac

1. Download Cursor

   • Go to cursor.com/download
   • Click “Download for Mac”
   • Wait for Cursor.dmg to download (~150MB)

2. Install

   • Open the downloaded .dmg file
   • Drag Cursor icon to Applications folder
   • Eject the installer

3. First launch

   • Open Applications folder
   • Double-click Cursor
   • If you see “Cursor can’t be opened” → See troubleshooting below

Windows

1. Download Cursor

   • Go to cursor.com/download
   • Click “Download for Windows”
   • Wait for CursorSetup.exe to download (~150MB)

2. Install

   • Run the downloaded .exe file
   • Follow the installation wizard
   • Choose “Install for current user” (recommended)
   • Accept default install location

3. First launch

   • Open from Start menu or desktop shortcut
   • Windows Defender may scan on first run (normal)

First Launch Setup

When Cursor opens for the first time:

1. Choose your theme

   • Select Light or Dark (you can change this later)
   • Click “Continue”

2. Create your account

   • Enter your email address
   • Create a password (8+ characters)
   • Click “Sign Up”
   • Check your email for verification link
   • Click the verification link

3. Welcome screen

   • You’ll see a brief tutorial overlay
   • Click through or press “Skip” to dismiss

Account Setup

Free Account

All new accounts include:

• 14-day Pro trial (automatic, no credit card required)
• Unlimited basic features after trial
• 100 AI requests per month (free tier)

Pro Trial

During your 14-day trial you get:

• Unlimited AI requests
• Claude 3.5 Sonnet access
• Faster response times
• Priority support

No credit card required. After 14 days, you drop to the free tier automatically.

Student Discount

If you have a .edu email address:

1. Go to cursor.com/students
2. Sign up with your .edu email
3. Verify your student status
4. Get 1 year of Cursor Pro free

Recommended Settings

For PM work, adjust these settings:

1. Editor → Word Wrap

   • Turn ON for easier reading of long text documents

2. Features → Auto-Complete

   • Keep ON (helps with writing documents)

3. Features → Privacy Mode

   • Turn ON if working with sensitive product data
   • This keeps your code local (no cloud indexing)

🐛 Troubleshooting

Mac: “Cursor can’t be opened because Apple cannot check it”

Fix:

1. Open System Preferences → Security & Privacy
2. Click the Privacy tab
3. Look for message about Cursor being blocked
4. Click “Open Anyway”
5. Relaunch Cursor from Applications

Slow Download or Timeout

Fix:

• Download may take 5-10 minutes on slower connections
• Try a different browser (Chrome/Firefox/Safari)
• Download directly from cursor.com/download
• Check your internet connection

Installation Failed or Won’t Complete

Mac fix:

• Make sure you have ~500MB free disk space
• Check Applications folder permissions
• Try dragging to Applications again

Windows fix:

• Run installer as Administrator (right-click → Run as Administrator)
• Disable antivirus temporarily during install
• Make sure Windows is updated

Email Verification Not Arriving

Fix:

1. Check your spam/junk folder
2. Wait 5 minutes (can be delayed)
3. In Cursor: Settings → Account → Resend Verification
4. Try a different email provider if persistent issues

📚 Resources

Official:

• Cursor Download - Get the latest version
• Cursor Documentation - Official setup guides
• Cursor Changelog - Recent updates

Account Help:

• Student Discount - 1 year free with .edu email
• Pricing Plans - Free vs Pro comparison

Support:

• Cursor Forum - Community support
• Discord Community - Real-time help
• GitHub Issues - Bug reports

🚀 What’s Next?

Module 0.2 complete:

• ✅ Cursor installed on your machine
• ✅ Account created and verified
• ✅ Codebase indexing enabled
• ✅ Basic settings configured

Next: Module 0.3 - Opening the Course Folder

Learn how to open the course folder in Cursor, understand the file explorer, and get oriented in the TaskFlow project.

Go to Module 0.3 →