diff --git a/install.ps1 b/install.ps1
index e4788b0..e88f044 100644
--- a/install.ps1
+++ b/install.ps1
@@ -4,46 +4,80 @@
   One-liner (PowerShell):
     irm https://git.armoredarmadillo.com/brockdarnold/eve-watcher/raw/branch/main/install.ps1 | iex
 
-  Paste it ONCE. It puts the watcher repo in %USERPROFILE%\eve-watcher, forces the
-  working tree to match the latest code, and runs update.py - which installs deps +
-  Tesseract, starts the watchers, auto-detects the ore-hold readout (no manual snip),
-  and registers logon + daily auto-update. You never have to install or update again.
+  Paste it ONCE. It auto-installs anything missing (Python, and Git if available),
+  downloads the watchers to %USERPROFILE%\eve-watcher (via git if possible, else a
+  plain zip - no git required), then runs update.py which installs deps + Tesseract,
+  starts the watchers, auto-detects the ore-hold readout (no manual snip), and sets
+  up logon + daily auto-update. Nothing to install or configure by hand.
 
-  Safe to re-run anytime: it force-syncs to the latest code (reset --hard) and never
-  touches your gitignored config.ini.
+  Safe to re-run anytime. Your gitignored config.ini is never touched.
 #>
 $ErrorActionPreference = "Stop"
-$repo = "https://git.armoredarmadillo.com/brockdarnold/eve-watcher.git"
-$dir  = Join-Path $env:USERPROFILE "eve-watcher"
+[Net.ServicePointManager]::SecurityProtocol = [Net.SecurityProtocolType]::Tls12
+$repo   = "https://git.armoredarmadillo.com/brockdarnold/eve-watcher.git"
+$zipUrl = "https://git.armoredarmadillo.com/brockdarnold/eve-watcher/archive/main.zip"
+$dir    = Join-Path $env:USERPROFILE "eve-watcher"
 
-function Need($cmd, $hint) {
-  if (-not (Get-Command $cmd -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue)) { throw "$cmd not found. $hint" }
+function Have($c) { [bool](Get-Command $c -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue) }
+function Refresh-Path {
+  $m = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "Machine")
+  $u = [Environment]::GetEnvironmentVariable("Path", "User")
+  $env:Path = (@($m, $u) | Where-Object { $_ }) -join ';'
 }
-function GitMust($desc) { if ($LASTEXITCODE -ne 0) { throw "git $desc failed (exit $LASTEXITCODE)" } }
-
-Need git    "Install it:  winget install --id Git.Git -e   (then re-run)"
-Need python "Install Python 3 from https://www.python.org (check 'Add to PATH'), then re-run."
-
-# Make $dir a git clone of $repo whose working tree is FORCED to the latest commit.
-# init+fetch+reset is bulletproof: it can't fail on a non-empty folder (old installer)
-# or on Windows CRLF/dirty-tree issues the way `git clone` / `git pull` can.
-if (-not (Test-Path (Join-Path $dir ".git"))) {
-  if (Test-Path $dir) { Write-Host "Converting existing folder to a git clone (keeping config.ini)..." }
-  else { Write-Host "Creating $dir ..."; New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $dir -Force | Out-Null }
-  git -C $dir init -q; GitMust "init"
+function Ensure-Tool($cmd, $wingetId) {
+  if (Have $cmd) { return $true }
+  if (Have winget) {
+    Write-Host "Installing $cmd (one-time, may prompt UAC)..."
+    try { winget install --id $wingetId -e --silent --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements | Out-Null } catch {}
+    Refresh-Path                       # so the just-installed tool is found in THIS session
+  }
+  return (Have $cmd)
+}
+function Download-Zip {
+  Write-Host "Downloading watcher (no git needed)..."
+  $tmp = Join-Path $env:TEMP "eve-watcher.zip"
+  Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $zipUrl -OutFile $tmp -UseBasicParsing
+  $ex = Join-Path $env:TEMP ("ew_" + [guid]::NewGuid().ToString("N"))
+  Expand-Archive -Path $tmp -DestinationPath $ex -Force
+  New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $dir -Force | Out-Null
+  Copy-Item -Path (Join-Path $ex "eve-watcher\*") -Destination $dir -Recurse -Force  # archive has no config.ini
+  Remove-Item $tmp, $ex -Recurse -Force -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue
 }
-if (-not (git -C $dir remote)) { git -C $dir remote add origin $repo }
-else { git -C $dir remote set-url origin $repo }
-Write-Host "Syncing to latest code..."
-git -C $dir fetch -q origin; GitMust "fetch"
-git -C $dir checkout -q -B main origin/main; GitMust "checkout"
-git -C $dir reset --hard -q origin/main; GitMust "reset"   # config.ini is gitignored -> untouched
 
-if (-not (Test-Path (Join-Path $dir "update.py"))) { throw "update.py missing after sync - aborting." }
+# Pick up anything installed earlier in a now-stale session (e.g. git just installed
+# by hand but PATH not refreshed - exactly the "git not found after installing" case).
+Refresh-Path
+
+# Python is the runtime - required. Git is optional (nice for updates/edits).
+if (-not (Ensure-Tool python "Python.Python.3.12")) {
+  throw "Python is required and couldn't be auto-installed. Get it from https://www.python.org (check 'Add to PATH'), then re-run."
+}
+$haveGit = Ensure-Tool git "Git.Git"
+
+if ($haveGit) {
+  if (-not (Test-Path (Join-Path $dir ".git"))) {
+    if (-not (Test-Path $dir)) { New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $dir -Force | Out-Null }
+    git -C $dir init -q
+  }
+  if (-not (git -C $dir remote)) { git -C $dir remote add origin $repo } else { git -C $dir remote set-url origin $repo }
+  git -C $dir fetch -q origin
+  if ($LASTEXITCODE -eq 0) {
+    git -C $dir checkout -q -B main origin/main
+    git -C $dir reset --hard -q origin/main      # config.ini gitignored -> untouched
+  } else {
+    Write-Warning "git fetch failed - using zip download instead."
+    Download-Zip
+  }
+} else {
+  Write-Host "Git not available - installing without it (zip mode)."
+  Download-Zip
+}
+
+if (-not (Test-Path (Join-Path $dir "update.py"))) { throw "update.py missing after install - aborting." }
 
 Set-Location $dir
 python update.py
 
 Write-Host ""
 Write-Host "Installed at $dir. Auto-start + daily auto-update are configured - nothing else to do."
-Write-Host "Make sure your in-game Ore Hold is open so it can auto-calibrate the live % reader."
+Write-Host "Have your in-game Ore Hold window open so it can auto-calibrate the live % reader."