The packages within the MinGW/Base directory are supported by the MinGW development team; they provide the core facilities required for a basic MinGW installation. To install files distributed by MinGW we suggest you use the mingw-get installer: https://sourceforge.net/projects/mingw/files/Installer To set mingw-get up for first time use, run the mingw-get-setup.exe tool; this will install mingw-get for use as a command line tool, and, at your option, as a GUI installer tool. Once set up, you may then use it at any time, to install your choice of additional packages.