diff --git a/.github/workflows/npm-release.yml b/.github/workflows/npm-release.yml
index 84e669d..27ace3f 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/npm-release.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/npm-release.yml
@@ -264,13 +264,22 @@ jobs:
         env:
           LIGHT_OCR_SMOKE_FIXTURE: ${{ github.workspace }}/corpus/fixtures/generated-hello-123
         run: node smoke.cjs
-      - name: Install and smoke the explicit Document preview
+      - name: Install and smoke the explicit Document preview (Unix)
+        if: runner.os != 'Windows'
         shell: bash
         working-directory: package-smoke
         run: |
           npm install --no-audit --no-fund --package-lock=false \
             ../dist/release/arcships-light-ocr-document-0.1.0.tgz
           node ../tools/npm/document-smoke.cjs
+      - name: Install and smoke the explicit Document preview (Windows)
+        if: runner.os == 'Windows'
+        shell: pwsh
+        working-directory: package-smoke
+        run: |
+          npm install --no-audit --no-fund --package-lock=false `
+            ../dist/release/arcships-light-ocr-document-0.1.0.tgz
+          node ../tools/npm/document-smoke.cjs
       - name: Install and smoke preview tiers
         if: matrix.preview
         shell: bash
diff --git a/packages/light-ocr-document/README.md b/packages/light-ocr-document/README.md
index a8af0fd..f2969a6 100644
--- a/packages/light-ocr-document/README.md
+++ b/packages/light-ocr-document/README.md
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ checksum-verified prebuilt binary for supported platforms and may require a
 compiler if no prebuild is available. Processing does not upload documents or
 use a network service.
 
+On Windows, install from PowerShell or Command Prompt. The pinned renderer's
+installer invokes `tar` with native Windows paths; Git Bash may resolve its own
+GNU tar first and misinterpret the drive-letter colon.
+
 ```js
 const { recognizeDocument } = require('@arcships/light-ocr-document');