How to Download, Install, and Use the Windows Package Manager (Winget)

WinGet is Microsoft’s command-line client for Windows Package Manager. On supported Windows desktop editions, it is included with App Installer, which you can install or update through the Microsoft Store; you normally do not download a separate winget.exe.

This guide covers installation, verification, package selection, upgrades, removal, source troubleshooting, logging, and special cases such as Windows Sandbox.

Check whether your version of Windows is supported

WinGet supports:

• Windows 10 version 1809, build 17763, or later
• Windows 11
• Windows Server 2025

Windows Server 2019 is not supported because it does not provide the Microsoft Store and required dependencies. WinGet is also not included in a standard Windows Sandbox session.

How WinGet is installed

On Windows 10 and Windows 11, the WinGet client is contained in the App Installer package. App Installer is a Windows component distributed and updated through the Microsoft Store. The Store listing is therefore called App Installer, not “WinGet.”

Windows Server 2025 receives WinGet through Windows updates rather than the normal Microsoft Store installation path.

Install WinGet from the Microsoft Store

1. Open Start.
2. Type store, then press Enter.
3. In the Microsoft Store search bar, type winget and press Enter.
4. Select App Installer in the results.
5. Select Get and wait for the installation or update to finish.

After App Installer finishes, close and reopen Command Prompt or PowerShell before testing WinGet.

Register WinGet after the first Windows sign-in

On some installations, WinGet is not available immediately after the first sign-in. The Microsoft Store registers Windows Package Manager asynchronously. You can request that registration manually from PowerShell:

Add-AppxPackage -RegisterByFamilyName -MainPackage Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe

Run the command in PowerShell, then open a new terminal window and test winget again.

Install WinGet manually from GitHub

Use the GitHub route when the Microsoft Store is unavailable or App Installer cannot be installed normally. Download only from Microsoft’s official WinGet GitHub releases page.

1. Open the WinGet GitHub repository and select Releases.
2. Open the latest release.
3. Scroll to the Assets section.
4. Select the .msixbundle file.
5. Open the downloaded file.
6. Select Update and wait for the package installation to complete.

The package may install additional dependencies automatically. The normal App Installer update path is preferable where available because it keeps the Windows component integrated with the Store’s update mechanism.

As of August 7, 2026, the latest release page identifies Windows Package Manager 1.29.280, released June 24, 2026. Release versions change, so check the current release page rather than relying on an old download link.

Bootstrap WinGet in Windows Sandbox

Windows Sandbox does not include the Microsoft Store or WinGet by default. Microsoft documents a PowerShell-based bootstrap method using the Microsoft.WinGet.Client module:

$progressPreference = ‘silentlyContinue’
Write-Host “Installing WinGet PowerShell module from PSGallery…”
Install-PackageProvider -Name NuGet -Force | Out-Null
Install-Module -Name Microsoft.WinGet.Client -Force -Repository PSGallery | Out-Null
Write-Host “Using Repair-WinGetPackageManager cmdlet to bootstrap WinGet…”
Repair-WinGetPackageManager -AllUsers
Write-Host “Done.”

This method is intended for environments such as Sandbox that do not have the usual Store-delivered App Installer package.

Verify that WinGet works

Open either Command Prompt or Windows PowerShell and run:

winget

A working installation displays the WinGet version, command syntax, and available options. To inspect the installed App Installer version specifically, run this in PowerShell:

(Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller).Version

If PowerShell reports that winget is not recognized, the client is not installed, is not registered correctly, or is unavailable to that shell. Microsoft has also documented cases where WinGet is not present on the user’s PATH.

Find an application

Use search to find packages by name:

winget search <appname>

For example:

winget search vscode

The basic search is a case-insensitive substring match against the package name, ID, and moniker. Wildcards are not supported. A broad search can return several packages, so inspect the results before installing.

Useful filters include:

Option	Purpose	Example
–id	Search by package identifier	winget search –id Git.Git
–name	Search the package name	winget search –name Git
–moniker	Search by package moniker	winget search –moniker vscode
-e or –exact	Require an exact, case-sensitive match	winget search –id Git.Git -e

Inspect a package before installing it

Use show to view package information and the installer WinGet selected for your system:

winget show <query>

For a known package, use its ID and an exact match:

winget show –id Git.Git -e

Review the publisher, version, source, installer type, architecture, and installer URL before proceeding. This is especially useful when a name search returns multiple similarly named applications.

Install an application with WinGet

The basic syntax is:

winget install <appname>

The full command is:

winget install [[-q] <query> …] [<options>]

add is an alias for install. For example:

winget install vscode

Do not assume that a short name always selects one exact package. The default query is a substring search. For repeatable installations, target the package ID and require an exact match:

winget install –id Git.Git -e

If more than one source returns a matching package, specify the source as well:

winget install –id Git.Git -e –source winget

Install a specific version

Without a version option, WinGet selects the highest available version. To install a particular version, use –version:

winget install powertoys –version 0.91.1
winget install –id Microsoft.PowerToys –version 0.91.1

Install several applications

You can list multiple package IDs in one command. WinGet processes them sequentially:

winget install Microsoft.VisualStudioCode Microsoft.PowerShell Git.Git

For administrative deployment, exact IDs are safer than display names.

Install silently for scripts

Use –silent to suppress installer windows:

winget install <package> –silent

For a noninteractive command, also accept the package and source agreements when appropriate:

winget install <package> –silent –accept-package-agreements –accept-source-agreements

–accept-package-agreements accepts the package’s own license terms. It does not accept optional components or bundled software that an installer may offer.

Install from a local YAML manifest

WinGet can install from a local manifest:

winget install –manifest <path>

Local manifest installation is disabled unless an administrator enables it:

winget settings –enable LocalManifestFiles
winget settings –disable LocalManifestFiles

Enable this setting only for manifests you trust and have reviewed.

Understand elevation and administrator permissions

You can run WinGet from a normal user terminal, but some installers require administrator privileges. Windows then displays an elevation prompt. If you decline the prompt, the installation fails.

Alternatively, open Command Prompt or PowerShell as administrator and run the command there. An elevated terminal suppresses elevation prompts for installers that require them, but Microsoft recommends using an administrator prompt only with applications you trust.

List and upgrade installed applications

To list installed applications, run:

winget list

The results are not limited to software originally installed by WinGet. The list can also contain applications installed through other methods, provided WinGet can identify them.

To show only applications with available upgrades:

winget list –upgrade-available

Upgrade one application by ID:

winget upgrade –id <package-id>

The full syntax is:

winget upgrade [[-q] <query> …] [<options>]

update is an alias for upgrade, so this is also valid:

winget update –id Git.Git

If you omit a target version, WinGet upgrades to the highest available version.

Uninstall applications

The general uninstall syntax is:

winget uninstall [[-q] <query>] [<options>]

remove and rm are aliases for uninstall. For a predictable result, use the package ID:

winget uninstall –id Git.Git -e

To remove every installed version of a package:

winget uninstall –id <package-id> –all-versions

Because WinGet queries package sources during some uninstall operations, it may display a Microsoft Store agreement prompt. If the package is from the Community Repository and you want to avoid querying the Store source, specify:

winget uninstall <package> –source winget

You can also uninstall graphically through Start > Settings > Apps > Apps & features, then find the application and select More > Uninstall.

View and repair package sources

WinGet uses configured sources to discover packages. List them with:

winget source list

The standard sources are:

Source	Contents
msstore	Microsoft Store catalog
winget	WinGet Community Repository for applications
winget-font	WinGet Community Repository for fonts

Refresh the configured sources when searches return stale or unexpected results:

winget source update

Reset the default sources if a source has been removed or corrupted:

winget source reset

The reset operation restores msstore, winget, and winget-font.

The source command also supports add, edit, remove, and export:

winget source <subcommand> <options>

Adding a source changes where packages can be obtained and requires administrator privileges:

winget source add –name Contoso https://www.contoso.com/cache

A source can be marked explicit, which means commands must target it with –source. An implicit source is included automatically in commands. WinGet 1.29 also introduces experimental source priority through sourcePriority; the feature is disabled by default.

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Open WinGet settings

Run this command to open WinGet’s JSON settings file in the system’s default JSON editor, normally Notepad:

winget settings

config is an alias for settings. The settings file uses this schema declaration:

“$schema”: “https://aka.ms/winget-settings.schema.json”

Use the schema-enabled file to inspect available settings and avoid manually adding unsupported properties.

Find WinGet installation logs

When an installation fails, run the command with log output enabled:

winget install <package> –open-logs

For more detailed diagnostic information, add –verbose-logs:

winget install <package> –verbose-logs

By default, WinGet logs are stored under:

%LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\DiagOutputDir\*.log

Check the log for the selected source, installer URL, installer exit code, architecture, and whether an elevation request was rejected.

Fix common WinGet problems

Problem	What to try
winget is not recognized	Install or update App Installer from the Microsoft Store, register the package with Add-AppxPackage, then open a new terminal. Also check whether WinGet is available on PATH.
Search returns no package	Run winget source update. Try the application’s full name, inspect winget source list, and check whether the package is available in the selected source.
Several packages match	Use –id, -e, and, when needed, –source. For example: winget install –id Git.Git -e –source winget.
Installation stops at a permission prompt	Accept the Windows elevation prompt, or run the terminal as administrator if the installer is trusted.
Uninstall displays a Store agreement	Specify –source winget when the package is known to come from that source.
WinGet is missing in Sandbox	Install the Microsoft.WinGet.Client PowerShell module and run Repair-WinGetPackageManager -AllUsers.

Preview versions and automatic updates

WinGet preview builds use a separate distribution path from the normal App Installer updates. Installing a preview package does not automatically enroll the computer in future preview updates through the Microsoft Store. Windows Insider Canary and Dev Channels provide automatic preview updates through the Store.

For most users and production scripts, the regular App Installer release is the safer choice.

FAQ

Is WinGet a separate program I download?

Usually, no. On supported Windows desktop editions, the WinGet client is included in Microsoft’s App Installer package. Install or update App Installer from the Microsoft Store. GitHub and PowerShell methods are fallback options for systems without the normal Store-based installation path.

Which Windows versions support WinGet?

WinGet supports Windows 10 version 1809, build 17763, or later, Windows 11, and Windows Server 2025. Windows Server 2019 is not supported.

How do I check whether WinGet is installed?

Open Command Prompt or PowerShell and run winget. A working client displays its version, syntax, and available options. In PowerShell, you can inspect App Installer with (Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller).Version.

Why does WinGet install the wrong application?

A plain query performs a case-insensitive substring search across package name, ID, and moniker. Use the package ID with an exact match, such as winget install –id Git.Git -e. Add –source winget if multiple sources cause ambiguity.

Can I use WinGet without administrator rights?

Yes, but some installers require elevation. WinGet can display a Windows permission prompt; declining it causes that installation to fail. You can instead run a trusted command from an Administrator Command Prompt or elevated PowerShell window.

What is the difference between winget upgrade and winget update?

They perform the same operation. update is an alias for upgrade.

Where are WinGet logs stored?

The default location is %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\LocalState\DiagOutputDir. Add –open-logs to open the location after a command, or –verbose-logs for more detail.

The Bottom Line

For a normal Windows 10 or Windows 11 installation, install or update App Installer from the Microsoft Store, then verify it with winget. Use search to discover packages, show to inspect them, and exact package IDs with –source when you need deterministic installs. Keep sources updated, use elevation only for trusted installers, and open WinGet logs when a command fails.

For official reference, see Microsoft’s WinGet documentation and the official GitHub releases.

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