The Tool Desk
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WinGet is Windows 11’s command-line client for discovering, inspecting, installing, upgrading, removing and configuring applications. It is delivered through Microsoft’s App Installer on supported Windows desktop editions. The commands below cover the complete everyday workflow: find a package, verify its identity, install it from a chosen source, keep it current, remove it, and reproduce the same application set on another PC.
For the safest routine, search by package ID, review metadata before installation, specify the winget source when appropriate, and preview bulk upgrades instead of blindly changing every application at once.
WinGet command quick reference
| # | Command | Primary use | Scope |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | winget --help |
Show commands and options supported by your installed client | Reference |
| 2 | winget search <query> |
Find packages | Discovery |
| 3 | winget show <query> |
Inspect package metadata | Inspection |
| 4 | winget install <id> -e --source winget |
Install one exact package | One app |
| 5 | winget list |
List installed applications | Inventory |
| 6 | winget list --upgrade-available |
Find applications with updates | Inventory |
| 7 | winget upgrade <id> -e |
Upgrade one exact package | One app |
| 8 | winget upgrade --all |
Attempt all available upgrades | All eligible apps |
| 9 | winget uninstall <id> -e |
Remove one exact package | One app |
| 10 | winget source list |
Display configured repositories | Sources |
| 11 | winget source update |
Refresh repository data | Sources |
| 12 | winget source reset |
Restore documented default sources | Sources |
| 13 | winget export -o packages.json |
Save an installed-package list | Reproduction |
| 14 | winget import -i packages.json |
Install packages from an export | Reproduction |
| 15 | winget pin list |
Inspect upgrade-constrained packages | Upgrade control |
| 16 | winget settings |
Open the client’s JSON settings editor | Configuration |
| 17 | winget download <id> -e |
Download an installer without the normal install flow | Offline/staged install |
Get ready and check your client
Open Windows Terminal, PowerShell or Command Prompt and run:
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Use a normal prompt for routine work. An elevated (Run as administrator) prompt changes how elevation requests appear during installation; elevation does not make an untrusted installer safe. Install software only from sources and publishers you trust.
Find and verify packages before installing
2. Search the catalogs
winget search <query>search performs a case-insensitive substring search by default. A broad term can therefore return several similarly named packages. Narrow the results with the available selectors:
--idsearches package identifiers.--namesearches package names.--sourcelimits results to a repository.-eor--exactrequires an exact match.
Once you identify the intended package, copy its ID rather than relying on a display name. IDs are the dependable input for later install, upgrade and uninstall commands.
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winget show <query>show displays the package metadata available to the client. Use it to confirm the name, identifier, version, publisher and source before allowing an installer to run. This extra check is especially valuable when a search returns multiple packages with close names.
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Install applications and audit what is already present
4. Install by exact ID and source
winget install <id> -e --source wingetThis form combines three useful safeguards: the package ID selects the intended listing, -e prevents a fuzzy match, and --source winget makes the repository explicit. Replace <id> with the identifier confirmed by search or show.
Specifying a source reduces ambiguity when more than one configured repository contains a similarly named package. Keep the source list under review and use only repositories you trust.
5. List installed applications
winget listlist inventories applications detected on the computer, including software installed by methods other than WinGet. That makes it useful for a complete audit rather than merely a record of packages previously installed from the command line. Use the resulting names and IDs to decide what should be upgraded, removed or captured in an export.
Update applications with control over scope
6. See what can be upgraded
winget list --upgrade-availableThis filters the installed-app inventory to packages for which WinGet can see an available update. Review this list before making changes; it shows the potential scope of a maintenance run without starting every upgrade.
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7. Upgrade one package
winget upgrade <id> -eUse an exact ID when you want a single, deliberate change. This is the right choice for testing a new release, repairing one outdated application or avoiding unrelated updates on a production machine.
8. Upgrade all eligible packages
winget upgrade --allThe --all switch attempts to upgrade every application for which an update is available. Treat it as a batch operation: review the available-update list first, then run the command when you accept the broader change scope.
Two conditions can affect the result. A package with a WinGet pin is intentionally constrained, and an application whose installed or available version is unknown may not behave like a normally versioned package. Check pins and the command output instead of assuming that every listed program will upgrade successfully.
15. Inspect packages protected by pins
winget pin listThis lists packages whose upgrades are constrained by WinGet pinning. Pins explain why an otherwise eligible update may be held back or treated differently during a bulk operation. A pin applies to WinGet’s upgrade behavior; it does not prevent an upgrade performed through the application’s own updater or another tool.
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Remove a program precisely
9. Uninstall one application
winget uninstall <id> -eUse the exact ID to remove a selected application without depending on an ambiguous name match. The commands winget remove and winget rm are aliases for the uninstall operation, so scripts can use whichever spelling best fits their conventions.
Run winget list first when you are unsure of the installed identifier. Because the inventory can include applications installed outside WinGet, it can also expose software that is not present in a previous WinGet history.
Manage package sources
10. Display configured repositories
winget source listUse this command to see which repositories the client currently trusts for discovery and installation. Confirm the source before installing a package, particularly on a managed computer where repository policy matters.
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winget source updateThis refreshes the local data used by the configured sources. Run it when search results look stale or before an inventory-and-upgrade session that depends on current package metadata.
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12. Restore the documented defaults
winget source resetsource reset restores the documented default sources. Treat it as a corrective operation: custom repository configuration can be replaced, so record any intentional source setup before resetting.
Reproduce a workstation on another PC
13. Export the installed-package list
winget export -o packages.jsonexport saves an installed-package list to the specified JSON file. Store the file with your setup documentation or copy it to the destination computer. An export is a package-list recipe, not a disk image: it does not capture application data, personal settings or licenses.
14. Import the list
winget import -i packages.jsonimport reads the exported file and installs the packages it describes. Review the file before running it on a new machine, because availability, source configuration and package versions can differ between computers.
Configuration files for packages plus system settings
When a repeatable setup must include Windows settings as well as applications, use WinGet configuration with winget configure. Export and import handle package lists; configuration files can combine those packages with system settings in one declarative setup.
Adjust client behavior and stage installers
16. Open WinGet settings
winget settingsThis opens the client’s JSON settings editor. winget config is an alias. Use the editor only when you understand the setting you are changing, and keep a backup of a working configuration so an experimental change can be reversed.
17. Download without performing the normal install
winget download <id> -edownload retrieves an installer and its dependencies without going through the normal install flow. That is useful for staging files, transferring them to an offline or restricted system, or inspecting the payload before installation. Microsoft Store packaged downloads require Microsoft Entra ID authentication, so those packages may need an authenticated account even though the command is a download rather than an immediate install.
Quick Recap
Choose the command that matches the risk
| Goal | Best starting command | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Find an app | winget search |
Shows candidate packages and supports filters |
| Verify a candidate | winget show |
Exposes metadata before changes are made |
| Install one app | winget install <id> -e --source winget |
Uses exact selection and an explicit source |
| Check the whole machine | winget list |
Includes apps installed outside WinGet |
| Update selectively | winget upgrade <id> -e |
Limits the change to one package |
| Update broadly | winget upgrade --all |
Attempts every eligible upgrade after review |
| Rebuild a package set | winget export then winget import |
Creates and applies a reusable package list |
| Stage an installer | winget download |
Obtains files without the normal install operation |
Troubleshooting and safe operating habits
- No command is recognized: verify that App Installer is present and that
winget --helpruns in the terminal you are using. - Too many search matches: repeat the search with
--id,--name,--sourceor--exact, then verify the result withshow. - An update is missing: run
winget source update, inspectwinget pin list, and check whether the package reports an unknown version. - A bulk upgrade changes less than expected: pins, unknown versions and package-specific installer behavior can prevent some entries from upgrading; use the output to identify those entries and handle them individually.
- A source behaves unexpectedly: inspect it with
winget source list. Usesource resetonly when restoring the documented defaults is acceptable. - A download cannot fetch a Store package: Microsoft Store packaged downloads require Microsoft Entra ID authentication.
- An installer requests elevation: decide whether the publisher and source are trusted before approving. Running the terminal as administrator changes the prompt behavior, not the trustworthiness of the software.
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