Are you tired of the tedious process of searching, downloading, and installing applications on your Windows 11 system? Look no further! Windows Package Manager, aka winget, is here to completely change the way you handle your app management. In this article, we will learn how to install and use winget to manage your apps effortlessly using simple commands on Windows 11 or 10.
How to Install winget on Windows 11
winget is short form for Windows Package Manager, is an official command-line package manager offered by Microsoft for Windows 11 and 10. It provides a centralized way to install, update, and uninstall applications on your system. With winget, you can search for apps, view package details, and perform various app management tasks using the command line interface.
Requirements to Install winget
Before proceeding with the installation of winget, ensure that your system meets the following requirement:
- Windows 10 1709 (build 16299) or a later version.
How to Download and Install winget On Windows 11 or 10
To install winget on Windows 11, follow these steps
1. Open the Start menu and search for Windows PowerShell.
2. Right-click on Windows PowerShell and select Run as administrator to open PowerShell with administrative privileges.
3. In the PowerShell window, copy and paste the following command and press Enter:
Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller | Remove-AppxPackage
This command removes the pre-installed version of the Microsoft Store app, which includes the App Installer package that contains winget.
4. Next, copy and paste the following command to install the latest version of the Microsoft Store app, which includes winget:
start ms-windows-store://pdp/?productid=9nblggh4nns1
This command will open the Microsoft Store app page for the App Installer package. Click on the Get or Install button to install it. 
5. After the installation is complete, you can close the Microsoft Store.
6. Finally, open PowerShell again with administrative privileges and enter the following command to verify that winget is installed:
winget --version
If winget is successfully installed, it will display the version number.
Also Read: How to Change Country in Microsoft Store in Windows 11
How to Use winget on Windows 11
Once winget is installed, you can start using it to manage your apps. Here are some common tasks you can perform with winget:
1. Searching and installing apps
1. Open Windows Terminal or PowerShell with administrative privileges.
2. Use the command winget search <AppName> to search for an app.
3. If prompted, press Y to agree to the source agreements terms (this only appears the first time you use the winget command line).
4. To install an app, use the command winget install <PackageID>.
5. If asked, press Y to agree to the terms of the app.
6. Wait for the installation process to complete, and then launch the application.
2. Updating apps
1. Use the command winget update or winget upgrade to check for available updates for your installed packages.
2. To update a specific package, use the command winget update <ID>.
3. Uninstalling apps
1. Use the command winget list to view all installed packages.
2. Use the command winget uninstall <ID> to uninstall a specific app.
4. Exporting and importing packages
1. Use the command winget export -o <output> to export a list of installed packages to a file. Replace <output> with the path and filename where you want to save the package list.
If you see the error message Installed package is not available from any source while using the winget export command, it means that winget couldn’t find some of the installed apps in its list of recognized sources.
Note: To understand why this happens, winget needs specific information about each app, such as its metadata and details from the Add/Remove Programs feature in Windows. If this information is missing or doesn’t match what winget expects, it can’t properly identify and include the app in the export.
Once the export process is finished, you’ll have a JSON file containing the list of installed packages. You can open this file in a text editor of your choice. From there, you have the freedom to customize the list by removing any apps you don’t want to import in the future. This allows you to tailor the exported package list according to your preferences and needs.
2. Use the command winget import -i <import-file> to import a list of packages from a file. Replace <import-file> with the path and filename of the file containing the package list.
Also Read: How to Disable USB Selective Suspend Settings in Windows 11
Why Should you Use winget?
Windows Package Manager (winget) offers several advantages for app management on Windows 11 or 10:
- Centralized app installation and management from the command line interface.
- Faster installation and updates, especially for multiple apps.
- Ability to automate app installations and updates.
- Integration with the Microsoft Store, allowing installation of both Store and non-Store apps.
We hope this guide helped you learn how to install winget on Windows 11 or 10. Utilizing winget’s powerful command line interface, you can easily manage your apps and streamline your app management workflow on Windows 11 or 10. If you have any suggestions or queries for us, please let us know in the comment section.
