How to use Windows Package Manager to easily install and update programs

If you’ve never used a package manager before, you should. They’re a useful piece of software that allows you to install and manage different software (called “packages”) in one unified interface. Microsoft now has its own Windows Package Manager, which lets you install thousands of different packages. Read on to learn how—and why—you should use Windows Package Manager.

Install Windows Package Manager

winget (pronounced “win get”) is a command-line tool for finding, installing, and uninstalling packages from the Windows Package Manager. If you have Windows 11 , winget is already installed for you.

You can install winget by downloading the “App Installer” from the Microsoft Store . If you don’t see the “Get” button, you may already have winget installed.

Use Windows Package Manager to install applications

You will need to open a command line interface before you can use winget. Press the Win key, type “terminal” and click on the Terminal application.

How to use Windows Package Manager to easily install and update programs
Open Terminal

The search feature in Windows Package Manager is powerful. Here's how to use it to find and install a package.

1. Type winget search firefox and press Enter.

How to use Windows Package Manager to easily install and update programs
Windows Package Manager finds Firefox packages

2. You will see a list of packages containing the search term, in this case “firefox”. Select and copy the text under the “ID” column – “Mozilla.Firefox” in this case.

How to use Windows Package Manager to easily install and update programs
Select Mozilla Firefox

3. To get more details about the package, type winget show Mozilla.Firefox , making sure that the text after “show” is exactly the text you copied in the previous step. From the information displayed, you can verify whether the package you want is from a legitimate source. For example, check that the “Download URL” is the official website of the developer.

How to use Windows Package Manager to easily install and update programs
Show download URL

4. Type winget install Mozilla.Firefox to download the package and start the installation process. If you see the Firefox installer appear, you're done!

How to use Windows Package Manager to easily install and update programs
Firefox Installer

Batch install multiple applications

winget can create a .JSON file with a list of applications called a "manifest", then use that manifest to install the same applications on another computer. This is Ninite functionality without the need for a third-party installer!

1. Type winget export -o , replacing the path to the new .JSON file. For example, winget export -o C:\Users\Brandon\Desktop\packages.json .

How to use Windows Package Manager to easily install and update programs
Winget exports packets

2. Share the .JSON file with another computer.

3. On the other computer, simply type winget import using the manifest file path. This will immediately start installing each of the listed applications one by one.

How to use Windows Package Manager to easily install and update programs
Winget import packets

Upgrade packages in Windows Package Manager

One great feat of winget is that it can update multiple programs from a single interface.

1. Type winget upgrade to display all applications that need to be upgraded.

How to use Windows Package Manager to easily install and update programs
Show all apps that need to be upgraded

2. You can upgrade an application by copying the ID and using it in a command. For example:

winget upgrade Microsoft.WindowsTerminal
How to use Windows Package Manager to easily install and update programs
Upgrade an app by copying the ID

3. Better yet, you can type winget upgrade --all to upgrade every application that has a new version. This will run each installation process in turn.

How to use Windows Package Manager to easily install and update programs
Upgrade all apps to new versions

Uninstall packages in Winget

With winget you can easily find installed applications on your computer and remove them.

1. Type winget list to display all applications on your PC that are managed by winget, including programs you didn't originally install with winget.

2. To narrow down the list, you can add an option and type winget list --name fire to include only applications named “fire”. Alternatively, try winget list --tag browser to list all packages with the tag “browser”.

How to use Windows Package Manager to easily install and update programs
Narrow down the list to find the app you want to uninstall.

3. You can uninstall a program using the ID of one of the listed packages. For example, enter winget uninstall Google.Chrome to uninstall Google Chrome.

How to use Windows Package Manager to easily install and update programs
Uninstall a program using the ID of one of the listed packages

Improved search in Winget

Here are some useful ways to find Windows Package Manager:

  • Enter the command winget search --query "" to display all winget packages available for download. Don't forget to include your search query between quotation marks, such as “browser”.
  • winget search --tag browser --count 10 to display a limited list of 10 packages with the tag “browser”.
  • winget.run is a website with an intuitive interface that allows you to search and browse all winget packages.
Sign up and earn $1000 a day ⋙

Leave a Comment

Microsoft Launches Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 With Broader Device Support and Big Changes

Microsoft Launches Windows 11 IoT Enterprise LTSC 2024 With Broader Device Support and Big Changes

Today, Microsoft officially launched another version of the Windows 11 operating system.

Top 5 Best Encryption Software 2025

Top 5 Best Encryption Software 2025

On your PC, a lot of your personal information can be accessed without permission. That's because Windows data is stored publicly on the drive and is not encrypted or protected by encryption software, so anyone can access your confidential and private information.

How to Install and Setup Android Studio in Windows

How to Install and Setup Android Studio in Windows

Android Studio is the official IDE (Integrated Development Environment) for Android app development and it is based on JetBrains' IntelliJ IDEA software. Android Studio offers many great features that help improve productivity when building Android apps.

Instructions for installing Windows 11, installing Windows 11 using ISO file

Instructions for installing Windows 11, installing Windows 11 using ISO file

Windows 11 is officially leaked and you can even install it right now.

How to enable or disable associated device names in Windows Share

How to enable or disable associated device names in Windows Share

Phone Link lets you access your mobile device from your PC instantly. And users have the option to enable or disable the display of linked device names in Windows Share.

How to Change Tab Color in Windows Terminal

How to Change Tab Color in Windows Terminal

Since Windows Terminal Preview version 1.23.10353.0, Microsoft has added color customization so you can change the color according to your needs.

How to open Control Panel on Windows 10, 8.1, 7

How to open Control Panel on Windows 10, 8.1, 7

Accessing the Control Panel will help you adjust many system settings, because the Control Panel in Windows is a collection of applets, which are like small programs, each of which is used to configure different aspects of the operating system.

How to set different wallpapers on each monitor Windows 10/11

How to set different wallpapers on each monitor Windows 10/11

Setting up multiple monitors on Windows is quite simple and only takes a few minutes to do. After setting up multi-monitor mode (multiple screens), you can set up separate wallpapers for each screen. To do this, please refer to the article below from WebTech360.

How to run multiple instances of a Windows program

How to run multiple instances of a Windows program

There are a number of ways you can run a different version of the same application. The following guide will explain which method is best for a particular type of program.

How to find and open files using Command Prompt

How to find and open files using Command Prompt

This is a method of searching and opening files that is said to be faster than using File Explorer.

Windows Mail is going away, what should I know?

Windows Mail is going away, what should I know?

After a long period of “living on the sidelines,” the Windows Mail, Calendar, and People apps are slowly approaching the end of their lifecycles. Microsoft recently updated its official documentation to clarify that the aforementioned apps will be completely retired on December 31, 2024.

Microsoft removes a barrier preventing users from updating to Windows 11 24H2

Microsoft removes a barrier preventing users from updating to Windows 11 24H2

Shortly after the official launch of Windows 11 version 24H2 last month, Microsoft acknowledged an unexpected issue with the Voicemeeter app.

5 Windows Apps You Should Uninstall Now

5 Windows Apps You Should Uninstall Now

Windows computers come with a number of useful Microsoft apps, such as Notepad, Photos, and Paint. However, it also includes a number of apps that are not very useful and are worth removing.

What is Windows Superfetch (SysMain)? How to disable Superfetch?

What is Windows Superfetch (SysMain)? How to disable Superfetch?

SuperFetch is available on Windows versions but is known by very few users. In the article below, WebTech360 will guide you how to enable or disable SuperFetch on Windows 10/8/7.

ChatGPT App for Windows Officially Launched

ChatGPT App for Windows Officially Launched

While there is no official Windows version yet, Microsoft Edge and Chrome let you use ChatGPT just like the native Windows app.