Although Windows comes with many apps out of the box, the real fun starts when you start installing third-party software. Think of Spotify, Photoshop, Google Chrome, Apple Music, Steam or any package that suits you.
The process of actually installing this software often involves going to the relevant official hosting page on the Internet and finding the download link. Since Windows 8 (launched in 2012), there is also the option of the Microsoft Store (formerly the Windows Store), which offers a similar experience to the app store on your phone.
There is also a third option, although it is less known: Windows Package Manager. It runs in the Windows terminal, the text-based interface in Microsoft’s operating system, and while this makes it a little less user-friendly (at least at first), it’s fast and light, and ideal for installing all kinds of programs.
Getting started with Windows Package Manager
The Windows Package Manager can display everything installed on your system. Screenshot: Microsoft
Open the Windows command line by launching the Start menu and searching for “powershell.” Right-click on the top result and choose Run as administrator. Once you’re in the terminal interface, type ‘winget’ and press Enter for a description of what Windows Package Manager is and what it can do (there’s a lot of useful information on the Microsoft site too).
With Windows Package Manager, you use typed commands instead of clicking on the screen: it takes some getting used to, but once you know all the commands, it’s actually a faster and more efficient way to manage software. In addition to installing new programs, you can update and uninstall apps.
To get help with a particular command, type “winget -?” and press Enterwhere you enter the string “” replaces the command you need help with. For example, to see how the main install command works, type “winget install -?” and press Enter. You will see all installation options and how to use them.
A simple command to get started with is “winget list:” Type the command, tap Enterand you will get a list of all programs currently installed on the system, along with the relevant version numbers. The names of the programs on the left are the names you need to know to install and update apps.
You can also use Windows Package Manager to get more information about a program on your system. This is very useful if you want to remove software that you don’t really use, or if there is something running on Windows that is suspicious. To do this, type “winget show ” and press Enterreplacing the string “program” with the name of the app you want to view. You’ll see the publisher’s name and a support website, among a lot of other information about the program.
Install apps with Windows Package Manager
You can install an app (or multiple apps) with one command. Screenshot: Microsoft
When you’re ready to start installing apps with the Windows Package Manager, you’ll need to know the names of the programs—it’s not as simple as looking up programs on the Internet. You can use the very useful Winstall site to find programs (including popular ones like Spotify and Chrome); or you type “winget search ” in the command line and tap Enter (replace “” by the name of a software program).
It is the program ID you are looking for, which can then be typed into the command line. Installing the Google Chrome browser is something that many people do on a new computer, and to do this type “winget install –id=Google.Chrome -e” and press Enter (the “-e” flag searches for an exact match with the package).
That’s easier than opening Microsoft Edge, navigating to the Google Chrome site, clicking through all the options, finding the download packages, and installing them on your computer. As you become more familiar with the commands and app names, you’ll start to save even more time.
You can also use one command to install several different programs at the same time, much easier than finding and downloading them individually. Just add more program IDs to the command, separated by spaces, and Windows Package Manager will grab and install them all. You can even save this command as a text file so you can use it when necessary.
There’s a lot more you can do with Windows Package Manager. For example, to update everything installed, type “winget upgrade -h –all” and press Enter (the flag “-h” means the update is running in the background). In the meantime, if you want to remove a piece of software from your system, type “winget uninstall” and the name of the package ID and then press Enter to confirm your choice.
