Picture the ultimate replacement for the Windows Store app. Let’s imagine it allows for installing nearly any Windows application; no clicking through software installation wizards; automatically declining junkware in those software installers; keeping everything on your PC up to date; a single command you could run to install all your favorite apps on a new PC without hunting things down one by one.
Well, I’ve got news for you: This exists. Microsoft built it, and it’s already installed on your Windows PC. Some Windows geeks talk about it, but few PC users know the secrets of Winget, Microsoft’s secret software installation and updating power tool.
Here’s how to unlock its potential — and how to put a nice shiny graphical interface on top of it to make it more usable. It works on both Windows 10 and Windows 11.
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The Windows Store replacement you’ve been waiting for
This tool is really the ultimate Windows software installation option. It has a big list of applications. All you have to do is ask for an application by name, and Winget will automatically download it from the official website and install it without making you click anything. And it’ll automatically decline adware and other junk included in software installers.
You can ask for your favorite 20 apps simultaneously, and it will automatically download and install them for you — saving you a ton of time. And when your chosen apps have updates, this tool can also scan for updates and quickly update installed apps in a single action.
Microsoft hasn’t given this tool a shiny graphical interface — but I’ll show you how to give it a friendly graphical interface in a moment.
Meet Winget, the Windows Package Manager
Winget is the Windows Package Manager. It has a lot in common with package managers on Linux, actually. (It’s also an official, Microsoft-supported alternative to beloved tools like Chocolatey.)
The Windows Package Manager can scan your computer for installed software and notice whether it matches known software. Winget has a big official, Microsoft-provided database of Windows applications, and you can install them with the Winget command. When Winget installs a program (such as Mozilla’s Firefox, let’s say, or Valve’s Steam), it downloads the latest version of the application from the developer’s website (Mozilla, in this case, or Valve) and installs it. Winget installs it “silently,” using the default options — while making sure to not install any junkware.
Microsoft is clearly positioning this tool more for system administrators and less for home users — but Windows would be a lot better if the Microsoft Store app made peace with the…
2023-11-18 02:41:02
Post from www.computerworld.com
