10 winget Tips & Tricks You Didn't Know

If you've been using winget for a while, you know the basics: install, search, upgrade. Here are 10 less-known tricks that turn winget from a downloader into a real productivity tool.

1. Use `winget show --versions` to find old versions

winget show --id Microsoft.VisualStudioCode --versions

Lists every version winget can install. Then:

winget install --id Microsoft.VisualStudioCode --version 1.118.0

Pins to the exact build. Great for reproducing bugs or downgrading after a bad release.

2. Pipe `winget list` through PowerShell

The output of winget list is regular text, but you can filter it programmatically:

winget list --source winget | Select-String -Pattern "^Microsoft\." -SimpleMatch:$false

Or with Select-Object after a custom parse:

function Get-WingetApps {
  winget list --source winget --output table | Select-Object -Skip 2 | ForEach-Object {
    $cols = $_ -split '\s{2,}'
    [PSCustomObject]@{ Name = $cols[0]; Id = $cols[1]; Version = $cols[2] }
  }
}

Get-WingetApps | Where-Object Id -like "Microsoft.*"

3. Disable msstore for cleaner search

Default search returns hits from both winget and msstore sources, often duplicated. Drop msstore if you don't use Store apps:

winget source remove --name msstore

Now winget search only returns the cleaner winget catalog.

4. Set a custom downloader for proxy / corporate networks

The default downloader ignores Windows proxy settings. Switch to wininet (respects system proxy):

winget settings

In the JSON that opens, add:

{
  "network": {
    "downloader": "wininet"
  }
}

Save. Now winget install honours your HTTP/HTTPS proxy from Windows settings.

5. Auto-accept ALL agreements globally

Tired of --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements on every command? Set it once:

In settings.json:

{
  "installBehavior": {
    "preferences": {
      "scope": "user"
    }
  },
  "experimentalFeatures": {
    "directMSI": true
  }
}

Then wrap winget in a PowerShell function:

function wg { winget @args --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements }

Now wg install firefox -e skips every agreement prompt.

6. Use `winget configure` for declarative setup

Instead of running 20 install commands, write a YAML spec:

# setup.dsc.yaml
$schema: https://aka.ms/configuration-dsc-schema/0.2
properties:
  resources:
    - resource: Microsoft.WinGet.DSC/WinGetPackage
      directives:
        description: Install VS Code
      settings:
        id: Microsoft.VisualStudioCode
        source: winget
    - resource: Microsoft.WinGet.DSC/WinGetPackage
      settings:
        id: Git.Git
        source: winget

Apply:

winget configure -f setup.dsc.yaml

Idempotent: re-running won't reinstall already-present apps. Perfect for "set up new machine" scripts in source control.

7. Use `--dependency-source` for offline install

If you've mirrored a winget index locally (LAN catalog), force winget to use it for dependency resolution:

winget install --id Some.App --dependency-source internal

8. Tab completion in PowerShell

winget has built-in tab completion for PowerShell. Add this to your $PROFILE:

Register-ArgumentCompleter -Native -CommandName winget -ScriptBlock {
  param($wordToComplete, $commandAst, $cursorPosition)
  $Local:word = $wordToComplete.Replace('"', '""')
  $Local:ast = $commandAst.ToString().Replace('"', '""')
  winget complete --word "$Local:word" --commandline "$Local:ast" --position $cursorPosition |
    ForEach-Object { [System.Management.Automation.CompletionResult]::new($_, $_, 'ParameterValue', $_) }
}

Now winget install --id <Tab> autocompletes package IDs.

9. Use `winget hash` for manifest authoring

If you're submitting a new package to the winget catalog:

winget hash C:\Downloads\new-installer.exe

Outputs the SHA-256 needed in the manifest's InstallerSha256 field. Saves a trip to PowerShell's Get-FileHash.

10. Combine with `winget pin` for version-locked LTS setup

The killer combo for stable dev environments:

# Install LTS Node
winget install --id OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS --version "20.*"

# Pin so upgrade --all won't bump to 22.x
winget pin add --id OpenJS.NodeJS.LTS --version "20.*"

Now your Node stays in the 20.x line forever — patch updates apply, major bumps don't. See winget pin guide.

Bonus: a PowerShell function library

Add these to your $PROFILE for daily wins:

# Update everything weekly
function up { winget upgrade --all --include-unknown --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements }

# Quick search
function wgs { winget search @args }

# Quick install
function wgi { param($id) winget install --id $id -e --accept-package-agreements --accept-source-agreements }

# Quick uninstall
function wgr { param($id) winget uninstall --id $id -e --silent }

# Show what's outdated
function wgo { winget upgrade }

# Export current setup
function wge { winget export -o "$env:OneDrive\winget-$(Get-Date -Format yyyy-MM-dd).json" --include-versions }

Then wgi firefox is faster than typing the full command.

Don't memorise IDs

winget.tech lets you browse 10,000+ packages visually. Copy install commands with one click.

Open Browse →

What's next?

30 essential winget commands → — full reference
How to use winget pin → — version locking
Best winget GUI clients → — graphical front-ends
Fresh Windows 11 setup → — putting it all together

1. Use winget show --versions to find old versions

2. Pipe winget list through PowerShell