Install WIndows Package Manager (winget) on Windows Server 2022

winget-cli_on_W2k22.md

Install Windows Package Manager (winget) on Windows Server 2022

Update: the easiest current method is to use the community winget-install script from PowerShell Gallery. This script installs WinGet and required dependencies automatically.

Run the following from an elevated PowerShell session:

Install-Script -Name winget-install -Force
winget-install -Force

After installation, open a new PowerShell session and verify:

winget --info

Notes:

• Install-Script -Name winget-install -Force installs or updates the helper script from PowerShell Gallery.
• winget-install -Force runs the installer and forces the install/repair flow even if WinGet appears to be present already.
• You may be prompted to install the NuGet provider or trust PowerShell Gallery the first time.
• For production, restricted, or offline environments, review the script and consider mirroring/pinning it through your own trusted repository before use.

The manual method below is kept as a fallback for environments where PowerShell Gallery access is unavailable or where third-party scripts are not allowed.

Manual fallback: install from the official Microsoft WinGet release assets

Use this method if you do not want to use a third-party helper script, or if PowerShell Gallery access is not available.

Run this from Windows PowerShell as Administrator. PowerShell 7 is not recommended for this flow because the Appx cmdlets are Windows PowerShell cmdlets.

$ErrorActionPreference = 'Stop'
$ProgressPreference = 'SilentlyContinue'
$WorkDir = Join-Path $env:TEMP 'winget-install'
$DepsDir = Join-Path $WorkDir 'DesktopAppInstaller_Dependencies'
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Force -Path $WorkDir | Out-Null

## Get latest stable WinGet release from GitHub

$Release = Invoke-RestMethod -Uri 'https://api.github.com/repos/microsoft/winget-cli/releases/latest'

$MsixBundle = $Release.assets |
    Where-Object { $_.name -eq 'Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe.msixbundle' } |
    Select-Object -First 1

$DependenciesZip = $Release.assets |
    Where-Object { $_.name -eq 'DesktopAppInstaller_Dependencies.zip' } |
    Select-Object -First 1

$LicenseFile = $Release.assets |
    Where-Object { $_.name -like '*_License1.xml' } |
    Select-Object -First 1

if (-not $MsixBundle -or -not $DependenciesZip -or -not $LicenseFile) {
    throw 'Could not find all required WinGet release assets.'
}

$MsixBundlePath = Join-Path $WorkDir 'Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe.msixbundle'
$DependenciesZipPath = Join-Path $WorkDir 'DesktopAppInstaller_Dependencies.zip'
$LicensePath = Join-Path $WorkDir 'license.xml'

## Download WinGet, dependencies, and license

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $MsixBundle.browser_download_url -OutFile $MsixBundlePath
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $DependenciesZip.browser_download_url -OutFile $DependenciesZipPath
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $LicenseFile.browser_download_url -OutFile $LicensePath

## Extract and install dependencies

Expand-Archive -Path $DependenciesZipPath -DestinationPath $DepsDir -Force

## Windows Server 2022 is normally x64. Adjust if needed for another architecture.

$Architecture = 'x64'
$DependencyPath = Join-Path $DepsDir $Architecture

Get-ChildItem -Path $DependencyPath -File |
    Where-Object { $_.Extension -in '.appx', '.msix' } |
    ForEach-Object {
        Add-AppxPackage -Path $_.FullName
    }

## Provision App Installer / WinGet
Add-AppxProvisionedPackage -Online -PackagePath $MsixBundlePath -LicensePath $LicensePath

## Register the package for the current user if winget is not immediately available
Add-AppxPackage -RegisterByFamilyName -MainPackage Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe

## Verify
winget --info

Download License file, With version bump also update the license file name (see assets)

Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://github.com/microsoft/winget-cli/releases/download/v$env:WinGetVer/fb2830f66c95424aa35457b05e88998a_License1.xml -outfile license.xml

Invoke-WebRequest : The request was aborted: The connection was closed unexpectedly.
At line:1 char:1

• Invoke-WebRequest -Uri https://github.com/microsoft/winget-cli/releas ...

•   + CategoryInfo          : InvalidOperation: (System.Net.HttpWebRequest:HttpWebRequest) [Invoke-WebRequest], WebExc
   eption
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : WebCmdletWebResponseException,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.InvokeWebRequestCommand
  

What worked for me:

Install-Script winget-install -Force
winget-install -Force

Confirmed. This is what works, and this is all you need.

What worked for me:

Install-Script winget-install -Force
winget-install -Force

Confirmed. This is what works, and this is all you need.

hello, would you be so kind and summarize all the commands i need to type into windows server 2022 to have winget installed there?

sadly unigetUI dropped predelivered winget-support

@erwinkersten as a kind suggestion: what about updating the original post of this gist?

It seems to be a frequent Google search target 😉

@erwinkersten as a kind suggestion: what about updating the original post of this gist?

It seems to be a frequent Google search target 😉

we would like to use windows server 2025 where winget is already included and even our super-old x-ray program works, but out dental office software doesn't work on windows server 2025. we have to pay for a conversion into a docker-container (putting garbage more than 35 years old inside a docker-container and getting paid 6000 € per license for it). and since winget is a nice feature (i can also try scoop or chocolatey) although there is not must software on the SOHO-On-Prem-Server (tower) it's not bad to use it and work with it on windows server 2022.

Thanks everyone for the suggestions, confirmations, and additional troubleshooting details.

I have updated the original gist to reflect the current recommendations:

• added the simpler Install-Script -Name winget-install -Force / winget-install -Force approach as the recommended option;
• updated the manual fallback to use the latest WinGet release assets;
• added handling for the newer dependency package;
• added the package registration step for cases where WinGet installs but is not immediately available;
• kept notes for restricted, production, and offline environments.

Special thanks to @bacloud22, @kosikond, @fdcastel, @stanthewizzard, @spoonwzd, @gjonn, @Jalmenara, @flakd, @kalaklanar, @soulflyman, @lighthouseofthenight, @rexmorgan89, @samskyworks, @tolache, and @hueldoeu for pointing out improvements, reporting what worked or failed, and confirming the simpler approach.