Winget now supports installing apps from ZIP archives

Windows Package Manager, or winget, has reached version 1.4.11071. The release is notable for adding support for installing .zip files, native PowerShell support, and allows disabling app updates with a special command line argument.

Winget is an automated program installation tool that operates according to the manifest scenario defined in its online repository. This manifest may contain any command line switches supported by the app installer. However, as the manifest is intended for universal use, it usually only includes silent install parameters suitable for the average user.

What's new in Winget 1.4.11071

Support installing .zip files

The app can now install apps inside of .zip files. This allows it to handle many portable apps, as well as distros compressed distros. For example, you can now point winget to Sysinternals tools, so it will fetch them for you.

Winget will extract ZIP files to a temporary folder, and them move to a location specified by the package manifest.

When uninstalling, winget will correctly remove the app files and symlinks (if any have been created), so you can be sure that it has removed all the downloaded files.

Native PowerShell support

Winget now includes a PowerShell module that provides several functions and cmdlets. It enables you to find and install apps right from your PowerShell scripts. Also, it allows extending them with your own functions and features.

The available cmdlets

• Assert-WinGetPackageManager
• Find-WinGetPackage
• Get-WinGetPackage
• Get-WinGetSource
• Get-WinGetUserSettings
• Get-WinGetVersion
• Install-WinGetPackage
• Repair-WinGetPackageManager
• Set-WinGetUserSettings
• Test-WinGetUserSettings
• Uninstall-WinGetPackage
• Update-WinGetPackage

You can learn more about the PowerShell support here.

Disable app upgrades

Many users wanted to prevent winget from auto upgrading installed apps. So developers have added an option to stop winget from updating a program if any of its versions is installed.

To use the new behavior, add the --no-upgrade argument to your winget command line.

You will find the app on GitHub. It comes bundled with Windows 11, but also supports Windows 10 starting in version 1809.

Thanks to Milan for the tip.