14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft used the Build developer conference this week to take the wraps off Windows Package Manager 1.0, a tool that comes in handy to power users who want to work with packages on the operating system.
In case you’re wondering what this package manager does, well, it does the same thing as pretty much any other software in the same category, as it comes with features to easily install, upgrade, and import packages on Windows 10.
Right now, there are over 1,400 packages that are available for users, and Microsoft reminds that users can also uninstall and export packages from the Add/Remove Programs UI.
“It still amazes us how many great pieces of software there are for Windows 10 in the repository. When the search doesn’t return any results, you can go through the process to launch Edge and search for the software installer download. Once you find it, you can add it to the community repository, so you don’t have to go through that process again. After writing dozens of manifests by hand we realized there should be a tool for that,” Demitrius Nelon, Senior Program Manager, explains.
Update already available
Users who joined the Windows Insider program or the Windows Package Manager Insider group already have the new version, with the software shipped with the App Installer from the Microsoft Store. However, it’s also available as a stand-alone download if you need it right now.
Worth knowing, however, is that all devices running Windows 10 version 1809 or later are getting the new version of the Windows Package Manager as an updating update shipped through the Microsoft Store.
So there’s a good chance version 1.0 is already there on your computer, and the easiest way to determine if this is the case on your device is to just launch PowerShell and launch a winget command.