Winget Plugin for PowerToys Run

Despite developers’ valiant efforts to implement fast-paced automatic update systems within their applications, some anomalous behavior can still occur at times, with servers not responding to queries or web repositories changing their provider. As such, instead of manually navigating to the programs’ homepages and downloading the latest installation package, one way of automating and speeding up the update process for those with keyboard-focused interaction patterns is by relying on Microsoft’s command-line-based Linux counterpart, namely — the Windows Package Manager.

While most users are already acquainted with the terminal interface, those who tend to alternate between the command line and desktop programs with complex graphical interfaces may find good use in the Run module of Microsoft’s PowerToys suite of utilities, which makes for a less intrusive alternative to switching between opened windows thanks to its overlayed input box sitting atop your currently active program. In an attempt to combine the power of the two programs, the Winget Plugin for PowerToys Run provides users with access to the entire package database in just a couple of keystrokes.

Once downloaded, extracting the archive into PowerToys’ “Plugins” directory of the “launcher” sub-folder before restarting the app lets you keep your installed programs up to date or remove them when inputting their titles after the customizable “winget” activation keyword, thus bypassing the need for both searching for newer versions online or consulting the terminal to do so.