Missing winget.exe on server 2019 install

[matsmcp]

Brief description of your issue

I'm trying to install winget on a server2019 box to start eval if winget may be the right product to solve in issue we have (CDN kind of thing)

Steps to reproduce

install a server 2019 ( I used the en_windows_server_2019_updated_nov_2020_x64_dvd_8600b05f.iso media)
I then tried to install Winget using Add-AppxPackage .\desktop\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe.appxbundle

It gave me an Error about missing Visual C so I went to https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/troubleshoot/cpp/c-runtime-packages-desktop-bridge#how-to-install-and-update-desktop-framework-packages and downloaded the X64 package.

That package was installed with Add-AppxPackage .\desktop\Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.Desktop.appx
After that the Add-AppxPackage .\desktop\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe.appxbundle ran without any errors

The system was rebooted and now I expected winget to work in a cmd window. It does not.
C:\Users\Administrator>winget
'winget' is not recognized as an internal or external command,
operable program or batch file.

to verify that the exe is missing
C:>dir /S winget.*
Volume in drive C has no label.
Volume Serial Number is 0AE8-B414
File Not Found

C:>

Expected behavior

winget starting

Actual behavior

See reproduce

Environment

Server 2019
Build: 17763.1577
Server installed for this test so only server 2019 iso (desktop experience) + Microsoft.VCLibs.x64.14.00.Desktop.appx + Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe.appxbundle installed
User: Administrator
Stand-alone server so no GPO or desired state

[nataz77]

I'm having the same issue on a fresh new Server 2019 VM, but I'm not sure if winget it's supposed to work on Server versions.
The README says:

The client requires Windows 10 1709 (build 16299) or later at this time.

so, build-wise Server 2019 should be fine.

I tried following the solutions found in #210, and what I found is that even though the execution alias is registered and enabled, the
%USERPROFILE%\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\ folder is empty.

Again, I'm not sure winget has been tested and it's supposed to work on Server versions.

[Karl-WE]

see also #702

[codefromthecrypt]

@denelon please prioritize this so that it doesn't slip further. While there is a workaround from @al-cheb, and I appreciate it, it is a pile of copy/paste which everyone will need to do meanwhile actions/runner-images#910 (comment)

[Karl-WE]

very much our customers would be amazed if we could provide winget as a unified solution for updating their public apps. Many of these do not afford patchmypc, configmgr etc.

Server 2019 and Server 2022 should be supported and I do not see many technical restrictions.
I have tried to install it manually and it works, something more offical would be great.

[unquietwiki]

Using the page @Karl-WE posted on another comment, I do notice for my environment, C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_1.12.11692.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe was generated; but the EXEs act like #1328. I also am unclear how these EXE names translate to WinGet in the first place.

PS C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_1.12.11692.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe> .\AppInstaller.exe
Program 'AppInstaller.exe' failed to run: Access is deniedAt line:1 char:1
+ .\AppInstaller.exe
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.
At line:1 char:1
+ .\AppInstaller.exe
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ResourceUnavailable: (:) [], ApplicationFailedException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : NativeCommandFailed

PS C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_1.12.11692.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe> .\AppInstallerCLI.exe
Program 'AppInstallerCLI.exe' failed to run: Access is deniedAt line:1 char:1
+ .\AppInstallerCLI.exe
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.
At line:1 char:1
+ .\AppInstallerCLI.exe
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ResourceUnavailable: (:) [], ApplicationFailedException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : NativeCommandFailed

Edit: looks like #712 is more like this error.

[Karl-WE]

I have tried it again on a Server 2022 release but no luck. This time it tells me I have a missing license when running winget.

[Karl-WE]

"how this exe names translate to winget".
There's a thing in settings app called app alias. I believe this is responsible.
@unquietwiki

[denelon]

@Karl-WE we aren't targeting server builds, but we do publish the license for offline installation.

[vtron21]

@Karl-WE we aren't targeting server builds, but we do publish the license for offline installation.

Is this a we will never thing, or a just not right now thing. With the drop of the Windows Store for business site After 2023 we won't be able to install some windows store apps on server, like snip and sketch, photos, calculator etc. These are great to haves for remote desktop services.

[Karl-WE]

Offtopic: This is not even possible right now as for some Apps you cannot fetch the necessary offline license anymore if you start new in Business Store.
If you check the licensing and support matrix of Office on RDSH, it is no longer a feasible goal to run these after 2025.

[denelon]

@vtron it's a not right now thing. I don't have an ETA, but we have quite a bit of work to do related to polish, PowerShell support, and other Windows Package Manager product work to complete first. I'm sure you've been seeing some of the work related to the Microsoft Store and the Windows Package Manager. The store source for the Windows Package Manager is still experimental, and we have several other big challenges with respect to paid apps and entitlements to address. Intune integration is coming.

[vtron21]

@denelon I've only just started looking at the package manager and was trying it on a server. This is where I do most of my app install management. But good to know it is on the road map.

[alexchandel]

Please fix this and support Windows Server. Servers are where this is MOST useful. It is truly insane that time and time again, MS develops these useful things, then completely botches the distribution.

[Karl-WE]

Alex, I feel your pain and I see it the same. There are many other examples that do not make sense as they are. Sconfig is recoded from WSH to PowerShell but cannot be run in PS Remoting session things like that.

While there is no official support for Winget on Server it is possible to install it, see above.

[alexchandel]

@Karl-WE Thank you. The file referenced above, Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe.appxbundle, no longer seems to be part of the distribution. What are the current unsupported install steps?

[Karl-WE]

Hi I cannot tell. Maybe the project owner has more insights.

[denelon]

A little while back we got a toolchain update that changed the file extension to ".msixbundle"

Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe.msixbundle

[Karl-WE]

Wonder when this changed without app installer you cannot install winget.
What if you dl the license file from above and the latest MSIX of winget?

[denelon]

Based on my initial findings, we will not be able to support Windows Package Manager on Windows Server 2019.

The Windows Package Manager on Windows Server 2022 should be considered experimental only and thus also not supported, but it may be possible in the future. I'm still identifying gaps and risks. I will continue collecting feedback from customers and communicating the aggregated demand.

We are working on integration with Intune, and continuing to make improvements with the Microsoft Store. Full support for Delivery Optimization is also in progress.

@matsmcp would you prefer to close this issue, or mark it as a duplicate of 702?

[ghost]

@matsmcp this issue has been automatically marked as stale because it has been marked as requiring author feedback but has not had any activity for 7 days. It will be closed if no further activity occurs within 7 days of this comment.

[alexchandel]

winget doesn't work on Server 2022 either. It would be nice to have it on Server 2019.

[matsmcp]

The usecase we was looking at was to use winget as a central repository for a number of different domains with no trust or federation between them. These domains are airgapped against internet and the same Ip range can be used in multiple nets/domains.

For this Scenario we currently are tracking three blocking issues:

• This issue that blocks use on our 2019 servers requiring us to have another solution for them - kind of defeats the idea
  of one central solution

• The issue with Winget not working over SSH or WinRM While in SSH, running WinGet raises the ResourceUnavailable error. #513 and Doesn't run under WinRM #256 (since it doesn't work under WinRM either it
  shows it's not a SSH issue)

• No Working reference implementation of a Rest server. The only example I have seen requires azure and since we
  must do it airgapped that can't be used. I'm not saying that there isn't such an implementation - Just that We haven't
  found one yet

I still believe that the fix for the two first issues is to drop the appx packaging and make it a standard MSI instead. And since the store now supports them a MSI based package would work online, offline and over SSH/WinRM

Issue three takes some more work

[denelon]

I've converted this to a Discussion so the action of closing the Issue doesn't make the discussion harder to find or contribute to. We've updated the README.md with the official status of Windows Package Manager on Windows Server 2019.

[Karl-WE]

I would like to add a reference to #1781

[29039]

I want to install the "Windows Admin Center" on Windows Server 2019.

It is a package intended to be installed on servers.

When I do a winget search I can find it under "Microsoft.WindowsAdminCenter" and the source is "winget", not msstore.

Given that it isn't dependent on the Windows Store, then logically it should be possible? And I'm sure that there is other software which winget would be perfectly good for on a server without having to use the Windows Store.

So how about opening up non-msstore packages to work on Server 2019/2022?

[vtron21]

That's because the windows store version is intended for desktops. You install it on a server using an MSI downloaded from the evaluation center.

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/evalcenter/evaluate-windows-admin-center

[29039]

Yes, I know, I was just presenting a logical inconsistency.

In this case I simply made my own script to download the MSI and install it, or I could have also used chocolatey, but it would have been so much easier if I could have simply done "winget install Microsoft.WindowsAdminCenter" and be done with it.

[AlexDev404]

A new workaround for this is available.
See: https://stackoverflow.com/a/75794127/10976415

[alexchandel]

Are the permission fixes always necessary? And shouldn't it use Add-AppxProvisionedPackage as this repo claims?

[jphellemons]

Somehow it did not work for me on Windows Server 2022. Perhaps @denelon has a 2024 update regarding the status for win server support?

[denelon]

We've been focusing on the "Repair-WinGetPackageManager" cmdlet inside the Microsoft.WinGet.Client PowerShell module for bootstrapping WinGet on systems. It should work on Windows PowerShell. Note: This does not work on Arm64 architecture.

[Karl-WE]

@alexchandel, no it it does not seem necessary, while still unsupported the implementation of Winget works best on the latest version of WS , currently WS 2022.

[denelon]

We've been making progress on getting support for WinGet on Windows Server. There are a couple of different fronts here. One is the update mechanism for servicing WinGet on Windows Server. This will be a long lead time workstream as it requires OS changes.

The other front is the "Repair-WinGetPackageManager" cmdlet for installing App Installer (containing WinGet) and the dependencies. This work is progressing well.

I don't expect the situation on Windows Server 2019 to change with respect to not supported. But we don't currently plan on making any changes that completely prevent it from being possible.

[Karl-WE]

@jphellemons winget is now supported on Windows Server 2025 (preview). No change of support policy with WS 2019 and WS 2022.
While not supported have a look over here. please check comments before using the code.
https://gist.github.com/likamrat/cae833a6e5b3461709f14c093c21c293

[abhijithts16]

Hey @denelon,
Is it possible to invoke winget inproc COM on Windows Server 2019 from a process running logged on as the System Account? I am getting the error message: 'An error occurred while connecting to the catalog'.
Is there any documentations for using inproc COM on Windows Server 2019 or can I get some logs to troubleshoot the issue.
cc: @Trenly @JohnMcPMS

[Trenly]

What happens if you add -Source 'winget' , since the msstore may not be present

[abhijithts16]

I have tried specifying the source as 'winget', as you can see in the attached image. This is on a Windows Server 2019 system, and I have attempted it within the system context. Additionally, we will eventually need to perform this on several hundred hosted servers on AWS, so setting up each one individually is not feasible. Therefore, we are trying to achieve this via PowerShell.

[Niranjan-Jyothi]

Hey @Trenly any approach to this? Or are there any logs we have to check for Powershell cmdlets?

[vysakhs007]

I was also pondering how to get logs for In-Proc Invocation using PowerShellModules. Its not present in the Normal winget log directory.
@Trenly @denelon @JohnMcPMS Any way to get these logs?

[JohnMcPMS]

I was also pondering how to get logs for In-Proc Invocation using PowerShellModules. Its not present in the Normal winget log directory. @Trenly @denelon @JohnMcPMS Any way to get these logs?

Try %TEMP%\WinGet\default.