Different ways for installing Windows features on the command line – Peter Hahndorf

If course you can configure Windows Optional Features using the GUI as for instance explained at [Wayback/Archive] How to manage Windows 10’s many ‘optional features | Windows Central.

However, I prefer command-line management.

About the only post doing the comparison of command-line mangement options I could find about is [Wayback/Archive] Different ways for installing Windows features on the command line – Peter Hahndorf and hopefully will be further updated in the future. It is dated 2015, but has been updated until at least Windows Server Nano.

I added one, and then rewrote the tool-set availability table in the post into this:

• winget
• *-WindowsCapability
• *-WindowsOptionalFeature
• *-WindowsFeature
• dism.exe
• pkgmgr.exe

On modules: [Wayback/Archive] PowerShell 7 module compatibility – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs / [Wayback/Archive] PowerShell-Docs/module-compatibility.md at staging · MicrosoftDocs/PowerShell-Docs

MODULE LIST

Module name	Status	Supported OS
Dism	Natively Compatible	Windows Server 1903+ Windows 10 1903+
ServerManager	Natively Compatible	Windows Server 1809+ Windows 10 1809+ with Rsat.ServerManager.Tools See notes below

ServerManager module

This module has some minor compatibility issues with formatted output in PowerShell 7. For example, the Get-WindowsFeature cmdlet returns the proper object with all properties, but the default display formatting makes some properties appear to be empty. The actual values are available in the object properties using Select-Object or by direct member access.

Note that not all tool can perform all kinds of installations, for instance:

• OpenSSH can only be installed using Add-WindowsCapability, see my blog post Installing Windows OpenSSH from the command-line on Windows 10 and 11

Some more details on the various tool sets are below. I included [Wayback/Archive] SS64 Command line reference reference next to [Wayback/Archive] Developer tools, technical documentation and coding examples | Microsoft Docs as SS64 documents more commands and better “See also” links.

*-WindowsCapability

Part of the PowerShell [Wayback/Archive] DISM Module | Microsoft Docs available as of Windows 10 1903+ and Windows Server 2016 1903+.

• Add-WindowsCapability
  • [Wayback/Archive] Add-WindowsCapability (DISM) | Microsoft Docs
  • [Wayback/Archive] Add-WindowsCapability – PowerShell – SS64.com
• Get-WindowsCapability
  • [Wayback/Archive] Get-WindowsCapability (DISM) | Microsoft Docs
  • [Wayback/Archive] Get-WindowsCapability – PowerShell – SS64.com
• Remove-WindowsCapability
  • [Wayback/Archive] Remove-WindowsCapability (DISM) | Microsoft Docs
  • [Wayback/Archive] Remove-WindowsCapability – PowerShell – SS64.com

*-WindowsOptionalFeature

Part of the PowerShell [Wayback/Archive] DISM Module | Microsoft Docs available as of Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012.

• Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature
  • [Wayback/Archive] Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature (DISM) | Microsoft Docs
  • [Wayback/Archive] Disable-WindowsOptionalFeature – PowerShell – SS64.com
• Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature
  • [Wayback/Archive] Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature (DISM) | Microsoft Docs
  • [Wayback/Archive] Enable-WindowsOptionalFeature – PowerShell – SS64.com
• Get-WindowsOptionalFeature
  • [Wayback/Archive] Get-WindowsOptionalFeature (DISM) | Microsoft Docs
  • [Wayback/Archive] Get-WindowsOptionalFeature – PowerShell – SS64.com

This is also documented in [Wayback/Archive] Add or hide optional apps and features on Windows devices – Windows Application Management | Microsoft Docs

*-WindowsFeature

Part of the PowerShell [Wayback/Archive] ServerManager Module | Microsoft Docs available as of Windows Server 2012 (available as of Windows 10 1809+ only if Rsat.ServerManager.Tools is installed).

• Get-WindowsFeature
  • [Wayback/Archive] Get-WindowsFeature (ServerManager) | Microsoft Docs
  • [Wayback/Archive] Get-WindowsFeature – PowerShell – SS64.com
• Add-WindowsFeature (cmdlet on Windows Server 2008 R2; as of Windows Server 2012 it is alias for Get-WindowsFeature)
  • [Wayback/Archive] Add-WindowsFeature – PowerShell – SS64.com
• Install-WindowsFeature
  • [Wayback/Archive] Install-WindowsFeature (ServerManager) | Microsoft Docs
  • [Wayback/Archive] Install-WindowsFeature – PowerShell – SS64.com
• Remove-WindowsFeature
  • [Wayback/Archive] Remove-WindowsFeature – PowerShell – SS64.com
•  Uninstall-WindowsFeature
  • [Wayback/Archive] Uninstall-WindowsFeature (ServerManager) | Microsoft Docs
  • [Wayback/Archive] Uninstall-WindowsFeature – PowerShell – SS64.com

winget.exe

Available as of Windows 10 2004+

• [Wayback/Archive] Winget – Windows CMD – SS64.com
• My blog post Installing the Microsoft Store version of Windows Terminal via the winget command-line
• It cannot provision for all users, only for the current user, so it is not possible to run as SYSTEM user:
  • [Wayback/Archive] Machine Wide Provisioning (Install for All Users) – Microsoft Tech Community
  • [Wayback/Archive] System-Wide winget installer – Giters
  • [Wayback/Archive] Install winget into allusers vs. userprofile for the ability to run winget as SYSTEM · Issue #1627 · microsoft/winget-cli

Just like in the UI, on the CLI you also often need to accept source agreement terms (once per source) or package agreement terms (once per package). Via [Wayback/Archive] winget accept terms commandline switch – Google Search I found:

• [Wayback/Archive] install Command | Microsoft Docs
  

  --accept-package-agreements	Used to accept the license agreement, and avoid the prompt.
  --accept-source-agreements	Used to accept the source license agreement, and avoid the prompt.

• [Wayback/Archive] upgrade Command | Microsoft Docs: options
  

  --accept-package-agreements	Used to accept the license agreement, and avoid the prompt.
  --accept-source-agreements	Used to accept the source license agreement, and avoid the prompt.

• [Wayback/Archive] winget aggresively now prompts to accept terms unnecessarily · Discussion #1536 · microsoft/winget-cli
  

  @nascentt, there is an --accept-package-agreements parameter for package level agreements.

  There is an --accept-source-agreements parameter for source level agreements.

  These are listed in help for the command winget upgrade -?

  Link to Microsoft Docs for upgrade command: https://docs.microsoft.com/windows/package-manager/winget/upgrade

  One you have accepted a source agreement, you shouldn’t be prompted again unless the source agreement changes.

• [Wayback/A] Accept terms programmatically · Discussion #1758 · microsoft/winget-cli
  

  winget upgrade --accept-source-agreements works….

At the time of writing, there was no way to install Microsoft Store applications through winget without having a Microsoft Store account. When trying you get the error “no store account found“. Direct download from the store does not require such an account. See these links:

• [Wayback/Archive] powershell – Bypass option for winget for “no store account found” – Stack Overflow (thanks [Wayback/Archive] Alymsin, [Wayback/Archive] marsze and [Wayback/Archive] Suirtimed):
  

  Q

  I’m trying to install sysinternals for our computers remotely, but when attempting to install with winget install sysinternals --accept-source-agreements --accept-package-agreements I’m getting “Verifying/Requesting package acquisition failed: no store account found”

  I can go into the Microsoft Store directly to install it and it asks me if I want to sign in or use “No Thanks” to install, which then works, but this isn’t what I’m intending to do, I don’t want to go to each machine to do this. I could probably try the other method of installing through Powershell from here serverfault.com/questions/1018220/how-do-i-install-an-app-from-windows-store-using-powershell, but this again, is not what I’m intended.

  A

  This isn’t supported yet (as of January 2022). There is an open issue at GitHub: github.com/microsoft/winget-cli/issues/158

  • [Wayback/Archive] winget-cli/MSStoreInstallerHandler.cpp at 1a6a60fddd95480d4f1d9bb1c9abbab84f3cc4b4 · microsoft/winget-cli – Line 86
    

    87	elseif (enr.Status() == GetEntitlementStatus::NoStoreAccount)
    88	{
    89	context.Reporter.Info() << Resource::String::MSStoreInstallGetEntitlementNoStoreAccount << std::endl;
    90	AICLI_LOG(CLI, Error, << "Get entitlement failed. No Store account.");
    91	}

  • [Wayback/Archive] Allow `winget` to install MS Store packages without account just like the MS Store · Issue #1585 · microsoft/winget-cli
  • This workaround no longer works:[Wayback/Archive] How do I install an app from Windows Store using Powershell – Server Fault
    

    as of: 06/25/2021 this is broken. Download-AppxPackage no longer works

• Via: [Wayback/Archive] winget cli add “no store account found” – Google Search does not have many hits, but at least they are working on it and made me find this:
  • [Wayback/Archive] Can’t get OneNote from Windows Store ugh Seriously what is this crap : windows solved with
    

    Try resetting the MS store (Settings> System> Apps & features> Click Store> Advanced options> Reset.) and also clear its Cache, by typing into run: WSReset.exe

Also at the time of writing there was no official PowerShell PackageManagement Module support for winget, but there is:

• a request for such a provider: [Wayback/Archive] Add Native PowerShell Support · Issue #221 · microsoft/winget-cli
• an open source provider for it:
  • [Wayback/Archive] PowerShell Gallery | WinGet 0.0.5
  • [Wayback/Archive] ethanbergstrom/winget: PackageManagement (OneGet) package provider for use with Windows Package Manager (winget)

More on the PowerShell PackageManagement structure at [Wayback/Archive] windows – PowerShell Package Management – Repository vs Provider vs Source – Stack Overflow

And most API calls in [Wayback/Archive] PackageManagement Module – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs (few are in [Wayback/Archive] PowerShell commands – PowerShell – SS64.com):

• Find-Package
  • [Wayback/Archive] Find-Package (PackageManagement) – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs
• Find-PackageProvider
  • [Wayback/Archive] Find-PackageProvider (PackageManagement) – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs
• Get-Package
  • [Wayback/Archive] Get-Package (PackageManagement) – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs
• Get-PackageProvider
  • [Wayback/Archive] Get-PackageProvider (PackageManagement) – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs
• Get-PackageSource
  • [Wayback/Archive] Get-PackageSource (PackageManagement) – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs
• Import-PackageProvider
  • [Wayback/Archive] Import-PackageProvider (PackageManagement) – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs
• Install-Package
  • [Wayback/Archive] Install-Package (PackageManagement) – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs
  • [Wayback/Archive] Install-Package – PowerShell – SS64.com
• Install-PackageProvider
  • [Wayback/Archive] Install-PackageProvider (PackageManagement) – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs
• Register-PackageSource
  • [Wayback/Archive] Register-PackageSource (PackageManagement) – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs
• Save-Package
  • [Wayback/Archive] Save-Package (PackageManagement) – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs
• Set-PackageSource
  • [Wayback/Archive] Set-PackageSource (PackageManagement) – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs
• Uninstall-Package
  • [Wayback/Archive] Uninstall-Package (PackageManagement) – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs
• Unregister-PackageSource
  • [Wayback/Archive] Unregister-PackageSource (PackageManagement) – PowerShell | Microsoft Docs

dism.exe

Available as of Windows 7 and Windows Server 2008 R2.

• [Wayback/Archive] DISM – Deployment Image Servicing and Management – Windows CMD – SS64.com
• [Wayback/Archive] DISM Overview | Microsoft Docs
• [Wayback/Archive] DISM Module | Microsoft Docs

pkgmgr.exe

Available as of Windows Vista and Windows Server 2008.

• [Wayback/Archive] Using Unattended Setup to Install IIS 7.0 | Microsoft Docs

Other commands

• [Wayback/Archive] Disable-ADOptionalFeature – Active Directory – PowerShell – SS64.com
• [Wayback/Archive] Enable-ADOptionalFeature – Active Directory – PowerShell – SS64.com
• [Wayback/Archive] Get-ADOptionalFeature – Active Directory – PowerShell – SS64.com
• [Wayback/Archive] Get-CimAssociatedInstance – PowerShell – SS64.com
• [Wayback/Archive] Get-CimClass – PowerShell – SS64.com
• [Wayback/Archive] Get-CimInstance – PowerShell – SS64.com
• [Wayback/Archive] Invoke-CimMethod – PowerShell – SS64.com
• [Wayback/Archive] New-CimInstance – PowerShell – SS64.com
• [Wayback/Archive] Remove-CimInstance – PowerShell – SS64.com
• [Wayback/Archive] Set-CimInstance – PowerShell – SS64.com

–jeroen