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The WinGet DSC module provides Desired State Configuration (DSC) resources for managing Windows Package Manager in a declarative way.

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What is DSC?

Desired State Configuration (DSC) is a declarative platform for configuring Windows systems. Instead of writing imperative scripts, you declare the desired state of your system, and DSC ensures that state is achieved and maintained.

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WinGet DSC Resources

The Microsoft.WinGet.DSC module provides five DSC resources:

WinGetPackage

Manage package installation state

WinGetSource

Manage package sources

WinGetUserSettings

Configure user settings

WinGetAdminSettings

Configure admin settings

WinGetPackageManager

Ensure WinGet is installed

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Installation

Install the DSC module from PowerShell Gallery: 
Install-Module -Name Microsoft.WinGet.DSC -Scope CurrentUser

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Using DSC Resources

DSC resources can be used in two ways: Define resources in YAML configuration files: 
properties:
  resources:
    - resource: Microsoft.WinGet.DSC/WinGetPackage
      directives:
        description: Install PowerToys
      settings:
        id: Microsoft.PowerToys
        source: winget
Apply with configuration cmdlets: 
$config = Get-WinGetConfiguration -File "setup.yaml"
Invoke-WinGetConfiguration -Set $config -AcceptConfigurationAgreements

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2. PowerShell DSC Configuration

Use resources in PowerShell DSC configurations: 
Configuration DevSetup {
    Import-DscResource -ModuleName Microsoft.WinGet.DSC
    
    WinGetPackage PowerToys {
        Id = "Microsoft.PowerToys"
        Source = "winget"
        Ensure = "Present"
    }
}

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Resource: WinGetPackage

Manages the installation state of packages.

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Properties

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Id
string
required
The package identifier (key property).
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Source
string
The source name (key property).
​
Version
string
The specific version to install.
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Ensure
enum
default:"Present"
Whether the package should be Present or Absent.
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MatchOption
enum
default:"EqualsCaseInsensitive"
How to match the package ID: Equals, EqualsCaseInsensitive, StartsWithCaseInsensitive, ContainsCaseInsensitive.
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UseLatest
bool
default:"false"
Always keep the package updated to the latest version.
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InstallMode
enum
default:"Silent"
Installation mode: Default, Silent, Interactive.

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Example

- resource: Microsoft.WinGet.DSC/WinGetPackage
  settings:
    id: Microsoft.PowerToys
    source: winget
    ensure: Present
    useLatest: true

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Resource: WinGetSource

Manages package sources.

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Properties

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Name
string
required
The source name (key property).
​
Argument
string
required
The source URL or argument.
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Type
string
The source type (e.g., “Microsoft.PreIndexed.Package”).
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TrustLevel
enum
default:"Undefined"
Trust level: Undefined, None, Trusted.
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Explicit
bool
Whether the source requires explicit selection.
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Priority
int
The source priority.
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Ensure
enum
default:"Present"
Whether the source should be Present or Absent.

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Example

- resource: Microsoft.WinGet.DSC/WinGetSource
  settings:
    name: custom-repo
    argument: https://example.com/packages
    type: Microsoft.PreIndexed.Package
    trustLevel: Trusted
    ensure: Present

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Resource: WinGetUserSettings

Manages WinGet user settings.

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Properties

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SID
string
required
User identifier (key property, do not set manually).
​
Settings
hashtable
required
Hashtable of settings to configure.
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Action
enum
default:"Full"
Full (replace all settings) or Partial (merge with existing).

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Example

- resource: Microsoft.WinGet.DSC/WinGetUserSettings
  settings:
    sid: ""
    settings:
      visual:
        progressBar: rainbow
      telemetry:
        disable: true
    action: Partial

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Resource: WinGetAdminSettings

Manages WinGet administrator settings (requires admin privileges).

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Properties

​
SID
string
required
System identifier (key property, do not set manually).
​
Settings
hashtable
required
Hashtable of admin settings to configure.

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Example

- resource: Microsoft.WinGet.DSC/WinGetAdminSettings
  settings:
    sid: ""
    settings:
      LocalManifestFiles: true
      BypassCertificatePinningForMicrosoftStore: false

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Resource: WinGetPackageManager

Ensures WinGet is installed and optionally at a specific version.

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Properties

​
SID
string
required
System identifier (key property, do not set manually).
​
Version
string
Specific version to install.
​
UseLatest
bool
default:"false"
Install the latest stable version.
​
UseLatestPreRelease
bool
default:"false"
Install the latest pre-release version.

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Example

- resource: Microsoft.WinGet.DSC/WinGetPackageManager
  settings:
    sid: ""
    useLatest: true

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Complete Configuration Example

properties:
  configurationVersion: 0.2.0
  resources:
    # Ensure WinGet is installed
    - resource: Microsoft.WinGet.DSC/WinGetPackageManager
      settings:
        sid: ""
        useLatest: true
    
    # Configure user settings
    - resource: Microsoft.WinGet.DSC/WinGetUserSettings
      settings:
        sid: ""
        settings:
          visual:
            progressBar: rainbow
        action: Partial
    
    # Add custom source
    - resource: Microsoft.WinGet.DSC/WinGetSource
      settings:
        name: company-repo
        argument: https://packages.company.com
        ensure: Present
    
    # Install packages
    - resource: Microsoft.WinGet.DSC/WinGetPackage
      settings:
        id: Microsoft.PowerToys
        source: winget
        useLatest: true
    
    - resource: Microsoft.WinGet.DSC/WinGetPackage
      settings:
        id: Microsoft.VisualStudioCode
        source: winget
        version: 1.85.0

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Testing DSC Resources

Test if the system is in the desired state: 
# Test a single resource
$resource = [WinGetPackage]@{
    Id = "Microsoft.PowerToys"
    Source = "winget"
    Ensure = "Present"
}
$resource.Test()

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Best Practices

  1. Use Configuration Files: Prefer YAML configuration files over PowerShell DSC scripts
  2. Version Control: Store configuration files in version control
  3. Test First: Test configurations in development before production
  4. Idempotent: DSC resources are idempotent - safe to run multiple times
  5. Admin Rights: Some resources (WinGetAdminSettings, WinGetSource) require admin privileges
  6. UseLatest: Use useLatest: true for packages that should stay current

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Next Steps

DSC Resources Reference

Detailed reference for all DSC resources

Configuration Overview

Learn about configuration files

Getting Started

Get started with WinGet PowerShell

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