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Set up WinGet MCP Server

This guide walks through configuring the WinGet MCP server for use with AI agents in Visual Studio Code and GitHub Copilot CLI.

Prerequisites

Before using the WinGet MCP server integration, ensure you have:

Find the WinGet MCP server executable path

To set up the WinGet MCP server, you must first locate the path to the executable file. Use one of the following options to find the path:

Option 1: Use the winget mcp command

Open a command prompt and enter the winget mcp command. The result displays the JSON configuration fragment that shows the path to the WindowsPackageManagerMCPServer.exe file.

winget mcp

If the following error occurs: Unrecognized command: 'mcp'

Verify that the App Installer application is up to date on the device. This can be verified in the Store application.

Option 2: Use a PowerShell script

Open PowerShell and use the following script to locate the MCP server executable:

# Find the WinGet executable path
$wingetPath = (Get-Command winget).Source
# Get the directory containing WinGet
$wingetDir = Split-Path $wingetPath -Parent
# The MCP server executable is in the same directory
$mcpServerPath = Join-Path $wingetDir "Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\WindowsPackageManagerMCPServer.exe"
Write-Host "WinGet MCP Server path: $mcpServerPath"

The typical location is:C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\WindowsPackageManagerMCPServer.exe

Configure the MCP server in Visual Studio Code

The recommended way to configure the WinGet MCP server is through an mcp.json configuration file. You need to find (you might need to show hidden files) or create a .vscode folder in the root directory of your project. In this directory, create a mcp.json file (or update it if this file already exists) with the following content:

{
  "servers": {
    "winget-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "C:\\Users\\<username>\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\WindowsPackageManagerMCPServer.exe"
    }
  },
  "inputs": []
}

Replace <username> with your actual Windows username or use the WinGet MCP server executable path that you previously identified.

This configuration tells MCP clients to:

  • Use the Windows Package Manager (WinGet) MCP server executable as the command
  • Use standard I/O communication between the client and server
  • Register the server with the identifier winget-mcp

For detailed information about MCP configuration and setup in VS Code, see Use MCP servers in VS Code.

Configure the MCP server in GitHub Copilot CLI

GitHub Copilot CLI brings AI-powered assistance directly to your terminal. After registering the WinGet MCP server with Copilot CLI, you can search for and install packages using natural language prompts — without leaving the command line.

Copilot CLI prerequisites

  1. Start Copilot CLI in your terminal:

    copilot

  2. At the prompt, enter the /mcp add slash command:

    /mcp add

  3. Fill in the MCP server details in the interactive form. Use Tab to move between fields:

    Field Value
    Name winget-mcp
    Type stdio
    Command Full path to WindowsPackageManagerMCPServer.exe

  4. Press Ctrl+S to save. Copilot CLI writes the configuration to ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json.

Option 2: Edit mcp-config.json directly

Open (or create) ~/.copilot/mcp-config.json and add the following entry, replacing <username> with your Windows username:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "winget-mcp": {
      "type": "stdio",
      "command": "C:\\Users\\<username>\\AppData\\Local\\Microsoft\\WindowsApps\\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\\WindowsPackageManagerMCPServer.exe",
      "args": [],
      "tools": ["*"]
    }
  }
}

Note

If mcp-config.json already exists and contains other servers, add the winget-mcp entry inside the existing mcpServers object rather than replacing the file.

Verify the server is registered

After adding the server, confirm it is loaded:

  1. Start or restart Copilot CLI:

    copilot

  2. At the prompt, enter:

    /mcp

    The output lists all configured MCP servers. Verify that winget-mcp appears and shows a connected status.

Manual command-line testing

To start the WinGet MCP server manually for testing or development purposes, run the executable directly by entering the following command in PowerShell:

& "C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\Microsoft.DesktopAppInstaller_8wekyb3d8bbwe\WindowsPackageManagerMCPServer.exe"

Replace <username> with your actual Windows username.

The server starts and waits for MCP protocol messages on standard input. The server continues running until you terminate it (Ctrl+C) or close the input stream.

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