[Request]: elaborate support of winget-install for Windows Server Core

[Karl-WE]

Describe the feature or improvement you're requesting

There's a discussion going on that is absolutely valid that it's a bandaid winget wouldn't work properly in Windows Server Core Editions, aswell as Azure Stack HCI.

Help to evaluate what's required to solve this blocker. Implementation of the solution in winget-install.

Additional context

Related issue
microsoft/winget-cli#4319

[asheroto]

Hey @Karl-WE,

I just quickly read the linked winget issue. Have you tested the proposed solutions and can confirm they work?

[Karl-WE]

No not yet, but I can try to do so this week.

[gfody]

fwiw this was my experience trying to install winget on 2025 w/o desktop experience (10.0.26100 Build 26100, PS 7.4.6)

Install-Module Microsoft.WinGet.Client -Force -Scope AllUsers (OK)

Repair-WinGetPackageManager -AllUsers -Force -IncludePreRelease -Latest

gives this error:

Error: Deployment failed with HRESULT: 0x80073D19, An error occurred because a user was logged off.

error 0x8007007E: Failed to load the extension DLL due to the following error: The specified module could not be found.

NOTE: For additional information, look for [ActivityId] aede3132-51a8-0000-36c3-deaea851db01 in the Event Log or use the command line Get-AppPackageLog -ActivityID aede3132-51a8-0000-36c3-deaea851db01

the command Get-AppPackageLog -ActivityID aede3132-51a8-0000-36c3-deaea851db01 does not return anything but this is in the event log under "Applications and Service Logs/Microsoft/Windows/AppXDeploymentServer/Operational":

error 0x8007007E: Failed to load the extension DLL due to the following error: The specified module could not be found.

Deployment Add operation with target volume C: on Package Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00.UWPDesktop_14.0.33728.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe from:  (Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00.UWPDesktop_14.0.33728.0_x64.appx)  failed with error 0x80073D19. See http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=235160 for help diagnosing app deployment issues.

AppX Deployment operation failed for package Microsoft.VCLibs.140.00.UWPDesktop_14.0.33728.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe with error 0x80073D19. The specific error text for this failure is: error 0x8007007E: Failed to load the extension DLL due to the following error: The specified module could not be found.

I looked for winget.exe to try the .dll patch but there is no winget.exe anywhere to be found. C:\Program Files\PowerShell\Modules\Microsoft.WinGet.Client\1.9.25190 exists but contains only dll's no winget.exe

[asheroto]

Good info. Has anyone confirmed if this is a valid workaround for installing on winget on Server Core? If so, I can update the script to run the command and apply these changes specifically for Server Core.

microsoft/winget-cli#4319 (comment)