How to install winget for ollama
By Herd Latch editorial team Current release, published September 14, 2026
winget ships with App Installer on modern Windows 10 and Windows 11 images. When the command is missing, install App Installer from Microsoft, reopen Terminal, and confirm winget --version before you install the runner.
After winget works, the the runner package id is the verified winget id. That id is YAML-verified in microsoft/winget-pkgs and maps to Windows Setup.exe on the review date.
Opening doors
If policies block the Store, take Windows Setup.exe from GitHub Releases instead and write that door on the ticket. Do not invent a third mirror.
Related: the runner winget guide, Windows install, home.
Corporate rings sometimes delay catalog updates. When the verified winget id is missing from a pinned catalog, use the Releases Setup for that imaging week and revisit winget after the catalog catches up.
Prove steps
Run winget as a standard user when possible. Elevation prompts should match the Setup you expect from upstream.
Prove with winget show the verified winget id before you image dozens of PCs. That catches typoed ids early.
After install, prove ollama run the same way you would after a manual Setup. Package managers do not remove the need for a smoke test.
Room notes
Keep App Installer itself updated so winget source refresh works. Stale App Installer builds cause confusing source errors that look like missing packages.
Linux and macOS do not use winget. Use brew cask ollama-app or install.sh on those desks.
Document whether winget source is the default community source your fleet allows. Air-gapped rings need offline media for Windows Setup.exe.
Herd Latch records winget verification on the editorial date; re-check before a major imaging season.
winget show the verified winget idwinget install -e --id Ollama.the runnerLab checklist habits
Write the installer door beside the machine name before you image a room. Include whether winget, the Windows Setup executable, the Homebrew cask, or the Linux install script was blessed for that ring. Substitutes should not guess under pressure during the first week of term.
Prove one short CLI chat after every reimage. That single step catches vanished PATH entries, truncated downloads, and adware shortcuts that reappear from old browser folders. Keep a spare copy of the current Setup on trusted media when catalogs are flaky.
- Record the GitHub tag used for the golden image.
- Note free disk space before large model pulls.
- Keep the local API on loopback until network review says otherwise.
Support tickets that resolve faster
Ask for the operating system build, the door used, and the exact CLI error text. Vague reports that only say artificial intelligence feels wrong waste a day. Attach version command output when the user can copy it.
Proxy desks should test one model pull on a clean path once, then document any required exception. Offline classrooms should pre-stage weights on a well-connected machine instead of launching twelve simultaneous downloads on demo day.
Prefer official GitHub Releases, the verified winget package, and the verified Homebrew cask. Skip advertising mirrors that rename the Setup executable.
Update and rollback notes
Pick one update door per room and stick to it for a semester. Mixing winget, Setup, and brew without notes creates version drift tickets. Keep the previous Setup on trusted media so rollback is a file copy, not a scavenger hunt.
After an upgrade, prove a small chat again before you seal the image. Large experimental model tags belong on scratch accounts, not on the shared golden profile. Maintenance windows should remove stale tags so libraries do not grow without limits.
Related reading on this guide: the home install panel, the first-hour checklist, and the guides hub.
## Filename matching without drama Match the GitHub asset name character for character before you override SmartScreen or Gatekeeper. A mismatched publisher string is a reason to delete the file, not to click through faster. Advertising portals that wrap the same search intent with toolbars are the common failure mode. When bandwidth is limited, schedule the large Windows Setup download overnight and keep the browser shelf visible until the size matches what Releases shows. Partial files cause confusing launch errors that look like security drama but are often truncated bits.