I rebuilt my Windows PC from one YAML file, and I'm never clicking through installers again

Gone are the days of spending hours setting up a new Windows PC, as one tech journalist discovered a way to rebuild his machine using a single YAML file. The journalist, who frequently tests new hardware for consumer tech journalism, had previously had to install the same browsers, utilities, launchers, and development tools on each Windows reinstall. Bored of the repetitive process, he decided to create a Winget configuration file to describe his entire setup.

For those unfamiliar, Winget is Microsoft's official command-line package manager, similar to apt or apt-get in Linux. It allows users to search, install, uninstall, and upgrade app packages using command-line commands. The journalist utilized the export command to capture all installed packages, including versions, into a JSON file. Unfortunately, this JSON file did not cover all the apps installed manually, such as Brave, Discord, Postman, and Android Studio.

To convert the JSON file to a YAML file needed by the configure command, the journalist had to manually edit and add missing packages, as well as remove duplicate entries. Additionally, he manually added three Windows settings, including Developer Mode, file extensions and hidden files, and dark mode. While he considered exporting VS Code extensions, he found himself shifting between Antigravity and Claude Code, so he opted to skip that step.

The journalist split the configuration file into two parts: one for core apps, like development tools and homelab access tools, and another for hardware/vendor tools, game launchers, and flight simulation tools. To test the configuration file, he used a VM with a clean Windows install and measured the time it took to install the apps and apply Windows settings.

Although the configuration file successfully installed 14 applications and applied two out of the three Windows settings, it didn't restore user profiles, histories, passwords, or app-specific configurations. Licensed apps like MS Office and Adobe Suite were left unaddressed, as they require separate authentication. The journalist also did not test the taskbar and Start layout, default apps, or display scaling, so he cannot comment on those aspects.

Despite these limitations, the journalist found that the Winget configuration file significantly reduced the time spent on repeatable and boring tasks, providing a starting point for rebuilding his PC. However, he emphasized that it did not create an exact copy of his old machine, as keeping logins and licenses within a YAML file is not safe and driver-specific drivers would still need to be installed separately.

Overall, the journalist believes that this documented, repeatable baseline is far superior to starting from scratch.