How to use winget to install VSCode with custom options?

[Zamiell]

Hello friends. Thanks so much for winget. I have a quick question.

I know that I can install Visual Studio Code with winget by typing: winget install vscode

However, doing this will install Visual Studio Code with all default options, which is not what I want.

In the Visual Studio Code GUI installer, there is a screen that has a checkbox for adding Visual Studio Code to the right-click context menu, which is a very important feature:

These checkboxes are not checked by default. And winget does not seem to check them when it executes the installer.

Is there a way to pass custom installer arguments to winget? And if so, how would I even go about finding out what the correct installer arguments to pass even are?

[jedieaston]

You can use the --override argument on winget install to replace the arguments winget uses with ones you want yourself. Unfortunately, you'll probably have to do some googling or run the installer with /? to get all possible arguments.

To install VSCode with those options selected, run winget install Microsoft.VisualStudioCode --override '/SILENT /mergetasks="!runcode,addcontextmenufiles,addcontextmenufolders"'

[haltbarmilch]

Hello! Will the --override parameter be saved for an upgrade? Or must i pass the argument on every upgrade? Can't find any info on this. Thanks a lot.

[jedieaston]

It will not be saved, unfortunately, but on upgrade VSCode knows to keep the shortcuts in PATH. It should still work the way you'd expect.

[sanamhub]

The answer is No, Me neither didn't find the exact answer on the Internet btw, I come say the answer is No because I did tested on my System :)

[dominik-ba]

I'd be tempted to say these parameters are only happening once during the installation and therefore is nothing that needs to be done again and again during an upgrade.

[kellyelton]

What about those other options, what are the tasks for those?

[kellyelton]

https://github.com/microsoft/vscode/blob/main/build/win32/code.iss#L76

[Tasks]
Name: "desktopicon"; Description: "{cm:CreateDesktopIcon}"; GroupDescription: "{cm:AdditionalIcons}"; Flags: unchecked
Name: "quicklaunchicon"; Description: "{cm:CreateQuickLaunchIcon}"; GroupDescription: "{cm:AdditionalIcons}"; Flags: unchecked; OnlyBelowVersion: 0,6.1
Name: "addcontextmenufiles"; Description: "{cm:AddContextMenuFiles,{#NameShort}}"; GroupDescription: "{cm:Other}"; Flags: unchecked
Name: "addcontextmenufolders"; Description: "{cm:AddContextMenuFolders,{#NameShort}}"; GroupDescription: "{cm:Other}"; Flags: unchecked; Check: not (IsWindows11OrLater and QualityIsInsiders)
Name: "associatewithfiles"; Description: "{cm:AssociateWithFiles,{#NameShort}}"; GroupDescription: "{cm:Other}"
Name: "addtopath"; Description: "{cm:AddToPath}"; GroupDescription: "{cm:Other}"
Name: "runcode"; Description: "{cm:RunAfter,{#NameShort}}"; GroupDescription: "{cm:Other}"; Check: WizardSilent

[Larandar]

So after some tinkering of everything in this thread, and some trial and error (might have needed to restart my computer 3 time and uninstall vscode 10 times) I found a "good" set of options that make vscode install silent in winget:

.\VSCodeUserSetup-x64-1.85.0.exe /VERYSILENT /SP- /MERGETAKS="!runcode,!desktopicon,addcontextmenufiles,addcontextmenufolders,associatewithfiles,addtopath"

• /VERYSILENT /SP- make it so no window is opened (unless you have a code instance opened already)
• The /CLOSEAPPLICATIONS and FORCECLOSEAPPLICATIONS do not work from what I tried, so you still get a popu asking you to quit vs-code
• /MERGETASKS=!runcode prevent vs-code to open after the install
• /MERGETASKS=!desktopicon do not add desktop icon (already present in the Win menu)
• /MERGETASKS=addcontextmenufiles,addcontextmenufolders,associatewithfiles,addtopath does all the background stuffs that are missing (weirdly Ninite use WinGet to install VS-Code addtopath but not the context menu for folder?)

This all make it into my dotfile bootstrap as:

Write-Host -ForegroundColor Yellow "🌋 Force reinstall of VS-Code to ensure Path and Shell integration"
winget install --force Microsoft.VisualStudioCode --override '/VERYSILENT /SP- /MERGETAKS="!runcode,!desktopicon,addcontextmenufiles,addcontextmenufolders,associatewithfiles,addtopath"'

[andregeuze]

MERGETAKS looks like a typo, why DOES it work though?

[neurocline]

I know many command-line parsers allow unique prefixes to work; maybe there's a bug where it sees the unique prefix and just stops parsing (e.g. it sees "/MER" and says "aha, that's /MERGETASKS".

[emilwojcik93]

Fixing Missing Context Menu Entries in VS Code Installed via Winget

TL;DR - Working Command

winget install --force Microsoft.VisualStudioCode --override '/VERYSILENT /SP- /MERGETASKS="addcontextmenufiles,addcontextmenufolders,associatewithfiles,addtopath"'

The Issue & Solution

Many users experience missing "Open with Code" options in context menus after installing VS Code via winget. This comprehensive guide explains the issue and provides solutions for proper installation.

Root Cause Identified

The problem occurs due to a parameter typo in a commonly shared command:

winget install --force Microsoft.VisualStudioCode --override '/VERYSILENT /SP- /MERGETAKS="!runcode,!desktopicon,addcontextmenufiles,addcontextmenufolders,associatewithfiles,addtopath"'

Note the misspelling: MERGETAKS instead of MERGETASKS (missing the "S").

This subtle typo has significant consequences: the VS Code installer silently ignores unrecognized parameters without displaying any error, resulting in default installation settings that skip context menu integration.

Parameter Explanation

Let's break down the correct command:

Winget Parameters

Parameter	Purpose
install	Basic command to install a package
Microsoft.VisualStudioCode	Package identifier for VS Code
--override	Passes arguments directly to the installer

VS Code Installer Parameters

Parameter	Purpose
/VERYSILENT	Runs installation without UI
/SP-	Suppresses initial setup message
/MERGETASKS	Critical parameter that specifies installation tasks

Key MERGETASKS Options

Option	Function	Impact
addcontextmenufiles	Adds context menu entry for files	Enables right-click "Open with Code" on files
addcontextmenufolders	Adds context menu entry for folders	Enables right-click "Open with Code" on folders
associatewithfiles	Associates VS Code with supported file types	Makes VS Code the default editor for these files
addtopath	Adds VS Code to PATH	Enables using code command in terminal

How to Fix an Existing Installation

If you've already installed VS Code without context menu integration:

1. Uninstall VS Code:
   (optional step winget install --force should reinstall target package)

   winget uninstall Microsoft.VisualStudioCode

2. Reinstall with the correct parameters:

   winget install --force Microsoft.VisualStudioCode --override '/VERYSILENT /SP- /MERGETASKS="addcontextmenufiles,addcontextmenufolders,associatewithfiles,addtopath"'

Installation Options for Different Needs

Standard Installation (Recommended)

winget install --force Microsoft.VisualStudioCode --override '/VERYSILENT /SP- /MERGETASKS="addcontextmenufiles,addcontextmenufolders,associatewithfiles,addtopath"'

Complete Installation with All Features

winget install --force Microsoft.VisualStudioCode --override '/VERYSILENT /SP- /MERGETASKS="runcode,desktopicon,addcontextmenufiles,addcontextmenufolders,associatewithfiles,addtopath"'

Minimal Installation with Context Menu Only

winget install --force Microsoft.VisualStudioCode --override '/VERYSILENT /SP- /MERGETASKS="!runcode,!desktopicon,addcontextmenufiles,addcontextmenufolders,!associatewithfiles,addtopath"'

Advanced: Understanding MERGETASKS Behavior

• Tasks without a prefix are explicitly selected
• Tasks prefixed with ! are explicitly deselected
• Default VS Code installer behavior is to select most options

Example: /MERGETASKS="!runcode,addcontextmenufiles" will disable automatic launch of VS Code after installation but ensure file context menu integration.

Available VS Code Installer Options

Click to view all available installer options

References

• VS Code Installer Source (code.iss)
• Inno Setup Command Line Parameters
• VS Code Setup Documentation

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I hope this helps anyone encountering the same issue. Feel free to add any questions or additional information in the comments.