Set-ExecutionPolicy Bypass -Scope Process -Force; iex ((New-Object System.Net.WebClient).DownloadString('https://community.chocolatey.org/install.ps1'))
```
{% endraw %}


## 2. Install packages
If you know alrady familiar with the package names of individual Software or the App, you can skip this otherwise you can search 

### 2.1 Search
Let's say I don't know what is the name of the Node.js package. I can serach:

#### 2.1.1 Search from CLI
{% raw %}


````shell
choco search nodejs
```
{% endraw %}

It should return results something like that:
{% raw %}


````shell
nodejs 16.11.0 [Approved]
nodejs.commandline 6.11.0 [Approved]
nodejs.install 16.11.0 [Approved]
nodejs-lts 14.18.0 [Approved]
...
30 packages found.

```
{% endraw %}


> Homework: What does {% raw %}`[Approved]`{% endraw %} mean?

#### 2.1.1 Seach from Chocolatey site:

Visit https://community.chocolatey.org/packages to find all the supported packages. You can find all sorts of amazing Software and Apps including day-to-day Sofrware like Chrome, Zoom, iTunes - to Enterprise Developer Tools like Visual Studio, Python, Azure and AWS CLIs - and whatnot.

### 2.2 Install 

This is how you install a pacakge. From an Admin terminal:

* Node.js
{% raw %}

````shell
choco install nodejs-lts
```
{% endraw %}


* VS Code
{% raw %}

````shell
choco install vscode
```
{% endraw %}


Now you can save all this in a file and install, but wait "where is the automation you promised? I need my money back." Don't worry, people way smarter than me have thought about this and came up with:

## Packages.config
There's an official way to list all the packages and install from that file.

Here's what a typical package looks like:
{% raw %}


````xml
<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<packages>
    <package id="vscode" />
    <package id="nodejs-lts" version="14.18.0" />
</packages>
```



Save this file and in future you can install all the Software and Apps. e.g.



````shell
choco install "sample-packages.config"
```



Since I already have these pacakges installed, I got following message, but you can figure it out from here.



````shell
Installing from config file:
sample-packages.config
By installing, you accept licenses for the packages.
Installing the following packages:
vscode
nodejs-lts
vscode v1.61.0 already installed.
 Use --force to reinstall, specify a version to install, or try upgrade.
nodejs-lts v14.18.0 already installed.
 Use --force to reinstall, specify a version to install, or try upgrade.

Chocolatey installed 0/2 packages.
 See the log for details (C:\ProgramData\chocolatey\logs\chocolatey.log).
```


## Conclusion

That's it! This is how you can automate the installation of your favorite Software and Apps in a repeatable way.

If you liked this, please like and share this post. And visit https://github.com/iSatishYadav/AutomateWindowsSoftwareInstallation and give this repo a star.

Originally posted at:

[https://blog.satishyadav.com/automate-new-windows-machine-installation](https://blog.satishyadav.com/automate-new-windows-machine-installation/?utm_source=devto_&utm_medium=blog)

Happy Hacking!