A tech journalist at XDA-Developers rebuilt his entire Windows PC from a single YAML file on October 18, 2026, and reported that a fresh Windows 11 machine can go from blank to fully loaded in under 12 minutes with one command.
The tool behind it is winget, Microsoft's official command-line package manager, and the experiment proves that American ingenuity still beats clicking through a hundred installer wizards by hand.
What the winget experiment found
According to XDA-Developers, the writer started by exporting more than 150 installed packages to a JSON file using winget export. The export pulled apps from the winget source and the Microsoft Store, but it missed software installed manually, including Brave, Discord, Postman, and Android Studio.
The export was only half the job. The winget configure command needs a YAML file, not JSON, so the file had to be converted and edited by hand. Duplicate packages from system and user installations were removed, and three Windows settings were added manually: Developer Mode, file extensions and hidden files, and dark mode.
In the end, the writer split the setup into two files. One covered core apps such as development tools and everyday software. The second handled hardware and vendor tools, game launchers, and flight simulation software.
How fast did the clean install test run?
The test ran on a virtual machine running Windows 11 26H2, the latest version Microsoft is rolling out, as Windows Central reported. The fresh install shipped with winget v1.11.510 ready to go.
One hurdle appeared immediately: the configuration feature had to be enabled first with winget configure --enable. Once that was done, validation passed with no issues.
The first run installed 14 applications and applied two of the three Windows settings in 14 minutes and 26.8 seconds. It would have been faster, but the writer missed some UAC prompts. A second run on a fresh VM finished in under 12 minutes.
What the file could not bring back
There is a difference between installed and configured. The apps came back, but none of them remembered the user. Browsers had no profiles, history, or passwords. Utility apps were signed out. VS Code had no extensions.
App versions were not pinned either. The test machine received newer builds than the original PC, including Node 22.23.2 versus 22.14 and Python 3.13.15 versus 3.13.3. Licensed software like Microsoft Office and Adobe Suite still required separate authentication, and the writer deliberately left SSH keys and git credentials out of the file.
That is the right call. Keeping logins and licenses in a plain text file is asking for trouble, and drivers are device specific, so hauling them along buys nothing.
Why this matters for Windows users
A clean install is still the best way to start fresh, and there are several ways to do it, from USB media to an ISO file, as Pureinfotech documented. But the hours spent reinstalling the same apps every time are gone for good if you keep a configuration file.
This is self-reliance in action. You own your machine, you document your setup, and you do not depend on memory or luck to rebuild it. A repeatable baseline beats starting from scratch every single time.
For gamers watching their digital rights, the same principle applies: know what you own and keep it documented. Congress is pushing that idea further with the Power to the Players Act.
FAQ
Can one file really rebuild a whole Windows PC?
Mostly, yes. A winget YAML file installed 14 apps and applied Windows settings in under 12 minutes in testing, but app logins, licenses, and user profiles still need manual work.
Does winget export capture everything installed?
No. XDA-Developers found the export missed manually installed apps like Brave, Discord, and Android Studio, which had to be added by hand.
Is it safe to store logins in a winget configuration file?
No. The writer kept SSH keys, git credentials, and licensed app authentication out of the file on purpose, since plain text files are a poor place for secrets.