[BUG] Improper Uninstall, then Update behaviour

[gjannece]

Please confirm these before moving forward.

• I have searched for my feature proposal and have not found a work-in-progress/duplicate/resolved/discarded issue.
• This improvement refers to an existing feature. If you want to suggest a new feature, please use this template.
• This improvement is not a bug. If you want to report a bug, please use this template.

Describe the improvement

I use UniGetUI to install and maintain the app yt-dlp through winget. When there is a new version, the update fails and I need to manually run "Uninstall + ReInstall" to update the app.
I checked and didn't see an option to "UnInstall + ReInstall" until the packages Install Options and think it would be a good option to have.

Describe how this improvement could help users

I don't know if updating the yt-dlp is an isolated issue, but being able to custom select "uninstall + reinstall" per app might be very helpful for anybody else trying to automatically update apps.

[marticliment]

If you right-click a package, you have the option there. Is this what you are looking for?

[gjannece]

I already use the uninstall --> reinstall option, but I see the option isn't in the package's install options. I think this would help with auto installing all the updates without manually having to right-click on the one package that fails.

[candrapersada]

if possible add a --skip-dependencies button with one click in UniGetUI
to solve yt-dlp and ffmpeg problems in winget
microsoft/winget-pkgs#181353

[marticliment]

candrapersada, you can use custom parameters to fix this

[Infinitay]

To add to this feature, when you're viewing the list of packages within the Software Updates tab, could you add a feature to also reinstall the package? As OP mentioned, for packages where we have custom install parameters, we have to also uninstall and then re-install.

My specific use case is because I am renaming the gallery-dl binary via the custom install parameter of --rename "gallery-dl.exe" because the winget package is a nightly version and the creator is building their releases with the suffix -nightly. I'm left with a few options:

1. Update: This will run winget update and therefore skipping the install parameters from being ran since it's not an install
2. Uninstall, then update it: Same as update
3. Update Options -> Change it from update to install: IIRC this works. However, would save clicks if we simply add reinstall to the context menu options

[marticliment]

uninstall, then update doesn't call winget install instead of winget update?

[Infinitay]

uninstall, then update doesn't call winget install instead of winget update?

tldr; no, Uninstall package, then update it does winget update as expected

So I've spent a good amount of time trying to recreate the issue with another package by installing an outdated version, but within WinGet it refuses to show it as outdated despite winget upgrade showing there is an update, and it's not being ignored/pinned according to Manage ignored updates - I even reset it just in case. idk if this helps WinGet package voidtools.Everything.Lite not being shown as an updated as this version has already been marked as installed but I digress I don't want to get off topic.

I was attempting to recreate the issue with another package I don't have installed to avoid potential issues, but it seems like I have no choice. I'm going to go ahead and click on the option to Uninstall package, then update it, and as expected, since it is running winget upgrade, it fails:

Package update operation for Package=OliverBetz.ExifTool with Manager=Winget
Installation options: <InstallOptions instance (only non-default values are shown)
	OverridesNextLevelOpts: False>
Overriden options: <Scope=;RunAsAdministrator=True;WG_SpecifyVersion=;PS_NoScope=False>
Version: 13.44 -> 13.45

Running PreOperation (1/1)...
Package uninstall operation for Package=OliverBetz.ExifTool with Manager=Winget
Installation options: <InstallOptions instance (only non-default values are shown)
	OverridesNextLevelOpts: False>
Overriden options: <Scope=;RunAsAdministrator=True;WG_SpecifyVersion=;PS_NoScope=False>
Starting operation...
Executing process with StartInfo:
 - FileName: "C:\Program Files\UniGetUI\Assets\Utilities\UniGetUI Elevator.exe"
 - Arguments: ""C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\winget.exe"  uninstall --id "OliverBetz.ExifTool" --exact --source winget --accept-source-agreements --disable-interactivity --version "13.44" --silent"
Start Time: "12/30/2025 5:40:15 AM"
Found ExifTool version 13.44_64 [OliverBetz.ExifTool]
Starting package uninstall...
Successfully uninstalled
End Time: "12/30/2025 5:40:19 AM"
Process return value: "0" (0x0)
ExifTool was uninstalled successfully
PreOperation 1 out of 1 finished with result Succeeded
--------------------------------

Starting operation...
Executing process with StartInfo:
 - FileName: "C:\Program Files\UniGetUI\Assets\Utilities\UniGetUI Elevator.exe"
 - Arguments: ""C:\Users\<user>\AppData\Local\Microsoft\WindowsApps\winget.exe"  update --id "OliverBetz.ExifTool" --exact --source winget --accept-source-agreements --disable-interactivity --silent --include-unknown --accept-package-agreements --force"
Start Time: "12/30/2025 5:40:19 AM"
No installed package found matching input criteria.
End Time: "12/30/2025 5:40:20 AM"
Process return value: "-1978335212" (0x8A150014)
ExifTool could not be updated

FWIW just to re-iterate, the additional feature support I wanted again is specifically when viewing updates within the Software Updates tab. There is an appropriate Uninstall package, then reinstall it within the Installed Package tab. I would appreciate a new context menu option, and I believe OP wanted it as an update option if I understood correctly.

[marticliment]

I thought I had changed this. It should not actually call winget update, because it is likely to fail because the version to update is no long installed. I will change this, which will solve this issue