Quick fix: Open Terminal (Admin) and run winget upgrade --all — the Windows Package Manager updates every installed app to its latest version from Microsoft Store, GitHub, and other sources. Faster and more comprehensive than clicking through the Store UI.

You want to update Microsoft Store apps without opening the Store UI, or you want to script app updates as part of a maintenance routine. Windows 11 ships with winget (the Windows Package Manager) which can update Store apps, third-party apps, and many command-line tools from a single command.

Symptom: Want to update Microsoft Store apps via command line instead of clicking through the Store UI.
Affects: Windows 11 (and Windows 10 with App Installer) with winget available.
Fix time: ~5 minutes.

What causes this

The Microsoft Store UI updates apps via its own queue. winget (Windows Package Manager) accesses the same Microsoft Store update infrastructure plus other sources via a CLI. For scripted updates, automation, or just speed (winget is much faster than the Store UI), winget is the right tool.

Method 1: Update all apps with winget

The standard bulk update.

Open Terminal (Admin) from the Start right-click menu.
Check winget is available:
```
winget --version
```
If not found, install App Installer from the Microsoft Store.
List installed packages with available updates:
```
winget upgrade
```
The output shows each package with current and available versions, source (e.g., msstore, winget).
Update all apps at once:
```
winget upgrade --all
```
Accept any prompts (license terms for Microsoft Store apps appear once).
Updates run in parallel. Total time: typically 5-15 minutes for 20+ apps.

This catches every app winget knows about — Store apps, Edge, Chrome, VS Code, Discord, etc.

Method 2: Update a specific app by name or ID

For targeted updates.

Search for the app:
```
winget search visual studio code
```
Output includes Name, Id, Version, Source.

Update by ID (most reliable):

winget upgrade --id Microsoft.VisualStudioCode

Update by name:
```
winget upgrade "Visual Studio Code"
```
For Microsoft Store apps specifically, restrict source:
```
winget upgrade --source msstore
```
Show what would be done without actually doing it:
```
winget upgrade --all --dry-run
```

Targeted updates avoid touching apps you intentionally want to keep at older versions.

Method 3: Use Microsoft Store CLI for store-specific operations

For deeper Microsoft Store integration.

The Store itself has a URI-based command interface. Open from Run dialog or PowerShell:
```
start ms-windows-store://downloadsandupdates
```
This opens the Downloads & Updates page directly.

To trigger a check for updates immediately:

(Get-CimInstance -Namespace "Root\cimv2\mdm\dmmap" -ClassName "MDM_EnterpriseModernAppManagement_AppManagement01").UpdateScanMethod()

Schedule periodic store updates via Task Scheduler. Create a basic task that runs winget upgrade --all --silent weekly.

For status of Store updates:

Get-AppxPackage | Select-Object Name, Version | Sort-Object Name

Combines URI-based UI shortcuts with PowerShell automation for full coverage.

How to verify the fix worked

Run winget upgrade — apps that were updated show no upgrade available.
Run Get-AppxPackage Microsoft.WindowsCalculator | Select Version — the version matches the latest from Microsoft Store.
Open the Microsoft Store. Downloads & Updates shows fewer or no pending updates.
Apps relaunch with the new version.

If none of these work

If winget upgrade fails for specific apps, three causes apply. App is in use: apps that are running can’t be updated. Close them first. Run Get-Process "myapp" | Stop-Process if needed. Source not configured: winget may not have the msstore source. Run winget source list to check; winget source add --name msstore --type msstore --arg https://storeedgefd.dsx.mp.microsoft.com/v9.0 to add. App not registered with Store: third-party apps installed via MSI or downloaded installer aren’t known to Microsoft Store. winget updates them from the winget source instead. For Store apps that fail to update via winget, fall back to the Store UI: Settings → Apps → Installed apps → (app) → Advanced options → Reset, then reinstall via Store.

Bottom line: winget upgrade is the right tool for command-line app updates on Windows 11 — bulk updates with --all, targeted updates by ID, scriptable for automation.