Anyone who frequently uses terminal environments on Linux is familiar with the helpful shell behaviour where typing an unrecognised utility name prompts the system to suggest the exact package required to install it. On Windows, typing an uninstalled executable into PowerShell historically yielded only an abrupt red error message. With the Command Not Found module in Microsoft PowerToys, Windows 11 PowerShell users now enjoy intelligent, automated package suggestions powered by the Windows Package Manager (Winget).
Prerequisites and PowerShell Requirements
To take advantage of Command Not Found, verify that your workstation meets the following requirements:
- PowerToys: Installed and updated to a modern version.
- PowerShell 7.4+: The module requires modern cross-platform PowerShell (PowerShell Core 7) rather than legacy Windows PowerShell 5.1.
- Microsoft.WinGet.Client: The official PowerShell module that allows programmatic querying of the Winget package repository.
Enabling Command Not Found in PowerToys Settings
Configuring the module takes only a few clicks inside the PowerToys control panel:
- Launch PowerToys from the Windows 11 Start menu or system tray.
- Select Command Not Found from the left-hand navigation menu.
- Toggle the main switch to On.
- If the PowerShell module is not yet registered, click the Install button. PowerToys will automatically download and bind the necessary PowerShell feedback provider.
Testing Intelligent Command Suggestions in Action
Open a new PowerShell 7 terminal window. Try entering the name of a popular command-line utility that is not currently installed on your PC (such as git, ffmpeg, htop, or neofetch):
- Instead of a standard termination error, PowerShell intercepts the missing binary event.
- Command Not Found searches the Winget catalog in the background and presents an interactive prompt displaying matching packages.
- It provides the exact installation command (for example:
winget install --id Git.Git -e --source winget). - You can copy and execute the command immediately to install the tool without manually opening a browser to search for download links.
Enabling Command Not Found transforms PowerShell into a self-diagnosing, modern development shell, drastically cutting down friction when working on fresh Windows 11 developer installations.