A system and method that centrally manages desktop packages is provided allowing the administrator to recover component files previously sent to servers located throughout the organization. Applications are assigned to users and workstations. Self-contained desktop packages are transmitted to servers. The servers, in turn, provide the desktop packages to clients. The packages and the components included in the packages include unique identifiers used to identify the packages and components. A manifest is maintained detailing the individual components included in each of the self-contained desktop files. When a disaster event occurs at the administrator's computer system, the administrator retrieves the self-contained desktop files from the servers to which the packages were previously transmitted. The administrator repopulates the component libraries by unpacking the components from the self-contained desktop files. The administrator uses the manifest to determine whether additional self-contained package files need to be retrieved from other servers.