Update-Help fails for WindowsUpdateProvider

[joeyaiello]

From @dsolodow on February 9, 2018 15:44

update-help : Failed to update Help for the module(s) 'WindowsUpdateProvider' with UI
culture(s) {en-US} : Unable to retrieve the HelpInfo XML file for UI culture en-US. Make sure the HelpInfoUri property
in the module manifest is valid or check your network connection and then try the command again.
At line:1 char:1

• update-help

•   + CategoryInfo          : ResourceUnavailable: (:) [Update-Help], Exception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : UnableToRetrieveHelpInfoXml,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.UpdateHelpCommand
  
  

Copied from original issue: MicrosoftDocs/PowerShell-Docs#2117

[cebulloc]

I have the same error message. It has been going on for a couple of months now. Has anyone found a fix? or is there no update file for that particular module at the moment? I should mention I am completely new to PowerShell and IT in general. Any help would be appreciated. I am troubleshooting myself but I can not find anything related to "windows update provider" specifically. I have found some forums on other modules with similar errors.
Thank you for your assistance with this matter.

[dsolodow]

No, there isn't a fix for the missing help yet. However, most of the cmdlets in this module don't have any real options and just return a true/false or a date time.

[cebulloc]

dsolodow,
Thank you for your help. I appreciate you taking the time.

[Maverick5533]

I don't normally post any comments in GH, but I thought I would since Don Jones convinced me to become a "Master" (in the sense that if you learn something....share it).

Let me preface my comments below that in this case I am strictly referring to the issues with Windows PowerShell 5.1 and other than the issue issue with updating the local Help file content for the WindowsUpdateProvider, all other help content was successfully updated.

I also noticed on PowerShell Core 6.0 Prev, there is no module name WindowsUpdateProvider. My thought was to see if that module was available for Core 6.0 and then borrow the updated URI from the manifest in Core and then replace the URI in the manifest in Windows PowerShell 5.1 (make logical sense?). This was my first attempt in quickly resolving the issue (after skimming through other blogs online where other admins were running into this issue).

Regarding the particular issue, I located the HelpURI that is referenced in the manifest file for the WindowsUpdateProvider module. I then copied that URI into a browser which I suspect may redirect to a resource under docs.microsoft.com.

Well long story short, it's a dead link (which is what POSH was trying to tell me in the console when it failed to update the help file). In summary, I suspect (just 'suspect'), at the moment, that not a whole lot of development efforts are allocated to update the module manifest for WindowsUpdateProvider given the fact that the evolutionary movement is toward POSH Core development. That said, I know folks can contact the specific MS Engineering groups and request edits/new features so that may be a option for resolving the bad URI in the WindowsUpdateProvider manifest.

[lmstearn]

Minor rantovani: Could the error message tell us a little more? Or at least, from the answer to this thread we know where the issue is, and quickly move on?
Thanks (violins al fine) 🎻

[486DX50]

A year later this was not resolved

PS C:\Windows\system32> update-help
update-help : Failed to update Help for the module(s) 'WindowsUpdateProvider' with UI culture(s) {en-US} : Unable to retrieve the HelpInfo XML file for UI culture en-US. Make
sure the HelpInfoUri property in the module manifest is valid or check your network connection and then try the command again.
At line:1 char:1

• update-help

•   + CategoryInfo          : ResourceUnavailable: (:) [Update-Help], Exception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : UnableToRetrieveHelpInfoXml,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.UpdateHelpCommand
  
  

Unbelievable...

[schtobia]

Same for de-DE:

PS C:\WINDOWS\system32> Update-Help
Update-Help : Fehler beim Aktualisieren von Hilfe für die Module "WindowsUpdateProvider" mit den
Benutzeroberflächenkulturen {de-DE}: Die XML-Datei "HelpInfo" für die Benutzeroberflächenkultur de-DE
kann nicht abgerufen werden. Stellen Sie sicher, dass die HelpInfoUri-Eigenschaft im Modulmanifest gültig
ist, oder überprüfen Sie die Netzwerkverbindung, und führen Sie den Befehl dann erneut aus.
In Zeile:1 Zeichen:1
+ Update-Help
+ ~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ResourceUnavailable: (:) [Update-Help], Exception
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : UnableToRetrieveHelpInfoXml,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.UpdateHelpCommand

[jeffreymcclain]

Same for me.

[junkiebev]

+1

[ngetchell]

Ran into this today

[Dbones202]

same.

[SamB]

Well, the Module Manifest for WindowsUpdateProvider on this machine doesn't give any attribution beyond "Microsoft Corporation", but it does specify a HelpInfoUri of https://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?linkid=390794, so there's actually no need to futz around figuring out where the module comes from and somehow make the case that this warrants issuing a patch to WindowsUpdateProvider -- it's just necessary to get that redirect pointed somewhere appropriate.

[pdario]

Same here; I see that I haven't any *HelpInfo.xml in
C:\Windows\System32\WindowsPowerShell\v1.0\Modules\WindowsUpdateProvider

Do you think this is correct??

Plus: do you know why I see more files in those dirs within CLI as compared to File Explore???