Microsoft Restructures KB Knowledge Base URLs

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Hey Y’all,

Just to let you know that MS has restructured the URLs for its KB database. All the monthly update KBs now include the date in all the URLs and if that wasn’t enough it’s a text date, i.e. october-12.2021.

Who cares, well for one I do. They just broke my Get-WinVer Powershell program. Previously it was very easy to have a database with the release number and associated KB number and append it into the base URL and you’re done. Now you have an additional element plus a whole bunch of junk added to the end of the URL, i.e. os-builds-19041-1288-19042-1288-and-19043-1288-8902fc49-af79-4b1a-99c4-f74ca886cd95.

So for now I’ll be removing the KB article links from the program. Luckily, they haven’t made any changes that will disable the other features of the program. Normally, I’d recode and get on with it. However, it would require me to manually re-lookup all the back KB articles and get the new URLs and code them into the lookup file. Sorry, just not in the mode to do that.

Thank you Microsoft! May I have another?  

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

3 users thanked author for this post.

wavy, lmacri, Rick Corbett

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RetiredGeek wrote:

Thank you Microsoft! May I have another?

Be careful what you wish for, RG!

 

 

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Just checked the Update Catalog and, while the webpage you get sent to does include all the new data you indicated, the actual More Information & Support URL links shown in the catalog are still the same as before.

i.e. the link for the new 2021-10 KB5006670 for Win10 2004 or newer is https://support.microsoft.com/help/5006670

Since the new URLs are “way too long” to easily fit in the small info window that opens when you click the title of a KB in the catalog, they’ll most likely keep “redirecting” the shorter links to the correct support page and your script will still work as expected.

Of course we are talking about Microsoft here, so who knows?!?!

2 users thanked author for this post.

wavy, windbg

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alejr,

Thank you very much! I was unaware of the shortened URLs in the Catalogue as I don’t use it.

Below you can see the difference in what I was using in my program and the wonderful information you provided.

Old URL: "https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/" +
         "$VerURL/windows-10-update-history"

New URL: "https://support.microsoft.com/help/$VerURL"

That’s what I love about the askWoody community there is always someone out there with the answer.

The new file has been posted and you are given credit in the comments.
THANKS again!

May the Forces of good computing be with you!

RG

PowerShell & VBA Rule!
Computer Specs

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Happy to help.

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