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I am trying to make Windows access C:\authrootstl.cab when it tries to GET http://www.download.windowsupdate.com/msdownload/update/v3/static/trustedr/en/authrootstl.cab. Is it possible?

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Is this done using a browser? – Arjan Dec 16 '10 at 18:07
@Arjan no, it's done automatically and without showing it to the user. – Jader Dias Dec 17 '10 at 0:42
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2 Answers

up vote 3 down vote accepted
  • Edit %Windows%/System32/driver/etc/hosts
    • add 127.0.0.1 www.download.windowsupdate.com
  • Install a local webserver (e.g Apache)
    • configure it to serve the file
      • set the DocumentRoot to (say) c:\temp
      • either copy C:\authrootstl.cab to C:\Temp\msdownload\update\v3\static\trustedr\en\authrootstl.cab
      • or configure a URL rewriting rule

Without the rewriting rules you could use any simple HTTP server, such as tthttpd. You could also use IIS etc etc

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This would rewrite all files from www.download.windowsupdate.com to localhost; don't know if that's a problem. If so, then combining Fidler with a local web server might do the trick. – Arjan Dec 16 '10 at 18:48
True, You could get Apache to reverse proxy the others (using an IP-address for the www.download.windowsupdate.com. Not sure how deep a rathole is justified by the need to fake the cab file. – RedGrittyBrick Dec 16 '10 at 19:20
is it possible without a web server? – Jader Dias Dec 17 '10 at 1:02
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It isn't possible without a HTTP server because the client is attempting to connect using HTTP. However the HTTP server need not be on the same PC, it could be any web server anywhere, to which you have access to either the main configuration or (in Apache terms) to a vhost configuration. You still have to change hosts on the PC to direct it to the IP-address of the webserver you control. – RedGrittyBrick Dec 17 '10 at 9:40
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up vote 0 down vote

Update: I don't think this will work, as I don't think the protocol can be changed on the fly (from http to file), if only as all URLs in the examples do not include any http:// prefix at all... Leaving it here for a while just in case someone figures it out (then just copy into your own answer please!).

I don't know how Windows accesses this URL, but if the process obeys proxy settings, then maybe Fiddler can do rewriting to something like file:///C/authrootstl.cab.

Not tested:

if( oSession.url.endsWith("authrootstl.cab") )
{  
   oSession.url = "file:///C/authrootstl.cab";  
}

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