How can I get a static download link for a Microsoft MSDN Subscriber Download?

Question

I need to be able to download MSDN ISO files directly from PowerShell. How can I do this?

I can view the downloads site at: https://msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/securedownloads/ however, these downloads require authentication...

I do not know how to authenticate into it through PowerShell, and I can find no applicable cmdlets.

It would be nice to just have static download links for my actual files.

Additionally, it would be vert helpful if anyone could provide a cmdlet that's already done for this. I've searched but no success.

Solution

I happened to find the answer to this and so I thought that I'd tell it to everyone. Hope that is okay!

So you have a Microsoft MSDN account, and you want to learn how to download your ISO files directly through powershell? Well Join me as I teach you how to do it! It is much simpler than you think!

DOWNLOAD MSDN SUBSCRIBER DOWNLOADS ISO FROM COMMAND LINE

Basically there is a static location for the ISO files, as well as a uniquely generated query string.

If you get the unique query string you can download the files, I have tested this and found I can download them for an undetermined amount of time after getting the generated string.

A new string is generated with each new authentication however, the old links still work.

In order to get the string visit the site in your web browser (Firefox would work well for this but any would do really)

msdn.microsoft.com/subscriptions/downloads

[Find the file you want to download, now view your network connections when you click download, for example, i am going to show you fictitious information as an example only scenario. SEE THIS SCREENSHOT FOR HOW TO GET THE LINK

AS I SAID: The links that it generates are different at every login session it seems, they make unique links, but from what I can tell the old ones don't get disabled...

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For example here are 2 links (with the relevant info changed of coarse) to give u the idea.

(I can't post more than 2 links total because my reputation is low so... ) I guess just add http and the .coms to this so that it is a link as it would look

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STATIC MSDN SUBSCRIBER DOWNLOAD LINKS

Example 1: (key information changed for my protection)

http://download.msdn.microsoft.com/pr/en_windows_server_2016_technical_preview_3_x64_dvd_6942082.iso**?t=***91b4j6v6-f03d-860d-fef5-f09e123abc4d***&e=***1234567890***&h=***12a3b456c7890101de11f213141g61h7i*

Example 2: (key information changed for my protection)

[url] http://download.msdn.microsoft.com/pr/en_windows_server_2016_technical_preview_3_x64_dvd_6942082.iso?**t=***12a3b343-f932-fe9d-fe93-a12345678abd***&e=***1234567890***&h=***123456789102345698d7f8e6w5d2s1f6e*

Basically the link consists of the following structure:

• Microsoft http file service located at http : / / download.msdn.microsoft .com/pr/

• The ISO File name (in this case server 2016 tech preview): en_windows_server_2016_technical_preview_3_x64_dvd_6942082.iso?

• The query string with the authentication information

• a t= followed by an encoded string in the following format 8varchar-4varc-4varc-4varc-12varchar for a total of 32 total characters Example: t=12a3b343-f932-fe9d-fe93-a12345678abd

• A "e=" followed by 10 digits only Example: &e=1234567890

• An "h=" followed by a 33 character varchar string &h=123456789102345698d7f8e6w5d2s1f6e

I hope that this is helpful to you and if you have any further questions feel free to ask!

pdf about downloading through power shell if you don't know how to use wget or anything

Comments

[user2282496]

Im getting 403 errors after a while when using this method. Accessing the generated url from another pc also fails with http 403. Big nuisance that we cant get a permanent download link to iso files from microsoft.com.

[Tim]

Unfortunately, I believe microsoft fixed the bug allowing my solution to work. Additionally the links were never permanent, they existed for an unknown (i didnt test) length of time, and in the use case as long as that time was a few seconds it was all good. I will research the issue again this week and reply if I find a new work around.