How to redirect a URL to a local file?

Question

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?

Solution

• 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

Comments

[Arjan]

Is this done using a browser?

[Arjan]

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.

[user5249203]

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.

[Jader Dias]

is it possible without a web server?

[user5249203]

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.