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I'm stumped over this issue with PowerShell.

I used Update-Help cmdlet and it does nothing at all. The cursor is blinking and it's not downloading the help files. It's not doing anything at all.

I am using PowerShell 5.1 and right-clicked on it to run as an administrator. I have Windows 10.

At least I can use Get-Help <-cmdlet> -online to lookup cmdlets, but I'd like to have help files downloaded and be able to use just PowerShell for help without going to Google.

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  • When did it stop working? Do you have a habit of backup and setting restore points regularly before you do major or even minor system changes, updates etc.? If so, then roll back to a date when is was working. Since PS is part of the OS in Win10, there is no uninstall, reinstall option, other the refreshing or rebuilding your system. If it is the later, is it really worth that effort, when you can just go online? I feel your pain, as I've had this happen on a couple of VM, but I always keep a snap shot, so, it had virtually zero impact and a simple rollback fixed it.
    – postanote
    Commented May 26, 2019 at 22:20
  • Postanote, never used it until my class lab assignment. I'm trying to do this at home without going to campus lab.
    – Picard90
    Commented May 27, 2019 at 2:43
  • Ah OK... See my suggested answer for you.
    – postanote
    Commented May 27, 2019 at 5:45

1 Answer 1

Reset to default
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Try, as admin in the consolehost and in the ISE.

Update-Help -verbose -force

Otherwise, try one of these approaches..

PowerTip: Save Offline Version of PowerShell Help

https://devblogs.microsoft.com/scripting/powertip-save-offline-version-of-powershell-help

Files for Updatable Help for Windows PowerShell module Microsoft.PowerShell.Host

https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=36475

Download PowerShell help library for all modules to a text file

Ever wanted to download the entire PowerShell help library for all the modules on your e-book reader -or mobile device? You can use this script to do just that. It copies all the help content to a text file, which saves to the c:\ drive.I am looping through all the PowerShell help

https://gallery.technet.microsoft.com/Dumping-the-entire-help-to-3db9e0f1

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  • Postanote, thanks for your answer! I was stumped for a while until I just decided to reboot the laptop again, and presto! Update-Help immediately downloaded everything. I'm not sure what happened. Maybe it has to do with the Dell's auto-update which sometimes need me to reboot the computer. I rarely turn off my computer, so that may be an issue as well.
    – Picard90
    Commented May 30, 2019 at 1:46
  • No worries, good to hear. Yep, both Dell, and Lenovo can hang other updates when the hardware is being updated, especially BIOS stuff.
    – postanote
    Commented May 30, 2019 at 2:06

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