Cmdlet help not found

[ThomasNieto]

Prerequisites

• [X] Write a descriptive title.
• [X] Make sure you are able to repro it on the latest released version
• [X] Search the existing issues.

Steps to reproduce

Install PSDesiredStateConfiguration module and update help. Then try to access any of cmdlet help and it will say no help found.

Expected behavior

# Help found

Actual behavior

# Help not found

Error details

No response

Environment data

7.4-preview2

Version

2.0.6

Visuals

No response

[ThomasNieto]

cc: @sdwheeler

[sdwheeler]

@ThomasNieto I updated our redirection links. Let me know if that helped.

[ThomasNieto]

@sdwheeler Sadly it did not, Update-Help cmdlet downloads the help and I can see it in ~\Documents\Help\PSDesiredStateConfiguration\2.0.6\en-US folder however, its like Get-Help can't find the help xml files.

PS C:\Users\Thomas> update-Help psdesiredstateconfiguration -Verbose -Force
VERBOSE: Resolving URI: "https://aka.ms/powershell70-help"
VERBOSE: Your connection has been redirected to the following URI: "https://pshelpprod.blob.core.windows.net/cabinets/powershell-7/"
VERBOSE: Performing the operation "Update-Help" on target "PSDesiredStateConfiguration, Current Version: 7.0.1.0, Available Version: 7.0.1.0, UICulture: en-US".
VERBOSE: PSDesiredStateConfiguration: Updated C:\Users\Thomas\Documents\PowerShell\Help\PSDesiredStateConfiguration\2.0.6\en-US\about_Classes_and_DSC.help.txt. Culture en-US Version 7.0.1.0
VERBOSE: PSDesiredStateConfiguration: Updated C:\Users\Thomas\Documents\PowerShell\Help\PSDesiredStateConfiguration\2.0.6\en-US\Microsoft.Windows.DSC.CoreConfProviders.dll-help.xml. Culture en-US Version 7.0.1.0
VERBOSE: PSDesiredStateConfiguration: Updated C:\Users\Thomas\Documents\PowerShell\Help\PSDesiredStateConfiguration\2.0.6\en-US\PSDesiredStateConfiguration-help.xml. Culture en-US Version 7.0.1.0
PS C:\Users\Thomas> Get-DscResource -?

NAME
    Get-DscResource

SYNTAX
    Get-DscResource [[-Name] <string[]>] [[-Module] <Object>] [-Syntax] [<CommonParameters>]

ALIASES
    None

REMARKS
    Get-Help cannot find the Help files for this cmdlet on this computer. It is displaying only partial help.
        -- To download and install Help files for the module that includes this cmdlet, use Update-Help.
        -- To view the Help topic for this cmdlet online, type: "Get-Help Get-DscResource -Online" or
           go to http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=403985.

PS C:\Users\Thomas> Get-Command Get-DscResource

CommandType     Name                                               Version    Source
-----------     ----                                               -------    ------
Function        Get-DscResource                                    2.0.6      PSDesiredStateConfiguration

PS C:\Users\Thomas> ls C:\Users\Thomas\Documents\PowerShell\Help\PSDesiredStateConfiguration\2.0.6\en-US

    Directory: C:\Users\Thomas\Documents\PowerShell\Help\PSDesiredStateConfiguration\2.0.6\en-US

Mode                 LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                 -------------         ------ ----
-a---          12/13/2021 10:12 PM          24117 about_Classes_and_DSC.help.txt
-a---          12/13/2021 10:12 PM          10540 Microsoft.Windows.DSC.CoreConfProviders.dll-help.xml
-a---          12/13/2021 10:12 PM          20293 PSDesiredStateConfiguration-help.xml

[sdwheeler]

Aha, I understand the problem. You have a previous version of the help downloaded that is pointing to the old storage location. We moved DSC the content to a new location when it was migrated out of the PowerShell-Docs repo. If you delete the existing help files from C:\Users\Thomas\Documents\PowerShell\Help\PSDesiredStateConfiguration\2.0.6\en-US then run Update-Help it should work.

[ThomasNieto]

Strange still didn't work, I deleted both the module and help for a clean slate.

PS C:\Users\Thomas> Install-PSResource psDesiredStateConfiguration -PassThru

Name                        Version Prerelease Repository Description
----                        ------- ---------- ---------- -----------
PSDesiredStateConfiguration 2.0.6              PSGallery  PowerShell Desired State Configuration

PS C:\Users\Thomas> Update-Help psdesiredstateconfiguration -Verbose -Force
VERBOSE: Resolving URI: "https://aka.ms/powershell72-help"
VERBOSE: Your connection has been redirected to the following URI: "https://pshelpprod.blob.core.windows.net/cabinets/powershell-7.2/"
VERBOSE: Performing the operation "Update-Help" on target "PSDesiredStateConfiguration, Current Version: 0.0.0.0, Available Version: 7.2.0.0, UICulture: en-US".
VERBOSE: PSDesiredStateConfiguration: Updated C:\Users\Thomas\Documents\PowerShell\Help\PSDesiredStateConfiguration\2.0.6\en-US\about_Classes_and_DSC.help.txt. Culture en-US Version 7.2.0.0
VERBOSE: PSDesiredStateConfiguration: Updated C:\Users\Thomas\Documents\PowerShell\Help\PSDesiredStateConfiguration\2.0.6\en-US\PSDesiredStateConfiguration-help.xml. Culture en-US Version 7.2.0.0
PS C:\Users\Thomas> Get-DscResource -?

NAME
    Get-DscResource

SYNTAX
    Get-DscResource [[-Name] <string[]>] [[-Module] <Object>] [-Syntax] [<CommonParameters>]

ALIASES
    None

REMARKS
    Get-Help cannot find the Help files for this cmdlet on this computer. It is displaying only partial help.
        -- To download and install Help files for the module that includes this cmdlet, use Update-Help.
        -- To view the Help topic for this cmdlet online, type: "Get-Help Get-DscResource -Online" or
           go to http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=403985.

PS C:\Users\Thomas> ls C:\Users\Thomas\Documents\PowerShell\Help\PSDesiredStateConfiguration\2.0.6\en-US

    Directory: C:\Users\Thomas\Documents\PowerShell\Help\PSDesiredStateConfiguration\2.0.6\en-US

Mode                 LastWriteTime         Length Name
----                 -------------         ------ ----
-a---           6/22/2021 10:16 PM          24117 about_Classes_and_DSC.help.txt
-a---           6/22/2021 10:16 PM          31227 PSDesiredStateConfiguration-help.xml

[sdwheeler]

Also, delete the PSDesiredStateConfiguration_779e0998-8c72-4567-89b5-49313fc15351_HelpInfo.xml file from the module folder before you run Update-Help.

[sdwheeler]

I found 2 more redirects that needed fixing. Deleting and reinstalling the module should fix Update-Help now. If not, then I will have to try more debugging on Monday.

[ThomasNieto]

The help info file was deleted along with the en-us directory and forcing the help to update still didn't resolve. Thanks for taking a look at it over the weekend.

[ThomasNieto]

Found a workaround, if you copy the en-US folder from the help directory into the module directory it will work. That makes it seem like a Get-Help bug.

[sdwheeler]

Ah... I think we have run into that before. There may be an issue open in the PowerShell repo. If not, we need to open one.

[sdwheeler]

@ThomasNieto I found the related bug - See PowerShell/PowerShell#18397

You should find it familiar. 😉