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Update-Help - Powershell 4.0 CmdLet

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Update-Help

Short description
Downloads and installs the newest help files on your computer.

Syntax


Description
The Update-Help cmdlet downloads the newest help files for Windows PowerShell modules and installs them on your 
computer. You can use the Get-Help cmdlet to view the new help files immediately; you do not need to restart Windows 
PowerShell to make the change effective. This feature enables you to install help files for modules that do not 
include them and to update help files on your computer so that they never become obsolete.


The Update-Help cmdlet checks the version of the help files on your computer. If you do not have help files for a 
module or do not have the newest help files for a module, Update-Help downloads the newest help files from the 
Internet or a file share and installs them on your computer in the correct module folder.


Without parameters, Update-Help updates the help for modules in the session and for all installed  modules (in a 
PSModulePath location) that support Updatable Help, even if the module is not in the current session. You can also use 
the Module parameter to update help for a particular module and use the UICulture parameter to download help files in 
multiple languages and locales.


You can use Update-Help even on computers that are not connected to the Internet. Use the Save-Help cmdlet to download 
help files from the Internet and save them in a file system location, such as a shared folder or file system 
directory. Then use the SourcePath parameter of Update-Help to get the updated help files from a file system location 
and install them on the computer.


You can even automate the running of Update-Help by adding an Update-Help command to your Windows PowerShell profile. 
By default, Update-Help runs only once per day on each computer. To override the once-per-day limit, use the Force 
parameter.


To download or update the help files for modules in the Windows PowerShell installation directory ($pshome\Modules), 
including the Windows PowerShell Core modules, start Windows PowerShell with the "Run as administrator" option. You 
must be a member of the Administrators group on the computer to update the help files for these modules.


You can also update help files by using the "Update Windows PowerShell Help" menu item in the Help menu in Windows 
PowerShell Integrated Scripting Environment (ISE). The "Update Windows PowerShell Help" item runs an Update-Help 
command without parameters. To update help for modules in the $PSHome directory, start Windows PowerShell ISE with the 
"Run as administrator" option.


This cmdlet is introduced in Windows PowerShell 3.0.