my roommate's new Microsoft Surface Hub is running a wacky version of Windows 10 that popped up a "You need to download something from the store to support this file!" message when I tried to run a win64 exe.
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It's a 22gb file and it can go as fast as half a gigabit/s but it keeps just hanging at like 14gb in. Your only option is to cancel and try again, which starts from byte 0
they mention this might be a problem in one of the many FAQs, and they recommend you fix it by getting better internet
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they mention this might be a problem in one of the many FAQs, and they recommend you fix it by getting better internet
I should MITM myself and see if I can figure out where it's downloading these files, and just curl it
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I should MITM myself and see if I can figure out where it's downloading these files, and just curl it
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I'd be tempted to launch my win95 VM ad use GetRight to download it, but I imagine it'd have some issues with TLS and certificates and such
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I'd be tempted to launch my win95 VM ad use GetRight to download it, but I imagine it'd have some issues with TLS and certificates and such
oh right I need to install TCP/IP onto my windows 95 machine first
lemme find my win95 floppies

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oh right I need to install TCP/IP onto my windows 95 machine first
lemme find my win95 floppies

Nah, MS won't let you download the file over HTTP, and this version of GetRight from 1997 doesn't support HTTPS.

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Nah, MS won't let you download the file over HTTP, and this version of GetRight from 1997 doesn't support HTTPS.

the curl download failed with a connection reset after 17 minutes and 20gb!
so I tell curl to resume it, and... the server starts over from the beginning.
MICROSOFT'S STUPID SERVER DOESN'T SUPPORT THE RANGE HEADER
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the curl download failed with a connection reset after 17 minutes and 20gb!
so I tell curl to resume it, and... the server starts over from the beginning.
MICROSOFT'S STUPID SERVER DOESN'T SUPPORT THE RANGE HEADER
IT'S 2026 BUY A REAL COMPUTER
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IT'S 2026 BUY A REAL COMPUTER
anger canceled, I was just misreading curl. it did resume.
so again, why doesn't microsoft's official tool do this?
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anger canceled, I was just misreading curl. it did resume.
so again, why doesn't microsoft's official tool do this?
anyway I have the file now. There's a metadata JSON file that I don't have, but it looks very fakable. Then I can use the official recovery tool to build me a bootable USB drive, like it's supposed to be able to do
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anyway I have the file now. There's a metadata JSON file that I don't have, but it looks very fakable. Then I can use the official recovery tool to build me a bootable USB drive, like it's supposed to be able to do
FUN FACT: the Surface IT Tool doesn't seem to validate any of the windows version info you give it in the JSON file!

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FUN FACT: the Surface IT Tool doesn't seem to validate any of the windows version info you give it in the JSON file!

yeah no it just failed verification. So I'm just going to try to download it, again, and again, and again, until I get lucky
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yeah no it just failed verification. So I'm just going to try to download it, again, and again, and again, until I get lucky
it already hung
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it already hung
currently on attempt #8
#7 made it to 17gb (of 22gb)!
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currently on attempt #8
#7 made it to 17gb (of 22gb)!
slightly tempted to automate it. watch the screen for the visible download amount, and if it hasn't changed in Xty seconds, hit cancel, restart.
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slightly tempted to automate it. watch the screen for the visible download amount, and if it hasn't changed in Xty seconds, hit cancel, restart.
cross your fingers, we're at 19gb and still climbing at 76 Mbps!
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cross your fingers, we're at 19gb and still climbing at 76 Mbps!
21gb!!!!
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21gb!!!!
OH MY GOD ARE YOU SERIOUSLY DOING THIS, MICROSOFT

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OH MY GOD ARE YOU SERIOUSLY DOING THIS, MICROSOFT

bad idea: I already MITM'd this once.
I download the file with curl and stick it on a local fast server. Then I set up mitmproxy to silently rewrite requests to their shitty server to my local one, which will be an actual server that works and doesn't randomly drop connections once out of EVERY FUCKING TIME
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bad idea: I already MITM'd this once.
I download the file with curl and stick it on a local fast server. Then I set up mitmproxy to silently rewrite requests to their shitty server to my local one, which will be an actual server that works and doesn't randomly drop connections once out of EVERY FUCKING TIME
annoyingly I already deleted the file I downloaded earlier.
(I'm juggling laserdisc archival files right now, so my laptop has a VERY full hard drive, and I thought I was done with that file when it failed verification)