---
title: "Installer Download Patterns"
id: "kb-patterns-download"
psadt_target: "4.1.7"
last_updated: "2025-12-09"
verified_by: "maintainer"
source_ref: "search_winget tool, Invoke-WebRequest"
tags: ["download", "patterns", "winget", "installer", "v4.1.7"]
---
# Installer Download Patterns
This guide covers patterns for downloading installers and integrating them with PSADT package creation.
## Downloading Installers with PowerShell
The `search_winget` tool provides installer URLs and SHA256 hashes from the Winget repository. Use PowerShell's `Invoke-WebRequest` to download installers directly to your PSADT Files folder.
### Basic Download Workflow
1. **Search for Package and Get Installer URL**
```json
// search_winget
{ "query": "7zip", "exact_match": true }
```
The response includes `InstallerUrl` and `InstallerSha256` for verification.
2. **Download Using PowerShell**
```powershell
# Download installer to Files folder
$InstallerUrl = "https://www.7-zip.org/a/7z2301-x64.exe"
$OutputPath = "C:\Packages\7zip\Files\7z2301-x64.exe"
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $InstallerUrl -OutFile $OutputPath
```
3. **Verify Hash (Recommended)**
```powershell
# Verify downloaded file matches Winget manifest
$ExpectedHash = "ABC123..." # From search_winget response
$ActualHash = (Get-FileHash -Path $OutputPath -Algorithm SHA256).Hash
if ($ActualHash -ne $ExpectedHash) {
Write-Error "Hash mismatch! File may be corrupted."
}
```
### Complete PowerShell Download Function
```powershell
function Download-Installer {
param(
[Parameter(Mandatory)]
[string]$Url,
[Parameter(Mandatory)]
[string]$OutputPath,
[string]$ExpectedSha256
)
# Create output directory if needed
$OutputDir = Split-Path -Parent $OutputPath
if (-not (Test-Path $OutputDir)) {
New-Item -ItemType Directory -Path $OutputDir -Force | Out-Null
}
# Download file
Write-Host "Downloading from: $Url"
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $Url -OutFile $OutputPath -UseBasicParsing
# Verify hash if provided
if ($ExpectedSha256) {
$ActualHash = (Get-FileHash -Path $OutputPath -Algorithm SHA256).Hash
if ($ActualHash -ne $ExpectedSha256.ToUpper()) {
Remove-Item $OutputPath -Force
throw "SHA256 hash mismatch. Expected: $ExpectedSha256, Got: $ActualHash"
}
Write-Host "Hash verified successfully"
}
Write-Host "Downloaded to: $OutputPath"
return $OutputPath
}
# Usage
Download-Installer `
-Url "https://www.7-zip.org/a/7z2301-x64.exe" `
-OutputPath "C:\Packages\7zip\Files\7z2301-x64.exe" `
-ExpectedSha256 "ABC123..."
```
## PSADT Integration Workflow
### Complete Packaging Workflow
1. **Search for Package**
```json
// search_winget
{ "query": "7zip" }
```
2. **Get Silent Install Arguments**
```json
// get_silent_install_args
{ "package_id": "7zip.7zip" }
```
3. **Download Installer** (PowerShell)
```powershell
$InstallerUrl = "https://www.7-zip.org/a/7z2301-x64.exe" # From search_winget
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $InstallerUrl -OutFile "C:\Packages\7zip\Files\7z2301-x64.exe"
```
4. **Generate PSADT Template**
```json
// get_psadt_template
{
"application_name": "7-Zip",
"application_vendor": "Igor Pavlov",
"application_version": "23.01",
"installer_type": "exe",
"installer_file_name": "7z2301-x64.exe",
"silent_args": "/S"
}
```
## Large File Downloads
For large installers (>100MB), consider these approaches:
### Progress Display
```powershell
$ProgressPreference = 'Continue' # Shows progress bar
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $InstallerUrl -OutFile $OutputPath
```
### Background Download
```powershell
Start-BitsTransfer -Source $InstallerUrl -Destination $OutputPath -Asynchronous
```
### Timeout Handling
```powershell
# Set longer timeout for large files
$WebClient = New-Object System.Net.WebClient
$WebClient.DownloadFile($InstallerUrl, $OutputPath)
```
## Hash Verification
### How Verification Works
1. SHA256 hash is provided by `search_winget` in the `InstallerSha256` field
2. Compute hash of downloaded file using `Get-FileHash`
3. Compare hashes (case-insensitive)
### Handling Verification Failures
If hash verification fails:
1. **Retry Download**: Network corruption during transfer
2. **Check Manifest**: Winget manifest may be outdated
3. **Report Issue**: If persistent, report to winget-pkgs repository
## Architecture Selection
When `search_winget` returns multiple installers, select based on architecture:
| Architecture | Use Case |
|-------------|----------|
| x64 | 64-bit Windows (most common) |
| x86 | 32-bit Windows or legacy apps |
| arm64 | Windows on ARM devices |
| neutral | Architecture-independent |
### Example: Multiple Architectures
```powershell
# Response from search_winget includes installers array
# Select the appropriate one for your target environment
$Installer = $Installers | Where-Object { $_.Architecture -eq 'x64' }
Invoke-WebRequest -Uri $Installer.InstallerUrl -OutFile $OutputPath
```
## PSADT Toolkit Files
The MCP server includes PSADT v4.1.7 toolkit files in `ReferenceKnowledge/PSAppDeployToolkit_Template_v4/`. The `get_psadt_template` tool can automatically copy these files when you specify `output_directory`.
### Automatic Package Creation
Use the `get_psadt_template` tool with `output_directory` to create a complete package:
```json
{
"application_name": "7-Zip",
"application_vendor": "Igor Pavlov",
"application_version": "23.01",
"installer_type": "exe",
"installer_file_name": "7z2301-x64.exe",
"silent_args": "/S",
"output_directory": "C:\\Packages\\7zip"
}
```
This automatically creates:
```
C:\Packages\7zip\
├── PSAppDeployToolkit/
│ ├── PSAppDeployToolkit.psd1 # Module manifest (v4.1.7)
│ ├── PSAppDeployToolkit.psm1 # Module implementation
│ └── ...
├── Config/
│ └── config.psd1
├── Assets/
│ ├── AppIcon.png
│ └── Banner.Classic.png
├── Files/ # Place installers here
├── Invoke-AppDeployToolkit.exe # Launcher executable
└── Invoke-AppDeployToolkit.ps1 # Generated deployment script
```
### Complete Packaging Workflow
1. Use `search_winget` to find the application and get installer URL
2. Download the installer using PowerShell's `Invoke-WebRequest`
3. Use `get_psadt_template` with `output_directory` to create the package
4. Copy your downloaded installer to the `Files/` directory
5. Package for Intune deployment
### Benefits
- **No network dependency**: Toolkit bundled with MCP server
- **Version consistency**: Pinned to v4.1.7 for reproducible builds
- **Instant access**: No download delays or GitHub rate limits
- **Verified source**: From official PSAppDeployToolkit release
## Best Practices
### Package Organization
```
Vendor_AppName_Version/
├── PSAppDeployToolkit/
├── Config/
├── Assets/
├── Strings/
├── Files/
│ └── installer.msi <- Downloaded here
├── Invoke-AppDeployToolkit.exe
├── Invoke-AppDeployToolkit.ps1 <- Generated script
└── Detection.ps1
```
### Filename Conventions
- Use original filename when possible
- For version tracking: `AppName_Version_Arch.ext`
### Security Considerations
1. **Always Verify Hashes**: Use the SHA256 from `search_winget`
2. **Use HTTPS**: All Winget URLs use HTTPS
3. **Check Publisher**: Verify package publisher before deployment
