WinGet is down because Microsoft let a security certificate expire

Microsoft only recently updated its Linux-style package manager for Windows, WinGet, adding support for zip files. But at the moment, fans of the tool are reporting that it is not working, with many seeing "InternetOpenUrl() failed" errors.

The problem stems from something of an embarrassing SNAFU for Microsoft. The company appears to have forgotten to renew the SSL certificate for WinGet.

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There are reports popping up on GitHub about the problems WinGet users are experiencing, and it did not take long for those affected to determine that an expired security certificate is to blame.

A quick investigation by Bleeping Computer made it clear that the certificate was only valid until the early hours of Sunday 12 February. But the fact that Microsoft has been a bit forgetful does not mean that there is not a workaround.

If you want, or need, to use WinGet before Microsoft gets around to renewing the certificate, you can, as qilme suggests on GitHub, add a new source URL so WinGet can use an alternative server. The command you need to use is:

sudo winget source add -n winget https://winget.azureedge.net/cache

Microsoft is yet to comment on the cock up.

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