webdriver-manager update failed to download chrome driver and update-config.json - protractor

Question

When I clean webdriver-manager and update, it is unable to download chrome driver and update-config.json. Later on when I start protractor it is complaining couldn't find update-config.json.
package.json
"scripts": {
"webdrivermanager:update": "node node_modules/protractor/bin/webdriver-manager update --versions.standalone=3.4.0 --ignore_ssl",
"webdrivermanager:clean": "node node_modules/protractor/bin/webdriver-manager clean",
"install": "npm run webdrivermanager:clean && npm run webdrivermanager:update"
}
protractor.conf.js
seleniumServerJar: '../../node_modules/protractor/node_modules/webdriver-manager/selenium/selenium-server-standalone-3.4.0.jar',
multiCapabilities: [
{browserName: 'chrome'}
//specify if any other browser
],
directConnect: true,
Now when I do npm install, I can not see chrome driver and
update-config.json at
node_modules\protractor\node_modules\webdriver-manager\selenium
location
webdriver-manager update log
> node node_modules/protractor/bin/webdriver-manager update --versions.standalon
e=3.4.0 --ignore_ssl
[09:58:34] I/http_utils - ignoring SSL certificate
(node:10944) UnhandledPromiseRejectionWarning: Unhandled promise rejection (reje
ction id: 1): TypeError: Cannot read property 'ListBucketResult' of undefined
[09:58:34] I/downloader - curl -o C:\..\..\node_mo
dules\protractor\node_modules\webdriver-manager\selenium/selenium-server-standal
one-3.4.0.jar https://selenium-release.storage.googleapis.com/3.4/selenium-serve
r-standalone-3.4.0.jar
[09:58:35] I/downloader - curl -o C:\..\..\node_mo
dules\protractor\node_modules\webdriver-manager\selenium/geckodriver-v0.16.1.zip
https://github.com/mozilla/geckodriver/releases/download/v0.16.1/geckodriver-v0
.16.1-win64.zip
[09:58:36] I/update - geckodriver: unzipping geckodriver-v0.16.1.zip
In my log also chrome driver is not downloading anymore. For this reason I can not start my protractor as update-config.json is not available. Any idea would be great. Thanks

Answer 1

During a previous update call, the xml response was cancelled before the file could be created. There are two options (features to fix this are not complete yet):
delete the chrome-response.xml and then call update again
wait an hour and make an update request again. The last modified time will invalidate that file and it will make a request and will replace the chrome-response.xml.

Answer 2

On my end, if my webdriver-manager instance was closed.
I am required to delete npm and npm-cache folders from roaming and reinstall protractor again.
Right after installing protractor, webdriver-manager update needs to be executed immediately.
If an error appears, make sure to run node.js cmd as an admin.
With these steps, I was able to download drivers properly.

Answer 3

That was very weird. I did everything nothing helped. Actual reason was my organization blocked the chrome driver api site. chrome-response.xml is the main clue that is showing access denied message so, I came to know actual reason.
I requested to #cnishina to thrown an actual error message if chrome driver website is not reached.