Visual Studio 2008 Installation could be taxing

Trying to install VS 2008 did not succeed as it failed in the first step of installing NET Framwork 3.5.



Looking at my Add/Remove progams I had the following listed which I assumed had direct bearing on VS 2008 Installation:



MSFT .NET Framework 1.1 -->35.97 MB

MSFT .NET Framework 2.0 SDK ENU-->418 MB

MSFT .NET Framework 2.0 SP1 -->185MB

MSFT .NET Framework 3.0 ---------->58 MB

MSFT FXCop--->6.99MB



My /Windows/MSFT.net/Framework folder had the following:

v1.0.3705

v1.1.1.4322

v2.0.50727

v3.0

v3.5.20404

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I removed the 2.0 SDK ENU and 2.0 SP1

I reinstalled .NET Framework 2.0

Tried to install NET Framework 3.5 and failed

-----------------------

Tried removing the existing .NET 3.0 with cleanup tool

I had to run the cleanup tool twice to clean the Net 3.0 but looks like NET 2.0 installed in the previous iteration had also disappeared.

I confirmed using the NET Verifier tool.

I made sure that the Media Center App was still working as well as SQL 2008

--------------------

I tried to install NET Framework 3.5 [dotnetfx35.exe, Version:3.5.21022.08].

Voila! It succeeded.

Now I see the following new ones in my add/remove programs:

MSFT .NET Framework 2.0 SP1 185 MB

MSFT .NET Framework 3.0 SP1 184 MB

MSFT .NET Framework 3.5 29.1MB

--------------------------------

After this VS 2008 installed without any problem.
Log files are great if only I could use them effectively or I find a sympathetic MVP.

You were cleaning up NET Framework programs and your Media Center Program does not work anymore.

I had various versions of NET frame work installed on my Windows XP SP2 Media Center Edition Toshiba Satellite Laptop machine.

The problems started when I wanted to remove the pre-release Net 3.5 from my computer. The Microsoft recommended method was to use the Add / Remove programs tool. Although it works most of the time, if something in the program is missing or altered, it will be difficult to use this tool as it will not work.

I took the suggestion of Nick Doty to remove it using .NET Clean-up tool. This is a good tool however while removing Net 3.5 it removed some of the other files. I am not sure how it happened. Not only I could not remove Net 3.5 the Media Center program stopped working and threw many exceptions. Then I began to see some day light.

I used the Clean_up tool and methodically removed version of Net by version each time running the NET verifier tool. Sometimes I had to go back and remove using the Add / Remove program after repairing the .NET by reinstalling on top of the broken.

I went back to Aaron's blog and did everything suggested verbatim.

After removing all of the NET I reinstalled all of them back. When I brought back 1.1 and 2.0 then only I could recover the functionality of my Media Center application. Not that I care for this tool but simply I don't like something broken.

After this I installed SQL Server 2008 which went without a hitch.

I am now installing VS 2008 and the problems are not over....

For a complete transcript go to MSDN forum.

The verifier, clean up tools are great and I recommend Aaron's blog if you face problems similar to mine.