Visual Studio 2008 - Install Problems and Solutions

Published Thursday, November 22, 2007 12:19 PM

Ok, maybe this has already been blogged about in various places, but I am going to list my steps that were required for me to get Visual Studio 2008 to install properly under Vista.

My previous situation was:

  • Had Installed VS2008 Release Candidate

I tried the following when I went to install VS2008 RTM:

  • Uninstalled VS2008 RC
    • Install of RTM failed.
  • Uninstalled Document Explorer and Web Authoring component.
    • Install of RTM failed
  • Uninstalled every other component that had 3.5 after its name
    • Install of RTM failed.

In all situations, it would fail shortly after beginning the VS2008 install step.

Now I finally got the install to work, so here are my steps that got it working:

  • Uninstall Hotfix for Microsoft Windows (KB110806)
  • Uninstall Hotfix for Microsoft Windows (KB930264)
  • Uninstall Hotfix for Microsoft Windows (KB929300)
  • Uninstall SQL Server Compact 3.5 components (there about 3 of them I think)
  • Uninstall .Net 3.5 Compact Framework components
  • Uninstall Document Explorer 2008
  • Uninstall Visual Studio Web Authoring Component
  • Uninstall Visual Studio 2008 (RC or Beta 2 - whichever you have)
  • Uninstall .Net framework 3.5 (can't remember which step I did this in, but I wanted a "clean" uninstall of everything remotely related to 3.5)
  • Restart your machine at the end of all the uninstalls. Note. You will have to restart in between hotfix uninstalls, or at least I did anyway.

Now you can start installing VS2008 RTM and all should be good.

Note: If you get a balloon prompt during the VS2008 install, asking if you want to restart your machine or Postpone it, make sure you Postpone it for a few hours until the install is complete. Then restart at the end of the install.

Thats it.  Hope that helps.

Update: I forgot to mention, thanks to Rick Strahl and Julie Lerman on the ASPInsiders tech lists that provided the info.

by Glav
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Comments

# Grant said on Thursday, November 22, 2007 7:53 AM

Marcel has also created a batch-file to clear you up of any Beta2 or RC bits.

blogs.infosupport.com/.../Upgrading-Visual-studio-Team-System-Beta-to-RTM-uninstall-scripts.aspx

# bojan said on Thursday, November 22, 2007 5:38 PM

Unfortunately, the steps you specified above did not work for me.  I am still getting the crash shortly after beginning the VS2008 install step, with exactly the same error log.

Talking about Vista Ult. x86

The differences from your setup are:

1.  Don't have Hotfix (KB930264) on my machine.

2.  Had VS2005 before, removed it, together with all its parts (CF, SQL Server Mobile, DocExplorer, etc.)

# Jon Galloway said on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 5:17 AM

Visual Studio 2008 is out! I've upgraded three machines (two Vista, one XP) from Beta 2 to RTM, then

# Community Blogs said on Wednesday, November 28, 2007 5:42 AM

Visual Studio 2008 has been out for over a week. I've upgraded three machines (two Vista, one XP) from

# Alain said on Saturday, December 01, 2007 11:32 PM

for my case, this did not work.

i had to uninstall also the Microsoft .NET framework 2.0 SP1 (181 MB).

only after that installation worked.

# Starwiz said on Wednesday, December 05, 2007 9:31 PM

Tried to install Visual Studio 2008.  Install completed and it requested a reboot.   After rebooting, there was no trace of VS 2008 in Program Files directory.

Microsoft is losing its mojo.

# Felix De Herrera said on Tuesday, December 11, 2007 11:57 PM

This set of scripts is the cure to your Visual Studio 2008 Beta2 Uninstall Problems.  The script works perfectly!  Here it is:

blogs.infosupport.com/.../Upgrading-Visual-studio-Team-System-Beta-to-RTM-uninstall-scripts.aspx

# Scribnar said on Tuesday, December 25, 2007 1:15 AM

Installation of VS 2008 final release failed in the first step of .Net Framework 3.5 install and everything following that was reported as failure. I installed the framework separately by downloading and then everything was installed successfully. But VS 2008 installer still reports that it failed installing .Net framework 3.5 even though it was already installed.

# Darmananda said on Wednesday, January 16, 2008 8:02 PM

Please help. I have installed Visual Studio and Visual Web 2008 successfully. Now, I had VS and VW 2005 in my computer. Windows did not ask me to uninstall, nor did it remove them during installation. My question is can I safely uninstall the Visual Web and Visual Studio 2005 to save my hard drive space, or are the 2005 versions require for running 2008? Are they requisite? Any help be appreciated. Email me... davidboy388 at hot mail dot com.

# Chem said on Wednesday, January 30, 2008 10:33 PM

Just in case someone out there is as dumb as me...

I downloaded the VS 2008 Trial as an ISO.

I then just set up the ISO as a Virtual CD drive and tried to install.

It didn't work. Setup.exe immediately closed.

Hours later, I tried just copying the files to disk.

Lo and behold, the installer launched.

Hopefully, you're more clever than I, but just in case, there you go. :)

# Noggin said on Friday, February 01, 2008 7:20 PM

Two failed installs of VS2008 Pro RTM on Vista at the 3.5 framework stage - made me think something ain't right.

Figuring the installer may be corrupt I downloaded Windows installer 3.1

rebooted

copied the iso to harddisk

and ran setup as Administrator

voila !!! everything sweet as candy !##

# Yehuda Herman said on Monday, February 04, 2008 6:46 PM

Even though, I am set up as an Administrator for my computer, the domain Administrator of the LAN had to install the Windows installer 3.1 and .Net Framework 3.5 in order that the installation would be successful.

# Jester said on Tuesday, February 26, 2008 5:01 AM

I have visual studio 2005 installed, and know I want to "upgrade" to 2008. The installation stopped because "the instalation of .Net Framework 3.5" failed.

Any solutions...???

Thanks

# junho said on Friday, March 07, 2008 9:25 PM

i'll try

# Visual Studio 2008 op Vista: no go | Jimability said on Friday, March 14, 2008 1:29 PM

Pingback from  Visual Studio 2008 op Vista: no go | Jimability

# venkatesh said on Wednesday, April 09, 2008 8:21 AM

hi,i have one problem visual studio 2008 express edition during the installation error occur like this."error occur during setup"

my system :compaq

ram:256MB

HARDISK:6GB

OS:XP PROFESSIONAL SERVICE PACK2

PLEASE TELL ME ANY SOLLUTION.

VENKATESH

# Keisham said on Friday, April 25, 2008 6:28 AM

Visual  studio 2008 express has  gone crazy. I  have  Downloaded the  ISO Images and extracted the files with ISO Buster and tried Installing. like any  other release before this  also  fails to install.

Giving it a  favour  I tried  installing on 5 other system all failed. Then I tried on a fresh windows xp sp2 system it also  fails.

Cheers to Microsoft  for making product  that cannot be  Installed.  What a  fancy  UI VS 2008 express has but  it never  get  install. Only heaven know what they are trying to  do.

# Venkat said on Tuesday, April 29, 2008 10:06 PM

Installation of VS 2008 final release failed in the first step of .Net Framework 3.5 install and everything following that was reported as failure.

# AP said on Friday, May 23, 2008 4:49 AM

Hi theire

I do not have vs2k8 beta version on my computer but I have vs2k5 on my computer and its not allowing me to install on any of my computer.

on windows 2k3 computer its stoping at web authorising componenet and on xp machine its stoping at framework installation.

What to do can you suggest some thing

# Edgar said on Monday, June 16, 2008 6:07 PM

I'm installing VS2008 in Vista business, with all updates installed.

VS installation program is asking for Windows XP SP2!!!

My Vista is a running in Virtual PC 2007.

Any idea?

# in complete uninstall problems said on Thursday, July 10, 2008 9:46 AM

Pingback from  in complete uninstall problems

# Frank N said on Wednesday, July 16, 2008 8:29 AM

Funny - VS08 install will not start on my computer. As if the dvd-drive cannot be read.

On other computers, it works fine.

have tryid with an image, to avoid dvd-errors, but the same problem.

The installer wont start at all.

What to do?

# Will Ferguson said on Thursday, September 04, 2008 4:59 AM

Upgrading vs2005pro to vs2008pro will not accept my product key. ??

# Eddie said on Sunday, September 14, 2008 12:16 AM

I also get the error message during install stating that Windows XP SP2 must be installed. But, I'm performing the install on Windows Vista Ultimate SP1! what the heck? HELP!

# vishal said on Wednesday, September 24, 2008 12:55 PM

hey i m unable to uninstall the hotfixes itself. I am using vista 32bit.

# BeeBop said on Friday, September 26, 2008 11:57 PM

oi... i made a fresh virtuam machine with Winxp with sp2 professional .. and loaded the vs2008 (after i burned he iso with nero)... Installation fails...

I will try as suggested... using windows 3.1 installer...and installing framework 3.5 separately n c what happens...

Fiji is great place.. come visit...

Bring ur guns in case there's another coup

# Justin Guppy said on Wednesday, October 01, 2008 5:57 PM

i cn download and install the visual c++2008 but right after it says install finished.. i cnnot find it nywhere on my system.. its like it doesnt exist

# ramie said on Saturday, October 04, 2008 9:54 PM

i have download the ISO Cd  of visual studio 2008 express but it fails to install the .net framework 3.5. i am thinking if  i will separately install the .net framework.

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