Web Authoring Component install fails when installing Visual Studio 2008

Saturday, March 22, 2008

While trying to install Visual Studio 2008 Team Suite in my Windows XP Professional system it kept failing when installing Visual Studio because it couldn't find the Web Authoring Component (after installing having just successfully installed it).

I've looked around for occurrences of this problem but I didn't find anyone with such a problem.

I tried to install Visual Studio several times, successfully installing the Web Authoring Component (you can find it on the DVD - \WCU\WebDesignerCore\WebDesignerCore.EXE) before, but it always failed in the same step and for the same reason as before. And, even more strangely, after that, the Web Authoring Component was no longer installed.

I went through the install log file (%temp%\dd_depcheck_VS_VSTS_90.txt) and found this:

Microsoft Visual Studio Web Authoring Component ==  
    This component uses the FileRegVerCheck version check method. It will compare a given version against the version of a regkey on your machine.
    Registry key being interrogated: HKLM,SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Web Designer Tools\1033; Value: InstalledVersion; Version: 12.0.4518.1066.
    Version on user's machine:    12.0.4518.1064
    Version to be installed:    12.0.4518.1066
Microsoft Visual Studio Web Authoring Component == Component to be installed.

I went to the registry and changed the value of the installed version to the one expected by Visual Studio installer and it installed it with no problems. And looks like it's working fine.

What strikes me as the most strange is not the fact that the component on the DVD has the wrong version. What strikes me the most is the fact that I had already installed Visual Studio using the same DVD without any problems.

Good System	Bad System
Windows Vista Ultimate 64bit with SP1 (clean install)	Windows XP Professional with SP2
Office 2007 with SP1 (clean install)	Office 2007 with SP1 (upgraded from Office 2003)
	Visual Studio 2003
	Visual Studio 2005 with SP1
	Expression Web

The Web Authoring Component installer uses a Office 2007 wrapper. I wonder if that was the problem.

8 Comments

I have the same problem on Windows Vista. I try to install the Web Authoring Component manually but it seems to fail doing it so. Can anyone help me?

AndreTexier - Monday, July 7, 2008 9:19:17 PM

Didn't this hack solve your problem?

Paulo Morgado - Monday, July 7, 2008 9:30:40 PM

I tried most of the solutions people said:

- Uninstalling Office 2007
- Disable Windows Update
- etc.

I downloaded the .iso with the Express files, manually installed the Web Authoring Component (\WCU\WebDesignerCore\WebDesignerCore.EXE) NOT THE UPDATE. and then ran again the installer from the .iso.

=D cheers

Jorge Gabuardi - Tuesday, September 9, 2008 10:38:34 PM

The solution... ok maybe.....
Run
msiexec /x {30120000-0044-0C0A-0000-0000000FF1CE}
YEs, unistall. OK
Working?

Ilia - Monday, February 9, 2009 10:23:45 PM

Never found the SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Web Designer Tools folder in the registry!

Moi - Wednesday, March 18, 2009 6:28:51 AM

If you even don't have the Web Authoring installed you can skip it's installation by creation the key above with the expected value

Sergik - Monday, August 17, 2009 1:50:42 PM

Where can i download that web authoring component?

need reply ASAP
thanks.

jayson - Tuesday, April 16, 2013 2:06:44 AM

I wouldn't know. I always get it from my install media.

Paulo Morgado - Tuesday, April 16, 2013 10:42:42 PM

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