Aaron Stebner's WebLog
Thoughts about setup and deployment issues, WiX, XNA, the .NET Framework and Visual Studio
Pre-installation checks performed by .NET Framework 2.0 setup
The setup wrapper for the .NET Framework 2.0 performs several system and prerequisite checks before...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 07/09/2006
Windows Installer best practices
I recently noticed a series of in-depth articles that have been posted on the Windows Installer team...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 07/08/2006
How to fix .NET Framework 1.1 setup failure on Windows Vista build 5456
Important note: The issue described in this blog post only affects pre-RC1 builds of Windows Vista....
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 07/06/2006
.NET Framework 3.0 (WinFX runtime) deployment guide
I noticed this weekend that a deployment guide for the .NET Framework 3.0 (previously known as the...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 07/05/2006
Available installation modes for the .NET Framework 2.0
I have gotten several questions in the past from customers who need to install the .NET Framework...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 07/03/2006
How to report bugs in the Windows Media Center SDK for Windows Vista
I just noticed that Charlie posted a really nice set of instructions for how to report bugs in the...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/29/2006
DRMCap tool to gather DRM log files in case of protected content playback problems
I recently found out about a tool that has been released by Microsoft that makes it easier to gather...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/29/2006
Enabling a Windows Media Center Extender if Windows Live OneCare is installed on the system
I posted some troubleshooting links last night for Xbox 360 PC setup issues that I have heard about...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/27/2006
Xbox 360 PC setup troubleshooting suggestions
I have posted a few items in the past related to the Xbox 360 PC setup package that can be used to...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/27/2006
Troubleshooting guide for Xbox 360 PC setup issues
This article is intended to serve as a central location for all links to troubleshooting...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/27/2006
How to fix Xbox 360 PC setup crash due to old file left behind in the GAC
I investigated an issue last week where Xbox 360 PC setup was crashing when the user tried to launch...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/27/2006
Possible resolution for Smart Device Project Package load failure in Visual Studio 2005
I heard from a customer recently who ran into a package load failure error in Visual Studio 2005...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/23/2006
How to install and run the My Movies add-in in Windows Media Center on Windows Vista
After I posted my blog entry this past weekend about problems installing the My Movies add-in on...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/20/2006
Comment moderation policy change
I'm sorry to say that I've decided to turn on comment moderation for my blog for the time being. I'm...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/17/2006
Media Center crashes when launched on Windows Vista beta 2 if you have My Movies add-in installed
We got a few bug reports this week from customers who have installed Windows Vista beta 2 and tried...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/17/2006
How to uninstall KB904706 if it does not offer an uninstall option in Add/Remove Programs
I have heard from many customers over the past months who have had issues installing Update Rollup 2...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/15/2006
How to manage reboots when deploying the .NET Framework
One of the common questions I get from customers who are trying to redistribute the .NET Framework...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/14/2006
Windows Media Center SDK for Windows Vista beta 2 now available for general public download
As many of you probably know, Windows Vista beta 2 has been available for download by anyone (even...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/13/2006
Updated WinFX Media Center Application project templates for Windows Vista beta 2
I posted this item earlier tonight on the Media Center Sandbox site, but I wanted to make sure that...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/13/2006
Workaround for deployment bug in the Spanish version of Visual Studio Team System for Software Architects
We recently found an issue that was missed in testing prior to shipping the Spanish version of...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/12/2006
My file server is back up and running again
As I stated in this previous blog post, the file server that I use to host various troubleshooting...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/12/2006
Mailbag: Why does the .NET Framework 2.0 install .NET Framework 1.0 and 1.1 files?
Question: I have a new computer and I only have the .NET Framework 2.0 installed so far. However,...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/12/2006
WinFX is now renamed to .NET Framework 3.0
I just noticed a blog post made yesterday by S. Somasegar (the vice president in charge of developer...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/10/2006
Possible solutions for a 2203 error while installing the .NET Framework
I received a mail from a customer today that described a scenario where the .NET Framework 2.0 setup...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/09/2006
My file server is down for upgrades
I'm sorry to have to announce this again so soon after the last time, but the server I use to host...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/08/2006
Flickr photo browser add-in for Windows Media Center in Windows Vista announced
I found a blog post from Chris Lanier from this past weekend that announces a new Windows Media...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/07/2006
Mailbag: Why am I prompted to insert the Visual Studio 2005 DVD when installing from the DVD?
Question: I am trying to create an integrated installation DVD that includes Visual Studio 2005 as...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/06/2006
Configuring network shares as watched folders for Media Center recorded TV content
While not officially supported, it is possible to configure a remote network share as a watched...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/04/2006
Mailbag: How can I perform a silent installation of Visio for Enterprise Architects?
Question: I have seen your previous posts about how to perform silent and unattended installs of...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/03/2006
Another possible solution if Windows Media Center Xbox 360 PC setup crashes when launched
A while back, I posted this possible workaround for crashes that can happen when trying to launch...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/02/2006
Beta version of Microsoft Locale Builder now available for download
A friend of mine sent me a link to an interesting tool that has a beta version available for...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 06/01/2006
Automated cleanup tool to remove the .NET Framework 1.0, 1.1, 2.0, 3.0 and 3.5
I have posted an updated version of the .NET Framework cleanup tool that now contains support for...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/31/2006
How to perform a command line installation of SQL Server 2005
I was asked by a customer a while back about available options for performing silent installation of...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/29/2006
Beta 2 version of Windows Media Center SDK for Windows Vista now available
I posted an annoucement on the Media Center Sandbox site earlier today, and I want to cross-post it...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/26/2006
My file server is back up and running
I posted an item this morning indicating that the server that I use to host my troubleshooting tools...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/25/2006
My file server is temporarily down for maintenance
I'm posting this here in the hopes that everyone who has read one of my blog posts and tried to...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/25/2006
How to create an installable layout for the WinFX Runtime Components
I have previously posted instructions that can be used to download the individual pieces of the...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/25/2006
How to manually install the various pieces of Update Rollup 2 for Media Center 2005
I have previously written about a couple of instances where Update Rollup 2 for Windows XP Media...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/22/2006
How to fix Visual Studio 2005 beta expiration dialog
As some of you may have noticed, the beta versions of Visual Studio 2005 expired on May 1, 2006....
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/22/2006
What to do if you receive unsupported OS message when installing Windows Media Player 11 Beta on Windows Media Center 2005
As many of you have noticed, a beta version of Windows Media Player 11 was released this week. The...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/19/2006
WMIDiag - a tool for diagnosing and repairing problems with the WMI service
Earlier this week, I was looking into an issue reported to me via my blog, and I found a case where...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/19/2006
Beta version of Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor now available
There is now a beta version of the Windows Vista Upgrade Advisor available for download. This tool...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/18/2006
Workaround for possible timing issue that can cause .NET Framework setup failures
I got an email from the .NET Framework setup technical support team today with some more information...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/18/2006
How WinFX Runtime setup blocks uninstall of the .NET Framework 2.0
A little while back, I was looking into an odd scenario reported by a fellow Microsoft employee...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/17/2006
Updated version of DUAScriptGen (v1.1.0010) is now available
I have released an updated version of DUAScriptGen tonight that contains a couple of bug fixes, one...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/11/2006
Windows Media Center SDK build 5381.1 now available
There is a new build of the Windows Media Center SDK available on the Microsoft Connect site for...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/11/2006
Good reference document for debugging assembly loading errors
I ran across a blog post from Suzanne Cook this past weekend that has been around for a while, but...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/08/2006
Workaround to allow pre-installing the .NET Framework 2.0 during the T13 phase of OS setup using svcpack.inf
I previously wrote about a scenario where installing the .NET Framework 2.0 fails when launching it...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/06/2006
How to perform an unattended install of Visual Studio 2005 from a DVD-ROM drive
I recently heard from a customer who was trying to deploy Visual Studio 2005 using an unattended INI...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/04/2006
How to resolve possible errors installing SQL Server 2005 SP1 related to the Setup Support Files
I heard from a customer recently who had an issue installing SQL Server 2005 SP1 (here for Express...
Author: Aaron Stebner Date: 05/02/2006