Hi,

I'm working on a C# .NET WPF application at work (forms look s***, wpf looks heaps sic), and are targetting it for 3.0 so I don't have to have users spend 3 hours installing 3.5 framework, only 3.0 as .NET 2.0 is already installed on the computers.

It uses some Presentation stuff, System.Xml and some other random System things and I've taken out any Linq references as it won't compile in 3.0 mode anyway.

Obviously .NET 3.5 SP1 is installed on my machine to run Visual C# Express 2008 and with 3.5 framework installed the app will run fine on anyone's PC.

The problem I'm having is that installing only 3.0 SP1 on a user's machine and trying to the run the app (in both Debug and Release builds) results in an unknown exception dialog (just a generic windows crash report).

I CANNOT figure out WHAT THE HELL is making it crash.

Like I said, I'm compiling it set to target .NET Framework 3.0, but even with 3.0 SP1 installed it just crashes until I install .NET 3.5 which defeats the whole purpose. Why would it compile any 3.5 code if I'm targetting 3.0 ?!?!?!?!?

This is f***ing s***ting me off. f*** I hate .NET Framework.

EDIT** also, I noticed 3.5 installs 3.0 SP2 but I cannot find ANYWHERE on the net with talks about 3.0 SP2. Its like it doesnt exist outside the 3.5 installer.

.net 3.5sp1 install sux balls also

Well I managed to install the 3.0 SP2 stuff and my app launches. But the funny thing is that Microsoft has hidden all this SP2 stuff in the 3.5 Framework installer. I cannot find any references to a SP2 update for 3.0 other than a few mentions on some 3.5 MS pages.

Thanks Microsoft for being so gay.

check event log maybe more detailed message there

also, are you running it from a network share? - if so try running it locally

I'm having a similar issue with .net the c***y but it's for group policy manager, asks for .net , so I install it, asks for it still ... f*** you.

last edited by Skitza at 07:28:38 17/Oct/08

Actually its the SP2 that fixed it. Its just that Microsoft has hidden SP2 installs in the installer for 3.5 and can't be found on the internet (which is super lame). I have a feeling its because the compiler must target for the highest service pack for the specific version. And since I can't run Visual C# Express without 3.5 installed ultimately it sees 3.0 SP2 on there...

Thats my guess.

glad you got it sorted, but don't complain - i'd love to use wpf day to day at work.

Yeah WPF allows you to have Aero rendering in your XP apps but the framework distribution side makes deployment more effort than its worth IMO.

That kind of depends. We use WPF on 3.5 for our desktop apps and just plonk the framework redistributable on the server rather than installing using the bootstrapper.

Love WPF, actually love all the 2008 gear. In particular binding to generated ORM classes. LINQ to SQL datacontext -> ASMX service -> WPF is really, really lovely.

Well its not so much the installing of the framework thats a problem. The problem is the time in which it takes to update even a .NET 2.0 installation to 3.5. I'd originally written this program in native Win32 C++ (and the code is very messy and theres lots of legacy code in due to recent changes in the way we do things) but since deciding I might be leaving to get a new job I decided to write in C# using Windows Forms (2.0) and fully document all the code so another C# programmer could easily maintain the tool. Then I discovered WPF (which consequently requires 3.x). Trying to get the IT management to roll out the 3.5 framework overnight for a non-IT-supported 400 kb ticket-of-work macro would be kinda difficult when I could just use forms and not require any update to the existing framework installation. But being an aesthetic programmer (I originally was into animation etc) I want to use WPF!

I've tested the install time to update from .NET 2.0 to 3.5 SP1 and its almost half an hour. Users will want to install and use the thing in a few minutes which is my conundrum. Targeting for .NET 3.0 would have significantly reduced the framework install time but apparently its harder to simply compile for 3.0, install 3.0 and have it just ... run!

both my vs2005 and 2008 are b0rked. creating a web site has no dot net controls. looks like 3.5 sp1's done something bad.

can someone help? my visual studio dvds are being shipped home. both vs2005 and 2008 do this now. i noticed 3.5 sp1 was installed 13th, ive uninstalled it and tried to repair 3.5 but no luck.

hogfather?

http://www.clicktoprint.eu/imagetemp/dotnet.jpg

Reinstall the lot? I know that would take about 4 days but hey its one solution.

ja, but ive shipped all my dvds. want to format, put vista 64 on instead and bigger hdd. found a vs2008 iso, so ill give that a try first.

Yeh you're probably boned mooby :( Make sure you're up to date and try a de-re-install. Also check the application error log if you haven't already in case something odd is in it.

You can get a 100% functional trial version of VS from Microsoft that will install your Visual Studio flavour of choice that will work for 90 days. Upgrading from trial to a licensed version doesn't require much more than a key to be entered too so you won't need to reinstall yet again when you get your disks.

That should tide you over till you get home if you need / want to format & reinstall. Looks like your .Net install is hosed, if the answer isn't a quick google away then working out how to fix it would probably take less time than to reformat (as amazingly borked as that sounds).

last edited by Hogfather at 11:13:31 20/Oct/08

cool, was thinking of trial versions. but yeah, found a 2008 iso. trying that. if that fails, do a format and put 64 bit on and bigger drive.

Well, I've decided to just go back Windows Forms and use 2.0 and just port my existing bit of code over. All working fine and actually the main window's UI is much smaller and streamlined. Win!

Plus I get my MonthCalendar control back :)

And most important of all; it runs on anyone's work PC without installing jacksquat.

last edited by 3dee at 12:54:32 20/Oct/08