.NET install for dummies

[Olaf Baeyens]

For a long time I did not understand the problems users had to install the
..NET framework, and why they complained that it was so hard, but then I saw
a user doing this, and I finally understood why.

The problem is this: I created a .NET program, I created a setup.msi program
that tests for the .NET framework and direct you to a download area. And
here is the big problem, this download area is huge, containing all
potentional .NET frameworks for every version of windows, processors,....
Even I get confused to get the correct version to download and installed.

Normally I advice users to open Internet explorer, select menu item Tools,
then Windows update, press the install ActiveX control to scan your computer
and install the proposed .NET framework. But it turns out that a lot of
users have no clue about this windows update. And they also do not read the
readme.txt. Which gives my program the bad reputation of beeing hard to
install.

So my question, does there exist a Microsoft link where the installation of
the .NET framework is explained step by step for simple users, that I can
point the setup.msi to? I originally pointed to the windows updat URL like
http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp, but I also discovered
that some users are redirected to that big download html page with all
possible .NET framework downloads, adding to the confusion.

Thanks

 

[Bharat Sharma]

I guess, we can customise the link in Setup.Ini at the entry:
InstallUrl=http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=9832.

Since we know the exact .NET runtime that we require. We can change the
above URL.

Olaf Baeyens wrote:

For a long time I did not understand the problems users had to install the ..NET framework, and why they complained that it was so hard, but then I saw a user doing this, and I finally understood why. The problem is this: I created a .NET program, I created a setup.msi program that tests for the .NET framework and direct you to a download area. And here is the big problem, this download area is huge, containing all potentional .NET frameworks for every version of windows, processors,.... Even I get confused to get the correct version to download and installed. Normally I advice users to open Internet explorer, select menu item Tools, then Windows update, press the install ActiveX control to scan your computer and install the proposed .NET framework. But it turns out that a lot of users have no clue about this windows update. And they also do not read the readme.txt. Which gives my program the bad reputation of beeing hard to install. So my question, does there exist a Microsoft link where the installation of the .NET framework is explained step by step for simple users, that I can point the setup.msi to? I originally pointed to the windows updat URL like http://v4.windowsupdate.microsoft.com/en/default.asp, but I also discovered that some users are redirected to that big download html page with all possible .NET framework downloads, adding to the confusion. Thanks

 

[Olaf Baeyens]

Hello thank you for the reply.

I guess, we can customise the link in Setup.Ini at the entry:
InstallUrl=http://go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkId=9832.

Since we know the exact .NET runtime that we require. We can change the
above URL.

Well if I try this then I get this page content:
----

..NET Framework Downloads
The .NET Framework download list page has been moved. Please visit the new
location at .NET Framework Developer Center, where you can find product and
update downloads, code samples, and more.

----
And I get this link in return:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/default.asp?url=/downloads/list/netdevframework.asp
which confuses the users the hell out of them. Which one do they need? 1.0?
1.1? SP1? SP2? SP3? x64?....Way too many choices for a simple user. So they
give up and do not want to install my product.

I believe that Microsoft must somehow find a simple installation procedure,
something that is more intelligent and maybe some wizard that could be
integrated into the setup or even part of the windows installer, to detect
if the .NET framework is needed and the let Windows search for the .NET
framework. Something like that already exists for file extensions.