.NET Framework Error when installing on non English Windows

[kfx]

Hello,

I have created an installation project on my PC which uses the English version Windows XP. When I tried to install it on a PC with Greek Windows XP it show me that I had to install .NET Framework 1.1 although the Greek version were already on the PC. When I pressed continue to install the framework after a while I got an error message "Insert the CD", and the installation halts because there is no CD to insert... The only way that I have found to bypass the problem is to uninstall the Greek version of .NET Framework that comes with Windows XP and proceed to install the application (with no further errors). I suppose that it has to do with different language versions (not only Greek). Can you check it out?
Thank you.

[MichaelNesmith]

Were you installing from a CD? You should never get a CD prompt unless that is the case.

Were you installing .NET 1.1 with SP1?

Need more info, please.

[kfx]

I use InstallAware 6.0 and the installation is to be done from a CD. I have included in the setup files .NET Framework 1.1 SP1. In first I thought that it might has to do with the upgrade from version 5 to 6 and the fact that some scripts show up in the project for .NET, MDAC etc. although I have included in my code. I deleted the additional scripts in order to avoid conflicts, but when I tried again on a PC with Greek Windows XP SP2 (which includes by default .NET Framework 1.1 SP1 build 1.1.4322) I got the same error message. Please, ask me if you need more information.
Thank you.

[MichaelNesmith]

Unfortunately, because of the way slipstreaming works (meaning, a single install process for .NET 1.1 SP1 both on systems with and without .NET 1.1 pre-installed), the CD prompt is unavoidable. The easiest workaround would be to press a web build or a compressed build to the CD - with either build, because files are (temporarily) cached to the hard drive first, the CD prompt will not occur.

[kfx]

Thank you. I will try it ASAP and I will inform you if anything else occurs...

[kfx]

Unfortunately, because of the way slipstreaming works (meaning, a single install process for .NET 1.1 SP1 both on systems with and without .NET 1.1 pre-installed), the CD prompt is unavoidable. The easiest workaround would be to press a web build or a compressed build to the CD - with either build, because files are (temporarily) cached to the hard drive first, the CD prompt will not occur.

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I got the Greek Windows XP Home Edition SP2 version from my client and I did many installations to another PC in order to find out what causes the problem.
First of all, the Greek Windows XP Home Edition SP2 doesn't install the .NET Framework v1.1. Instead installs the v.1.0.3705. I tried to install the application after Windows installation and everything went good.
When I installed the Greek version of .NET Framework 1.1 (with out the SP1) and tried to install my application, I got a message to reboot the system, just after the notice that .NET Framework doesn't exist(!) on my PC and I have to install it. I did the reboot and when the installation started over, I got again the message to reboot the system... I also tried to do the installation from a compressed file but I got the same message again.
When I installed the Greek version of .NET Framework 1.1 SP1 the installation didn't prompt me to install .NET Framework and it continues just fine.
Because I didn't manage to reproduce the first error message (about inserting the CD) with the above steps I reinstalled the Greek Windows XP. Then I installed the English version of .NET Framework 1.1 (without the SP1) over the Greek 1.0 of .NET Framework. Then I tried again to install the application using the uncompressed CD setup and I "finally" managed to get the error message which prompt me to insert the CD. This happened when the setup project tried to copy the VsaVb7rt.dll file which is on the CD and to be more specific is in the catalog "D:\\data\\dot NET Framework\\mDotNet.dll\\Win\\Microsoft.NET\\Framework\\URTInstallPath". I also tried your advise to run the compressed setup file, which finished without any problems, just as you have said. Although the compressed file worked in this situation, it didn't managed to complete the installation when the Greek version of .Net Framework 1.1 (no SP1) was installed because in both cases (CD or compressed file) it got into a loop of rebooting the system...
Anyway, the only way to avoid this situation is, in my point of view, to uninstall an old or in different language version of .NET Framework and install it again via InstallAware setup project. Is this possible to be done and if yes, how? If you have any other idea to bypass this problem automatically is welcomed. The last but not "good looking" solution is to inform clients to uninstall by themselves the .NET Framework in order to allow the InstallAware installation to proceed.
I am waiting to hearing from you.
Thank you again.

[MichaelNesmith]

Like I said before, the actual problem you are having is with the slipstreaming. This has nothing to do with the language in and of itself.

The CD install does not work because of slipstreaming, we all know the correct file already exists, but MSI demands to have a matching volume name to the original .NET 1.1 install on the CD media, so it will forcibly fail the CD flat-file install.

The compressed install fails again because of slipstreaming - you are trying to update GREEK 1.1 with ENGLISH Service Pack 1.1, which won't work.

So first, these considerations apply ONLY to .NET 1.1 WITH SP1, because that is the only case where service pack slipstreaming occurs. Next, here is what you need to watch out for:

1) Uncompressed builds will NOT work when running from CD when .NET 1.1 is already installed. This is already documented in the help file. Uncompressed builds WILL work when running from a non-CD medium. Any other build type WILL work when running from a CD OR non-CD medium.

2) You cannot attempt to install .NET 1.1 with SP1 when the language of .NET 1.1 already installed does not match the language of the SP. You have to make sure the language of the SP is identical to the language of the installed FX, which in this case, is English.

Finally, I'm sure you can use MSI package codes, or registry entries, to determine which version, and language of the FX has been installed on a target system. Then you can manually uninstall incompatible versions, or you can also try installing the English base framework so the slipstreaming succeeds, OR you can just install the Greek (in your case) service pack, when the base FX is already there.