Visual Studio setup problem - 'A problem has been encountered while loading the setup components. Canceling setup.'

Question

I've had a serious issue with my Visual Studio 2008 setup. I receive the ever-so-useful error 'A problem has been encountered while loading the setup components. Canceling setup.' whenever I try to uninstall, reinstall or repair Visual Studio 2008 (team system version). If I can't resolve this issue I have no choice but to completely wipe my computer and start again which will take all day long! I've recently received very strange errors when trying to build projects regarding components running out of memory (despite having ~2gb physical memory free at the time) which has rendered my current VS install useless.

Note I installed VS2005 shell version using the vs_setup.msi file in the SQL Server folder after I had installed VS2008, in order to gain access to the SQL Server 2005 Reporting Services designer in Business Intelligence Development Studio (this is inexplicably unavailable in VS2008).

Does anyone have any solutions to this problem?

P.S.: I know this isn't directly related to programming, however I feel this is appropriate to SO as it is directly related to my ability to program at all!

Note: A colleague found a solution to this problem, hopefully this should help others with this problem.

What environment do you have? Windows 3.1? Vista? – JRoppert Sep 22 '08 at 11:33 — JRoppert, Sep 22 '08 at 11:33
seems like a community wiki question, at least. – Mark Rogers Jan 29 '10 at 18:35 — Mark Rogers, Jan 29 '10 at 18:35

score 151 · Accepted Answer · edited Dec 14 '09 at 20:25

151

A colleague found this MS auto-uninstall tool which has successfully uninstalled VS2008 for me and saved me hours of work!!

Hopefully this might be useful to others. Doesn't speak highly of MS's faith in their usual VS maintenance tools that they have to provide this as well!

edited Dec 14 '09 at 20:25

David Schmitt

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answered Sep 22 '08 at 13:13

ljs

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Is there a VS2010 version of this somewhere? – Chris Charabaruk Mar 16 '12 at 23:06
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Actually this is due to a new MS installer being incompatible with the installer for VS2008. There is an update available VS2008 that's fixes this. (Currently available here https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/confirmation.aspx?id=10986) – rosmcmahon Dec 02 '15 at 23:13

score 95 · Answer 2 · answered Nov 12 '08 at 13:22

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I had the same error message. For me it was happening because I was trying to run the installer from the DVD rather than running the installer from Add/Remove programs.

answered Nov 12 '08 at 13:22

Spencer Booth

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This suggestion fixed it for me too - if you need to add components after the main install, this is the way to go. – stusmith Feb 16 '09 at 10:23
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Ditto. Any takers for a theory that it's due to having SP1 whereas the DVD doesnt? – Ruben Bartelink May 26 '09 at 14:47
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Didn't work for me - ran into the "A selected drive is no longer valid" issue straight after this. Link: http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/en-US/vssetup/thread/2f3d0378-3175-49ae-acb7-012594a1bf3c – Roman Starkov Jun 17 '09 at 17:34
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If you have SP 1 installed and try this, you get another error. You have to remove SP 1, make your change, then reinstall SP 1. – David Robison Nov 20 '09 at 14:43
This worked for me, but did get an error on the SQLClr types, but I didn't need it. – GilesDMiddleton Jan 30 '13 at 17:52
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I had SP1 installed and received an error regarding a missing SQLSysClrTypes.msi. Had to copy SQLSysClrTypes.msi from the SP1 disc to Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Microsoft Visual Studio 2008...\wcu\smo, and use Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\Microsoft Visual Studio 2008... as the source disc when prompted by the installer. Reference: http://blogs.msdn.com/b/heaths/archive/2009/02/02/feature-changes-in-visual-studio-2008-sp1-may-prompt-for-sqlsysclrtypes-msi.aspx – Anton May 22 '13 at 19:02

score 19 · Answer 3 · answered Mar 11 '09 at 02:08

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In my case, uninstalling from Add&Remove Programs didn't work. Instead, the problem was due to a recently hotfix installed through automatic updates. The hotfix to VS 2008 (in my case) has the number KB952241, so I uninstalled it using Add/Remove Programs checking on the show updates option. After it was unistalled the problem was gone.

answered Mar 11 '09 at 02:08

I uninstalled a different hotfix and then I could use the Uninstall/Change option from the Control Panel. I also did a "Repair Installation" from there. – David Schmitt Dec 14 '09 at 20:49
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I removed the HotFIxes and Security updates, and I was then able to use the Maintenance Mode from Add/Remove programs to add a component (Visual Web Developer). It is NOT necessary to remove VS2008 SP1. – Bob Denny Feb 19 '10 at 14:18

score 12 · Answer 4 · answered Sep 23 '08 at 17:17

I encountered the same problem and found a very easy solution.Go to the following Link: http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/vs2008/bb968856.aspx

and run VS AutoUninstall tool .This will automatically remove all the components of VS 2008.

Cheers

score 7 · Answer 5 · answered Aug 13 '09 at 20:36

Sure enough, for me, it was the hotfixes. In Add/Remove Programs, check the "Show Updates" box, and remove ALL of the Hotfixes associated with your version of VS2008. Then try the "Change/Remove" button - it should now proceed without a hitch.

Well, it did for me, anyway... ;-)

score 5 · Answer 6 · edited May 23 '17 at 11:55

5

I have Visual Studio Team System 2008 Development Edition, and had to remove all updates and Hotfixes:

Update KB972221
Hotfix KB973674
Hotfix KB971091

Reboot, then the following Hotfix appeared, which I then removed as per @riaraos' answer:

Hotfix KB952241

Before the Change/Remove would work!

Hope that helps someone else.

edited May 23 '17 at 11:55

Community

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answered Dec 01 '09 at 16:19

Andrew

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score 3 · Answer 7 · answered Feb 15 '10 at 19:16

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Uninstall hotfixes installed in related to vs2008 and then try again. It worked for me and hopefully it will for you as well.

Thanks, Zelalem

answered Feb 15 '10 at 19:16

Zelalem

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score 3 · Answer 8 · edited Feb 23 '11 at 20:14

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Remove the following hot fixes and updates

Update KB972221
Hotfix KB973674
Hotfix KB971091

Restart the PC and try to uninstall now. This worked for me without problems.

edited Feb 23 '11 at 20:14

sth

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answered Apr 01 '10 at 06:53

Ajay

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pnkfelix · Answer 9 · 2010-05-10T16:24:36.313

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Microsoft itself posted a KB article about this, and that article has a service pack that they claim fixes the problem. See below.

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/959417/

It took a while for the associated update to install itself, but once it did, I was able to run the Visual Studio setup successfully from the Add/Remove Programs control panel.

edited May 10 '10 at 16:24

answered May 10 '10 at 14:21

pnkfelix

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score 1 · Answer 10 · answered Sep 22 '08 at 11:59

You should look for the MSI setup logs in the temp directory of your system. They will contain detailed inforamtion about why the setup failed. I had a similar installation problem with Visual Studio 2008 which I was able to resolve by studying the logs.

score 0 · Answer 11 · answered Sep 22 '08 at 11:47

I think this sort of question is entirely appropriate to the forum, especially if an easy solution can be found, as would save others hours of pain.

Unfortunately I dont have the solution, but would suggest (if you haven't already)

Run FileMon to see if the installer is looking for specific files which are no longer there - this may give some clues.
Painful, but try uninstalling other apps based upon the VS shell (eg 2005) first.

score 0 · Answer 12 · answered Jul 17 '09 at 23:48

Okay I had the same issues first my VS2008 was acting up so i tried to uninstall it and it didn't work...I read online that using an AutoUninstall by MS will do the trick it did just that , but left a lot of nasty files behind..

So i used "Windows Install Clean Up" and cleaned up more stuff that had to do with VS.. then went back into Add and remove in control panel Removed the KB952241... then opened up Ccleaner and scanned the registry found a lot of left behind crap from VB2008 removed all that once that was done.

I went ahead and launch the installed back from the CD again and BAM its working.

I did all this without having to restart my PC..

Hope this helps people who are stuck..like i was

score 0 · Answer 13 · answered Oct 21 '09 at 00:16

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In my case, installing visual studio SP1 unbroke the uninstall/repair functionality.

answered Oct 21 '09 at 00:16

redtuna

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score 0 · Answer 14 · answered Mar 01 '10 at 15:16

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Windows 7 suggested to "Uninstall using recommended settings" after hitting OK in the error message. It solved the problem.

answered Mar 01 '10 at 15:16

Sergiy Belozorov

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score 0 · Answer 15 · answered Apr 09 '09 at 13:52

Thanks, riaraos, uninstalling KB952241 was the solution for me, too. Before doing that I tried to run the installer from "Programs and Features" and from the installation DVD without success. I did not want to completely remove the VS 2008 installation but only add a few components.

Notes on my system:

Windows 7 Beta 1 Visual Studio 2008 SP1

score -1 · Answer 16 · answered Feb 26 '09 at 17:44

-1

Solution to this is

http://www.dotnetzone.gr/cs/forums/48758/ShowThread.aspx#48758

answered Feb 26 '09 at 17:44

Visual Studio setup problem - 'A problem has been encountered while loading the setup components. Canceling setup.'

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