[DarkShadows]

This guide is deprecated (it did not work as expected). Read this post to see why. I recommend that you use:
Silent .NET Maker—by Tomcat76 to integrate all the .Net Frameworks into your XPCD.

Objective

To:

Integrate (not slipstream) the following into an unattended XPCD:

• .Net Framework v1.1
  
• .Net Framework v2.0 + SP1
  
• .Net Framework v3.0 + SP1
  
• .Net Framework v3.5

In a way that:

• Provides an opportunity to install applications that require .Net Framework 2.0.
  
• Ensures that the WebClient Service does not error and will run correctly.
  
• Minimizes the size of the .Net Framework packages required.
  
• Requires two 3rd party tools:
  • An SFX archiver (WinRar, 7Zip, etc.).
    
  • Silent .Net Maker, by Tomcat76 (I believe you could also user RogueSpear's .Net addons as well but I don't know anything about them.)

So that:

• The installation is as close to supported-by-Microsoft as possible.
  
• It is as simple as possible to integrate into an XPCD.

Credits "We all stand on the backs of giants."

Author: Kenneth R. Alcock (DarkShadows on MSFN.org)
Version: 1.0
Last Update: 04:00 PM 01/11/2008 (GMT -5)
Source Materials:

• Aaron Stebner's WebLog—Aaron Stebner, Microsoft Corporation
  • How the full install packages for the .NET Framework 3.0 and the .NET Framework 3.5 differ
    
  • How to create an installable layout for the final release of the .NET Framework 3.5
    
  • Workaround to allow pre-installing the .NET Framework 2.0 during the T13 phase of OS setup using svcpack.inf
  
  
• MSFN Forums threads:
  • Silent .NET Maker—Tomcat76

.Net Framework Background

For those who may not know, .Net Framework is a runtime environment built by Microsoft to run .Net applications on your local PC (these are built in Visual Studio). It might help you to relate this concept to how Java applications require Java Runtime Environment (built by Sun) installed on your PC in order to run. If you do not install or run any Java applications on your PC, then you will not require a Java Runtime Environment. Likewise, if you do not install or run any .Net applications on your PC, then you will not require .Net Framework.

The similarities end there. Sun made Java Runtime Environments backward compatible—if you download and install the most recent version, you generally no longer require any older versions. Unfortunately, Microsoft did not create all .Net Frameworks to be backward compatible. If you want to be able to run everything .Net, then you need all the currently available .Net Frameworks. If you know which .Net Framework version each of your .Net applications require, then you might be able to get by only installing the required version. This thinking breaks down a little bit, because .Net Framework v3.5 requires v3.0 SP1, and v2.0 SP1; and .Net Framework v3.0 requires v2.0. However, .Net Framework v1.1 still remains independent of the others.

Microsoft has recently released the following .NET Framework software downloads:

• Problems Fixed in .Net Framework 2.0 SP1 (2007-12-27)
  
• Problems Fixed in .Net Framework 3.0 SP1 (2007-12-27)
  
• .Net Framework 3.5 (2007-12-17)

IMPORTANT: If you intend to follow this guide, please do not download any files, except those I link to here (or those that TomCat76 links to). There are a number of different .Net Framework download files, and you need to ensure you have the correct ones in order to follow this guide!

Create/acquire DNF11.exe and DNF20.exe

MSFN Forums member Tomcat76 has already done all of the heavy lifting on this one. So you can simply follow his Silent .NET Maker Guide, with the exceptions I have noted below.

IMPORTANT: When using Silent .Net Maker (" SNM.cmd"), only create the DNF11.exe and DNF20.exe packages—skip creating the DNF30.exe package altogether. You can also skip downloading any Microsoft Updates that only apply to .Net Framework 3.0.

I believe MSFN Forums member RogueSpear has also created .Net Framework packages which are widely used. I have never used these, nor do I know where to download them. However, I suspect that these will work just fine, so long as .Net Framework 3.0 is not included. (If someone could test this out and report back, I will update this guide accordingly.)

Create DNF35.exe

We will be making a self-extracting archive (SFX) that includes:

• .Net Framework v2.0 SP1 (i.e. SP1 only)
  
• .Net Framework v3.0
  
• .Net Framework v3.0 SP1
  
• .Net Framework v3.5.

• Download and install WinRar, 7Zip, (or similar). I use WinRar, but it should not be too hard to do any of this with any similar tool.
  
  
  
• Download .NET Framework 3.5 Full Redistributable Package (197 MB) to the root folder of your hard disk drive. This file contains:
  • .NET Framework 2.0
    
  • .NET Framework 3.0
    
  • .NET Framework 2.0 SP1
    
  • .NET Framework 3.0 SP1
    
  • .NET Framework 3.5.
  This file also contains all the files required for installation on:
  • 32-bit Windows XP and Vista.
    
  • 64-bit Windows XP and Vista.
  So as it is now, this file is a very fat lady that needs: a diet, a workout program, and a physical trainer.
  
  
  
• Execute the command below to extract the downloaded executable to C:\DNF35_Work.
  
  

   dotnetfx35.exe /X:C:\DNF35_Work
  

  
  
  
• As extracted, there are some unnecessary subfolder levels; list the folder below, select the one file and the four subfolders listed below, and drag them all directly under C:\DNF35_Work. Afterward, delete the WCU subfolder from under C:\DNF35_Work.
  
  Before:
  

  C:\DNF35_WORK
  |
  \---WCU
  	|
  	\---DOTNETFRAMEWORK
  		|   dotNetFx35setup.exe
  		|   
  		+---dotNetFX20
  		+---dotNetFX30
  		+---dotNetFX35
  		\---dotNetMSP
  

  
  After:
  

  C:\DNF35_WORK
  |   dotNetFx35setup.exe
  |   
  +---dotNetFX20
  +---dotNetFX30
  +---dotNetFX35
  \---dotNetMSP
  

  
  
  
• Now give the fat lady her diet, by deleting only the files and subfolders noted below. Since we are creating an installer for 32-bit Windows XP, we do not require any 64-bit installation files. We also do not require the .Net Framework v2.0 files. This will take the folder size from about 210,247 KB down to about 67,725 KB.
  
  

  C:\DNF35_WORK
  |   
  +---dotNetFX20 .................... (delete this folder)
  |	   
  +---dotNetFX30
  |   |   Netfx30a_x64.msi .......... (delete this file)
  |   |   RGB9RAST_x64.msi .......... (delete this file)
  |   |   WCF_64.msp ................ (delete this file)
  |   |   WCS_64.msp ................ (delete this file)
  |   |   WF_64.msp ................. (delete this file)
  |   |   WIC_x64_enu.exe ........... (delete this file)
  |   |   WPF1_64.msp ............... (delete this file)
  |   |   WPF2_64.msp ............... (delete this file)
  |   |   WPF_Other_64.msp .......... (delete this file)
  |   |   XPSEPSC-amd64-en-US.exe ... (delete this file)
  |   |   
  |   \---x64 ....................... (delete this subfolder)
  |		   
  +---dotNetFX35
  |   +---ia64 ...................... (delete this subfolder)
  |   |	   
  |   \---x64 ....................... (delete this subfolder)
  |		   
  \---dotNetMSP
  	|   
  	\---x64 ....................... (delete this subfolder)
  

  
  
  
• From the remaining folders and files in C:\DNF35_WORK, create a self-extracting archive that executes the following command:
  

  dotNetFx35setup.exe /qb /norestart
  

  
  The command above will display a progress bar during installation, but it will not require user interaction (unattended installation). Change it to the command below for a complete silent installation.
  
  

  dotNetFx35setup.exe /qn /norestart
  

  
  
  NOTE: Do not post questions to this thread how to create a self-extracting executable (SFX). That topic is well covered in other threads (or in the help files of such tools). However, if you are using WinRar to create an SFX archive, here is a working WinRar comment:
  
  

  ;The comment below contains SFX script commands
  
  Setup=dotNetFx35setup.exe /qb /norestart
  Silent=1
  TempMode
  Overwrite=1
  Title=.Net Framework 2.0 SP1, 3.0 SP1, 3.5
  Text
  {
  Install Includes:
  
  • .Net Framework 2.0 SP1 (SP1 only)
  
  • .Net Framework 3.0 SP1 (SP0 + SP1)
  
  • .Net Framework 3.5
  }
  

Integrate the Packages Into Your XPCD

As you will read (or have read) in Silent .Net Maker, by Tomcat76, you have some options and restrictions on where to include all three .Net Framework packages in your XPCD. Just remember that DNF35.exe has all of the same requirements and restrictions as DNF30.exe (which you will no longer use)—It must be installed after GUI First User Login, so you would more than likely include it in your RunOnceEx.cmd. You must also install DNF20.exe for .Net Framework v3.5 to work.

NOTE: Do not post questions to this thread how to create a RunOnceEx.cmd or regarding such issues. That topic is well covered in the Unattended Guide!

Known Issues

• All Issues documented in Silent .Net Maker, by Tomcat76 still apply. Read that thread throughly and carefully!
  
  
• After .NET Framework 3.5 Full Redistributable Package is installed, Windows/Micorosoft Update will erroneously list the optional software update below.
  
  KB932471 -> FIX: Error message when you try to open or to create a protected XPS document by using the XPS viewer that is included with the .NET Framework 3.0: "Cannot open this document because your permissions have expired"
  Download (Microsoft Catalog) -› 413 KB (2007-06-26)
  
  NOTE: Not only is the update listed above not required (it is already included in .NET Framework 3.5 Full Redistributable Package), but it will not install correctly anyway! Both errors are on the part of the Windows Update itself, not on the part of this installation guide. In fact, you would still see this update listed (and it still would not install for you), if you manually installed the whole bloody .Net Framework 3.5 distributable on a clean Windows XP installation without integrating it or slimming it down at all. See this MSDN Forums thread for more information.
  
  WORKAROUND
  In the Microsoft newsgroups, an MVP recommended that people to just hide (ignore) the update listed above. To hide this update during your unattended XPCD installation, read the How to Obtain a Clean or Customized DataStore.edb section of my GUIDE: Download Everything Microsoft.

Future Objectives

The dotNetFX20 subfolder we deleted above actually contains everything for .Net Framework 2.0 (it does not include .Net Framework 2.0 SP1). In theory, we should be able to use that to create a fully patched, and self contained DNF20.exe. However, there are the same old Registry issues that are documented in Aaron Stebner's WebLog. It would be nice if someone who has experience making a DNF20 installer (Tomcat76 or RogueSpear maybe?) could try to do so with these fully patched files. I'm not quite sure where to begin with that, and what I have tried failed miserably.

This post has been edited by DarkShadows: 20 July 2008 - 12:30 PM

[HJW]

What about the issue with the WebClient Service ??

[DarkShadows]

As I clearly stated above:

DarkShadows, on Jan 11 2008, 04:48 PM, said:

In a way that:

• Ensures that the WebClient Service does not error and will run correctly.

If you follow my guide as written above (and the guide I linked to by Tomcat76), then you should be installing DNF35.exe after GUI First User Login (I install it from RunOnceEx). After everything is installed thusly and the PC has been rebooted, you will then be able to open Services.msc and verify that the WebClient service is running correctly. At this time, my guide here really only changes one thing from the instructions Tomcat76 wrote in his Silent .Net Maker thread—I have you replace DNF30.exe with DNF35.exe (and I show you how to make it of course).

This post has been edited by DarkShadows: 13 January 2008 - 09:12 AM

[NaDer_GenKO]

Thank you and Great guide

How can this work with WPI ? can i install all .Net from WPI ?
or i need something else ?

[DarkShadows]

I have not used WPI, so I could not possibly comment on this with any certainty. You would be better served by asking such a question in a forum devoted to WPI (and perhaps linking your WPI question to this thread).

[NaDer_GenKO]

I followed your guide exactly to create the .Net frameworke 3.5 and everything is OK

but when trying to install the pakage it's trying to Download 60M from the web. Why? How can i escapee this step?
and i'm tried to disable my internet connection to prevent the download then i get an error.
and the installer tell me to Exit the setup and restart it again.

Help please?

[dread]

Why bother with "Create/acquire DNF11.exe and DNF20.exe" if .NET Framework 3.5 Full Redistributable Package contains 2.0 and 2.0 SP1?

[Arie]

dread, on Feb 2 2008, 01:34 PM, said:

Why bother with "Create/acquire DNF11.exe and DNF20.exe" if .NET Framework 3.5 Full Redistributable Package contains 2.0 and 2.0 SP1?

I don't use the method as described in this topic, but I do install Microsoft .NET Framework version 1.1 SP1 and version 2.0 SP1 separately from version 3.0 SP1 and version 3.5. I install the first two via SVCPACK.INF, which allows me to install any applications which depend on either of these to be installed afterwards via SVCPACK as well. I install a package which contains both version 3.0 SP1 and version 3.5 next via RunOnceEx, as neither are SVCPACK.INF compatible, followed by any applications which depend on either of these via RunOnceEx as well. Instead of using the method described in this topic, I use RogueSpear's silent installer packages.

[DarkShadows]

NaDer_GenKO, on Feb 1 2008, 10:19 PM, said:

I followed your guide exactly to create the .Net frameworke 3.5 and everything is OK

but when trying to install the pakage it's trying to Download 60M from the web. Why? How can i escapee this step?
and i'm tried to disable my internet connection to prevent the download then i get an error.
and the installer tell me to Exit the setup and restart it again.

Help please?

Here are some things to verify:

• Download the full .Net Framework 3.5 distributable from the link I provided above (all 197 MB of it).
  
  
• Only delete the items from the full .Net Framework 3.5 distributable that I explicitly list above, everything else is required.
  
  
• Create a fully patched .Net Framework 2.0 (DNF20.exe) according to Tomcat76's Silent .NET Maker guide.
  
  
• Install .Net Framework 2.0 (DNF20.exe) before installing .Net Framework 3.5 (DNF35.exe).
  
  
• Check your resulting file sizes, which should be very close to mine (may very with other languages):
  • DNF11.exe = 11,300 KB
    
  • DNF20.exe = 39,045 KB
    
  • DNF35.exe = 66,251 KB

dread, on Feb 2 2008, 08:34 AM, said:

Why bother with "Create/acquire DNF11.exe and DNF20.exe" if .NET Framework 3.5 Full Redistributable Package contains 2.0 and 2.0 SP1?

Arie has already answered this in detail, I alluded to it in my guide:

"DarkShadows" said:

In a way that:

• Provides an opportunity to install applications that require .Net Framework 2.0.

I should've have mentioned "from SVCPACK"

[kame]

A pretty helpful guide you got there I've just made one install. By the way /qn switch doesn't work, use /quiet instead.

[strainda]

Is there any issue when using VMware?
My install hangs -showing progress bar box "Installing Microsoft Components"
NOTE: SFX will run with dbl clk, outside of VMware on host machine?
Any suggestions?

[NaDer_GenKO]

DarkShadows, on Feb 3 2008, 04:04 AM, said:

Here are some things to verify:

• Download the full .Net Framework 3.5 distributable from the link I provided above (all 197 MB of it).
  
  
• Only delete the items from the full .Net Framework 3.5 distributable that I explicitly list above, everything else is required.
  
  
• Create a fully patched .Net Framework 2.0 (DNF20.exe) according to Tomcat76's Silent .NET Maker guide.
  
  
• Install .Net Framework 2.0 (DNF20.exe) before installing .Net Framework 3.5 (DNF35.exe).
  
  
• Check your resulting file sizes, which should be very close to mine (may very with other languages):
  • DNF11.exe = 11,300 KB
    
  • DNF20.exe = 39,045 KB
    
  • DNF35.exe = 66,251 KB

OK. I have verified and the result is:

My .Net framework 3.5 distributable package size is (197 MB).
Extract it again and delete the items you mentioned only in the list (i'm sure)
Repackage the .Net framework 1.1 & 2.0 again according to Tomcat76's Silent .NET Maker guide.

my resulting file sizes:

• (dotnetfx.exe + NDP1.1sp1-KB867460-X86.exe + NDP1.1sp1-KB928366-X86.exe) = 11,716 KB
  
• (dotnetfx2.exe + NDP20-KB928365-X86.exe) = 39,963 KB
  
• DNF35.exe = 66,400 KB

I tried to reinstall them all But the .Net framewoke 3.5 have the same problem.
any suggestion please

[NaDer_GenKO]

strainda, on Feb 3 2008, 11:46 PM, said:

Is there any issue when using VMware?
My install hangs -showing progress bar box "Installing Microsoft Components"
NOTE: SFX will run with dbl clk, outside of VMware on host machine?
Any suggestions?

Did you tried to install it on your machine without any switches ? did the installer want to download any data ?
if yes. you have the same problem that i have

[strainda]

NaDer_GenKO, on Feb 3 2008, 05:14 PM, said:

strainda, on Feb 3 2008, 11:46 PM, said:

Is there any issue when using VMware?
My install hangs -showing progress bar box "Installing Microsoft Components"
NOTE: SFX will run with dbl clk, outside of VMware on host machine?
Any suggestions?

Did you tried to install it on your machine without any switches ? did the installer want to download any data ?
if yes. you have the same problem that i have

TC's combined installer is OK at T13 however my Winrar SFX hangs at logon. I only used "/qb" in RunOnceEx.
(My problem is not the same -my SFX/installer is not trying to download from internet)
The progress box shows "Installing Microsoft Components" (with no progress) and eventually times out.

Any other comments would be appreciated.

[kame]

NaDer_GenKO, on Feb 3 2008, 04:14 PM, said:

strainda, on Feb 3 2008, 11:46 PM, said:

Is there any issue when using VMware?
My install hangs -showing progress bar box "Installing Microsoft Components"
NOTE: SFX will run with dbl clk, outside of VMware on host machine?
Any suggestions?

Did you tried to install it on your machine without any switches ? did the installer want to download any data ?
if yes. you have the same problem that i have

When you have the full package it doesn't to download anything actually it just shows that it is downloading but it is checking instead of downloading I have the same problem but I ran the setup using /quiet switch with no internet connection the .net framework 3.5 installed properly.

[Ralin]

If you ever look into making an installer similarly to Tomcat76 this script does the dirty-work of moving and deleting the correct files

@echo off
title DarkShadows .NET 3.5, 3.0 SP1, 2.0 SP1 installer
if not exist dotnetfx35.exe echo You dont have dotnetfx35.exe in this directory!&PAUSE&EXIT
dotnetfx35.exe /X:TEMP /quiet
xcopy Temp\wcu\dotNetFramework\*.* Temp\ /S
RD /S /Q Temp\wcu\
DEL Temp\dotNetFX20\*64*.*
DEL Temp\dotNetFX30\*64*.*
DEL Temp\dotNetFX35\*64*.*
RD /S /Q Temp\dotNetFX30\x64
RD /S /Q Temp\dotNetFX35\x64
RD /S /Q Temp\dotNetFX35\ia64
RD /S /Q Temp\dotNetMSP\x64

[DarkShadows]

Okay folks, I just took a look at this process again today. I installed Windows XP to a Virtual PC with its network adapter disabled. Now, I did not notice any error dialogs during installation (but then again I wasn't sitting there, eyes peeled on my VPC for an hour and a half either). Certainly, nothing stopped my unattended installation. However, that doesn't mean everything went as we would like it to. In fact after rebooting, the VPC did not have .Net Framework 2.0 SP1, 3.0 SP1, or 3.5 installed. (I installed DNF20.exe from SVCPACK). So clearly something was being downloaded by the installation before, that it could no longer get to after I pulled the plug on the VPC's NIC. So clearly the installer is sucking some files down from the Internet during the PC Build. Since I build PCs on a network, and my WINNT.SIF file has all the correct settings for the network, I hadn't noticed up until now.

So it seems that either:

• I am deleting too much from DNF35_WORK (less likely IMO). Or,
  
• The fully distributable .NET 3.5 installer isn't smart enough to check to see if some components have already been installed (more likely IMO).

Well then this technique doesn't really help us speed wise, we might as well keep the full .Net 3.5 distributable on the XPCD. But that doesn't help us space wise since the sucker is 200 MB! Personally I want to install my Catalyst drivers so I still need to install DNF20.exe from svcpack. I was hoping to cut out the other redundant files.

Okay, color me clueless again. Does anyone have any ideas?

[radix]

Hi
Why don't you read the instructions posted by guys from M$?
After I read the instructions posted on Aaron Stebner's blog, I made dotNET silent installers for
both Windows XP 32 bit and 64 bit.
dotNET2.0
dotNET3.0
Try to open these links with I.E.
Sizes:
.net2.0SP1&.net3.0SP1&.net3.5 x86 = 39.6 MB
.net2.0SP1&.net3.0SP1&.net3.5 x64 = 54.5 MB
Both installed without errors.
Batch script sample for x86 installer:

@echo off
start /wait msiexec.exe /i netfx20sp1\Netfx20a_x86.msi /qb! /norestart VSEXTUI=1
start /wait msiexec.exe /i netfx30sp1\WIC_X86_ENU.exe /quiet /nobackup /norestart
start /wait msiexec.exe /i netfx30sp1\XPSEPSC-x86-en-US.exe /quiet /nobackup /norestart
start /wait msiexec.exe /i netfx30sp1\MSXML\msxml6.msi /qb! /norestart
start /wait msiexec.exe /i netfx30sp1\RGB9RAST_x86.msi /qb! /norestart
start /wait msiexec.exe /i netfx30sp1\Netfx30a_x86.msi /qb! /norestart VSEXTUI=1
start /wait msiexec.exe /i netfx35\vs_setup.msi /qb! /norestart VSEXTUI=1
exit

[radix]

S..t both Opera and Firefox displayed slipstreaming commands incomplete
from the links provided on my previous post. Internet Explorer displayed correct.

[Lolita]

Thank you radix, with your links i was finaly able to complete all .net installation!

Only problem i get is dot net 3.0 czech language package don't install normally - it writes that i have allready newer version of it and cancel installation. However i can unpack it and install it with vs_setup.msi /qb! /norestart VSEXTUI=1 but still can't uninstall it. Weird. BTW funny is that i install 3.0 in T-12 with these two 2004 errors i can install and uninstall langpack without problems

This post has been edited by Lolita: 08 March 2008 - 03:36 AM