However if, like me, you're impatient and "cancel" the setup process when it appears to hang at 99% of installing .NET you'll need to install the Framework yourself.
To do that, you can grab a copy from Microsoft, by clicking here.
I also, to save time, installed the framework on my laptop (while it was failing to work on my main PC) directly from Microsoft... yet when I ran the installer it totally ignored the previous installation and spent 20 minutes installing it again.
The Builder tries to install needed components of Microsoft's .NET Framework version 3.5 SP1.
However if, like me, you're impatient and "cancel" the setup process when it appears to hang at 99% of installing .NET you'll need to install the Framework yourself.
To do that, you can grab a copy from Microsoft, by clicking here.
I highly recommend downloading the Full Package of .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 (the link is about 2/3 of the way down the page, in the Instructions section).
I highly recommend downloading the Full Package of .NET Framework 3.5 Service Pack 1 (the link is about 2/3 of the way down the page, in the Instructions section).
The (direct) link is http://download.microsoft.com/download/2/0/e/20e90413-712f-438c-988e-fdaa79a8ac3d/dotnetfx35.exe
So yes, my suggestion (much like others) is to just install the .Net SP1 yourself beforehand because it is much faster and you can control the install to prevent problems.
So yes, my suggestion (much like others) is to just install the .Net SP1 yourself beforehand because it is much faster and you can control the install to prevent problems.
Yes, did it myself the same way.
I posted them in the wrong thread, but here are a few more issues with the installer:
- The .NET install does not recognize if not enough Hard Drive space is available and seems to just hang.
- The setup does not recognize if an instance of itself is allready running and joyfully starts multiple times, messing everything totally up.
- If you figure out how to install the thing without installing .NET 3.5 it just crashes without noticing that .NET 3.5 is not installed
For some reason I get about 20% of the way through the install, then it fails and uninstalls itself. It doesn't even give me enough of an error message to tell what the heck is going on.
I have .net 1. whatever, and i tried removing that first too. That didn't help. I tried installing 2.0 to see if maybe i had to upgrade gradually. That one told me it wasn't compatible with vista.
3.0 won't install either.
My system is running Vista premium. Anyone have any idea what I might be doing wrong? At this point even a hint would be nice so I could figure out where to take things next. Mucking around on microsoft's help forum isn't doing much for me.
Thanks.
I'm having trouble even installing .net 3.5
Use the http://www.smallestdotnet.com/ site to make sure you're downloading the right installer; that's all I can think of.
This time i made it about 50% of the way through the install before it died on me again. The only error message i get is that setup stopped functioning.
I've even tried getting an new windows installer in case mine was corrupt. I have no idea what to try next.
Help!
I keep getting the same problem, Character Builder has encountered a problem...blah,blah,blah,... it says could not load file or assembly 'D20RulesEngine, Version=0.0.0.0.Culture=neutral, PublicKey Token=null' or one of its dependencies. an attempt was made to load a program with an incorrect format.
Please Help!!!!!!
I have Windows Vista Ultimate and i did the .Net 3.5 SP1 update, as a matter of fact i uninstalled it, then reinstalled it, then uninstalled it and then installed the so called full version of it, but i continue to get the same error message...extremely fustrating
Currently trying to update .NET on my laptop which is Vista 32 Home edition to see if that helps.
Apologies the nul error thing is addressed here.
Learn something from heroforge.
JK
* reboot (this will solve any issues you have if you havn't rebooted since last installing something from windows update)
* get .net 3.5 SP1 direct from Microsoft
* try running our installer again, it should work flawlessly.
Oh, and if you have a 64bit version of windows make sure you have the latest version of our installer. We released an updated installer, details here: http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1112308
Thank you ssssoooooo much Mr. Elf,
works flawlessly now!!!!!
Thank you ssssoooooo much Mr. Elf,
works flawlessly now!!!!!
Good to hear, I was waiting to see someone post about success with it. Thanks!
Any other help you might be able to suggest? Vista 32b, have tried every way to install .net framework 3.5 sp1, with no luck.
JK
I've tried everything suggested here, and more.
Any other help you might be able to suggest? Vista 32b, have tried every way to install .net framework 3.5 sp1, with no luck.
JK
What version of Vista do you have? (It's not by any chance a debug version).
Try this:
(1) reboot, make sure you have resolved any outstanding windows updates
(2) uninstall .net 3.5
(3) download and install .net 3.5 sp1 directly from Microsoft's website.
If you get past that, then you should have no problems with installing the Character Builder Beta afterward.
But I have windows vista premium. There's no 3.5 to uninstall. When the install fails it removes itself from whatever point it fails at. I've looked through control panel to remove program - there's no .net 3.5 listed in there to remove.
I've tried going through computer/windows/ to see if it left artifacts and there are no clearly labeled 3.5 folders in there. So there's nothing to remove.
I did download 3.5 from microsoft. It still fails to install.
Look i realize that you guys figure this isn't really your problem at this point -and if it's only one or two of us having issues i can see your reasoning. but the thing is you guys chose to use 3.5 as your framework. You could have chosen to make it backwards compatible instead. You didn't.
So if we pay for insider - and character builder becomes part of the package we have to pay for - wht happens if we can never use it? can we get it excluded from the price?
And honest i really do want to be able to use it -
I'm not dropping this all in your lap, i'm scouring microsoft's help forum looking for clues on how to fix this, but any help - and it would have to be pretty step by step at this point cause i've tried all the simple answers - would be deeply appreciated.
I know there are a lot of people that play the game who have more computer savvy than i do and i'm hoping the community can help me out.
Thanks.
i'm totally lost and getting extremely frustrated.
If i get it resolved i'll post whatever solution they give me for anyone else who may experience a similar problem.
First they tried to tell me that 3.5 sp1 was not guaranteed to work with 64 bit vista.
Then they ran a remote diagnostic and told me i have corrupted system files and that's why i can't install 3.5 sp1
The funny thing is 3.5 itself installed.
so my question to the DDI team - how critical is it that it has to be 3.5 sp1?
Otherwise i'm faced with having to do a whole hard-disk reformat and reloading windows from the factory partition thingy on my harddrive as my system came with windows installed and i don't own a seperate disk from which to do a repair.
Obviously, I have shut down and restarted my computer several times, as well as running ccleaner and registry cure, but to no avail. The first time I tried to run it, like many, I thought my system hung up, so I exited, ever since then I have been getting this message off and on. I am just trying to set up the .NET thing first, so I can keep any issues separate from the CBbeta. I also keep getting the "1603 error" when I don't have the previous installation issue.
I have been working with this every night since Monday for 3-4 hours. Aaargh!
Am running XP, have system requirements met. Have down loaded .NET from different locations in case MS site was the problem.
I have also uninstalled all previous .NET versions in reverse order as one individual has suggested.
...How do you Uninstall .NET 3.0 from Vista 64 Bit?
Yes, I'm a 24-year-old technophobe, and I'm ashamed of it already.
'K, about to ask a stupid question here:
...How do you Uninstall .NET 3.0 from Vista 64 Bit?
Yes, I'm a 24-year-old technophobe, and I'm ashamed of it already.
I don't believe you need to uninstall previous .NET frameworks, and doing so may even make it take longer to install the .NET 3.5 SP1 Framework.
If you can remove it at all, I'd look under: CONTROL PANEL * PROGRAMS AND FEATURES.
From there, find it in the list, and uninstall it.
It's not listed under the Control Panel *Programs list, actually. I say I'm running .NET 3.0 because www.smallestdotnet.com tells me I am, not because I can find an actual statement from my computer to that effect.
I suspect that .NET 3.0 may simply be a core part of Vista that can't be removed. That's fine, as my copy of Vista has a variety of .NET Frameworks on it, and doesn't appear to be suffering for it.
Were it me, I'd go ahead and install 3.5 SP1 anyhow.
*shrug* Oh well.
Even tried asp.net but they even link back to Microsoft. Even the readme file will not open from the installer and I have tried different browsers.
Any other ideas? I really want to try the Character Builder but this seems like WotC did not think this one out too well. Perhaps further testing is in order or to include an update like this in the download.
[UPDATE]
Managed to find the bootstrapper for download at another site:
http://www.apphit.com/download_NET_Framework-11/
So the installer runs but cannot connect to the Microsoft site to download. Brilliant.
In understand that even in today's "download everything and life is better" mentality this kind of failure with a beta product seems incomplete, not totally thought out, but after reading the development blogs that is certainly not the impression WotC is trying to give out.
Any other ideas, WotC?
I have been trying in vain for over a week to get download.microsoft.com to let me grab this package from within and without the CB beta installer and it faile EVERY TIME!
Please, does anyone in this community have the 2.8 MB package that they can ZIP and email to me or hosted on a website?
If this is the way that WotC is going to support and prepare their products in beta mode for public testing, I am afraid for the Game Table and other bonus tools.
If this is the way that WotC is going to support and prepare their products in beta mode for public testing, I am afraid for the Game Table and other bonus tools.
If you can't get .net from Microsoft then I suspect you have larger issues to worry about then getting the Character Builder from WotC. Lets see what we can do to help though.
I'm not sure if this is what you're looking for, but I found this site when searching google:
http://www.filehippo.com/download_dotnet_framework_3/
I think that one is just the updater and it'll contact MS though.
This site seems to have a larger download, but it's not clear if it's still a prereleae version or the full version, or if it's good enough, but it's still worth a try:
http://www.softpedia.com/get/Others/Signatures-Updates/Microsoft-NET-Framework-Pre-Release.shtml
best of luck!
The Builder tries to install needed components of Microsoft's .NET Framework version 3.5 SP1.
However if, like me, you're impatient and "cancel" the setup process when it appears to hang at 99% of installing .NET you'll need to install the Framework yourself.
To do that, you can grab a copy from Microsoft, by clicking here.
No, the builder doesn't try to install the needed components. I took a snoop at the calls the program was making when installing. It tried to go directly to installing the builder but it never made a check to see if I had .NET 3.5 SP1 installed or not (which at the time I didn't). It displayed text in the status saying it was installed and I let it sit for 2 hours. The builder claimed it installed everything but sure enough, there was no .NET 3.5 SP1. I checked several of my systems events logs as well as my snoopers logs and .NET was never attempted. Uninstalled the builder and tried a second time. Same result.
Is it possible that somewhere along the lines someone "remarked" out the boolean call that determines whether or not to try and install the components?
Also, it takes a LONG time for the .NET 3.5 SP1 to actually install after downloading. I only had the installer running with no other applications and it took 26 minutes to install and then after restarting my system was bogged down for about 10 more minutes.
There is an easier way to ensure the necessary .NET 3.5 SP1 is installed. Once the Builder goes live (not BETA anymore), release a second version for Vista 64. Embed the .NET 3.5 SP1 with the Builder installer, or just include the .NET 3.5 SP1 installer as a second installer to the builder. By Microsofts EULA, you can redistribute the .NET 3.5 SP1 installer with other software so long as it isn't modified (well...long story short). Whatever you do, use the network version of the .NET 3.5 SP1 installer, not the web version. It just adds two or three more steps in order to use the Builder which for many players could be enough frustration to say forget it.
-Crimsus
Red
Have tried to downlad dot net several times over the course of three days now. Will try a month from now to see if there is a change. I think I'll just play a different game that doesn't give me such a headache.
I'm presuming that you were trying to get it from here:
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?familyid=ab99342f-5d1a-413d-8319-81da479ab0d7&displaylang=en
and that you meet the minimum requirements:
System Requirements
* Supported Operating Systems: Windows Server 2003; Windows Server 2008; Windows Vista; Windows XP
* Processor: 400 MHz Pentium processor or equivalent (Minimum); 1GHz Pentium processor or equivalent (Recommended)
* RAM:96 MB (Minimum); 256 MB (Recommended)
* Hard Disk: Up to 500 MB of available space may be required
If for some reason you can't download Microsoft's .net Framework for Microsoft Windows from Microsoft's website, I'd suggest contacting Microsoft and asking for assistance.
I can understand there being issues with trying to get it using the redistributable installer that Microsoft lets Wizard distribute, but you shouldn't have problems if you're getting it directly from the source.
I'm also having problems installing .net 3.5 sp1. I have attempted to install it on 2 xp computers and one with old windows 2000
Looks like Microsoft does not support .net 3.5 and windows 2000. I quoted their system requirements in an above post. Sorry. =( It should however work fine on XP, assuming you have a legal non-developer version of XP and get it directly from Microsoft's website.
I will kill someone! Yea I will. I'm trying to download NET 3.5 sp1 from this microsoft $^%$ and the serwer don't work. It's almost absurd. Can't just wizard make a copy of full NET 3.5 SP1 on they serwer and ready to download it. Couse it makes me going crazy.
No they can't. The version that Microsoft lets companies distribute is the version that is included with the Character Builder installer. My observation has been that you're better off getting .net directly from Microsoft.
I have tried uninstalling .net3.5sp1, re-installing it. I tried uninstalling the open beta, uninstalling the closed beta, reinstalling the closed beta (which now won't work), uninstalling again and re-installing the open beta, all to no avail.
I have since had a few windows updates, and seen the "3 updates" thing again, this time without the error and the unrolling. However, the character builder(s) still die on launch.
Foruntately, I have none of these problems with my old XP box - but I thought I should report these issues.
let me know if there is any other data I can share which may help.
I've gotten the old flip flop from microsoft.
First they tried to tell me that 3.5 sp1 was not guaranteed to work with 64 bit vista.
Then they ran a remote diagnostic and told me i have corrupted system files and that's why i can't install 3.5 sp1
The funny thing is 3.5 itself installed.
so my question to the DDI team - how critical is it that it has to be 3.5 sp1?
Otherwise i'm faced with having to do a whole hard-disk reformat and reloading windows from the factory partition thingy on my harddrive as my system came with windows installed and i don't own a seperate disk from which to do a repair.
The Character Builder is built on Microsofts WPF technology and takes specific advantage of 3.5 features.
SP1 is primarily required because it fixes a number of bugs in the framework that were causing specific issues and crashes. In addition it provides some optimizations that help with performance.
Microsoft advises using SP1 and for us to have supported the non SP1 version would have involved us adding hack workarounds in the application.
I then uninstalled .net 3.5 sp1 and downloaded and installed .net 3.5 only.
Ran character Builder and it worked. It was slower. But it worked.
YMMV.
It seems to be impossible to get the character builder to work on any of the Vista systems. I must say the whole 3.5 dependency and not running on vista is a bit retarded.
Download it from the MS page Here
Remember that it is still beta software so you try it at your own risk.
Indeed. About a month ago I started using Linux (Fedora 10) for work. Then I got a live CD for Ubuntu and set up a dual boot at home. I use Windows about once a week (and then only to ensure it gets updates for the family).
I don't like Windows anymore. Seems to clunky compared to Ubuntu.
I haven't had to use my copy of the character builder since I started work, but still.
I'm having trouble even installing .net 3.5
For some reason I get about 20% of the way through the install, then it fails and uninstalls itself. It doesn't even give me enough of an error message to tell what the heck is going on.
I have the same problem. Sort of. I'm using Windows XP.
Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0a: [2] Error: Installation failed for component Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0a. MSI returned error code 1603
This has turned out to be a lot more headache than I'd bargained for. Meh.
cid-27e6a35d1a492af7.skydrive.live.com/s...
Once I used the tool, I restarted my computer and then was able to do a fresh install which worked.