Best practice installation methods for Visual Studio 6.0

Many setup and installation problems can be avoided by using best practice installation methods. While these steps may not address specific problems or error messages, they significantly reduce the possibility of problems that can occur while installing products made by Microsoft or other software suppliers. Past success without using these methods is no guarantee of future success. These best practice methods are recommended for all installations, including service packs as well as non-Microsoft products. While these best practice methods might not be necessary in all cases, they reduce the potential for problems.

Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Millennium Edition (Me) operating system:

For more information on best practices for installing a product on the Windows 95, Windows 98, or Windows Me operating system, review the Readme file(s) that are included with the product.

1. Clear the system temporary folder (C:\Windows\Temp).
2. Stop all applications, particularly monitoring programs such as anti-virus programs. To do this, follow these steps:
   1. Press CTRL+ALT+DEL to open the Close Program dialog box.
   2. Select each application in turn and click End Task (with the exception of Explorer, which is the shell for Windows).

NOTE: Windows Me has a System Restore feature, which returns the system to its pre-installation state if you establish a restore point prior to an installation. To establish a restore point, follow these steps:

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore.
2. Select Create a restore point and follow the prompts to create a restore point.

If you need to return the system to its pre-installation state, follow these steps:

1. On the Start menu, point to Programs, point to Accessories, point to System Tools, and then click System Restore.
2. Select Restore my computer to an earlier time and follow the prompts.

For additional information, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 operating system:

For more information on best practices for installing a product on the Windows NT 4.0 or Windows 2000 operating system, review the Readme file(s) that are included with the product.

1. Log on using the Local Administrator account (the default is Administrator). The domain that is selected must match the computer name.
   
   NOTE: The Local Administrator account is not the same as a user account that has administrator rights. The Local Administrator account is the system account that is used to set up the operating system.
2. Clear the system temporary folder.
   
   For Windows NT 4.0, this folder is <system partition letter>:\Temp.
   
   For Windows 2000, this folder is usually <system partition letter>:\Documents and Settings\<%userprofile%>\Local Settings\Temp, but it may be <system partition letter>:\Winnt\Profiles\<%userprofile>\Local Settings\Temp.
3. Stop all unneeded services, particularly monitoring and anti-virus programs.

Additional Steps

Most installations will be successful if you use just the best practice methods; however, on rare instances, additional steps may be required. If you encounter problems that are due to previous program installations or system drivers that are interacting with the installation process, see the Microsoft Knowledge Base articles that are listed in the "References" section.