How to remove Visual Studio .NET Beta and Release Candidate versions

Visual Studio .NET Beta and Release Candidate versions may not be completely removed because of problems in the removal programs. This article describes how to manually remove all traces of these versions. You must also use the Add/Remove Programs tool in Control Panel to remove all managed programs that are installed on the computer, no matter which version was used to develop the managed programs.

Note that it is a good idea to start over with a "clean" installation of Microsoft Windows, especially in mission-critical development or build environments.

NOTE: Follow the steps in this article only if the steps in the following Microsoft Knowledge Base articles do not work. Follow the steps in these articles to remove the Beta or Release Candidate version before you continue:

Remove Windows Component Updates

Not all Windows Component Updates can be removed. This article contains instructions for the updates that you can remove.

• To remove Visual Studio .NET Beta 2 Runtime Files (Bootstrap.msi), type the following line at a command prompt:
  msiexec.exe /x {E6B71B8C-D8F8-11D3-A52F-00A0C9CA42BA}
• To remove Microsoft Front Page Client (Weccom.msi), type the following line at a command prompt:
  msiexec.exe /x {17B66E83-1BC9-11D5-A54A-0090278A1BB8}
• To remove Microsoft .NET Framework Beta 2:
  1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
  2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs, and then click Change or Remove Programs.
  3. Click Microsoft .NET Framework, and then click Change/Remove.
  4. When you are prompted to continue, click Yes.
  5. After you remove Microsoft .NET Framework, return to the desktop.
  6. Right-click My Computer, and then click Manage.
  7. Expand the Services and Applications node, and then click Services.
  8. Double-click the .NET Framework Support service. If this service is not listed, skip to step 10.
  9. Change the Startup type to Disabled.
  10. Restart your computer.
  Note that you may have to follow additional steps to fully remove the Microsoft .NET Framework. For additional information about these steps, click the article number below to view the article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:
  320112  (http://support.microsoft.com/kb/320112/EN-US/ ) PRB: Installation of .NET Frame Fails and Requires Manual Removal

Remove Visual Studio .NET

1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
2. Double-click Add/Remove Programs, and then click Change or Remove Programs.
3. Click Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 7.0 Professional, and then click Change/Remove.
4. In the Visual Studio Setup dialog box, click option 2.
5. When you are prompted to continue, click Yes.

Manually Remove Remaining .NET Framework and Visual Studio .NET Items

Depending on your system configuration and on the build of Visual Studio .NET that was installed, some items may remain after you follow the previous steps. Use the information in the next sections to manually remove remaining items that may cause problems.

Remove Windows Installer References to Installed Products

The steps in this section require the Windows Installer SDK command-line tool (Msizap.exe). After you install this tool, Msizap.exe is available in the Program Files\MsiIntel.SDK\Tools folder.

The Msizap.exe syntax is: For example: These are the GUIDs for the product codes to remove:

• {20610409-925D-4F20-AECF-D74263377DFB}
• {3BD60997-A7E4-4A55-9BA6-C7C9B27658DF}
• {E0670409-3064-11D5-A54A-0090278A1BB8}
• {90600409-7D65-11D5-A54F-0090278A1BB8}
• {B43357AA-3A6D-4D94-B56E-43C44D09E548}
• {E30C3F5F-A814-4992-A3FD-D14A285AEAB5}
• {E6B71B8C-D8F8-11D3-A52F-00A0C9CA42BA}
• {17B66E83-1BC9-11D5-A54A-0090278A1BB8}

Remove Files and Folders

Rename the following files:

• %Windir%\System32\Mscoree.dll
• %Windir%\Installer\Folders with Visual Studio GUIDS as listed earlier only

Delete the following folders if they exist:

• %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft Visual Studio .NET
• %Windir%\Microsoft.NET
• %Windir%\Assembly
• %Windir%\System32\URTtemp

Clean Up the Registry

WARNING: If you use Registry Editor incorrectly, you may cause serious problems that may require you to reinstall your operating system. Microsoft cannot guarantee that you can solve problems that result from using Registry Editor incorrectly. Use Registry Editor at your own risk.

Delete the following registry key if it exists:

For additional information about behaviors that can be caused by unsuccessful Beta removals, click the article numbers below to view the articles in the Microsoft Knowledge Base: