The Visual Studio .NET 2003 Combined Help Collection is removed when you remove the MSDN Library - January 2003

When you remove the Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Library - January 2003 from Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003, the Visual Studio .NET 2003 Combined Help Collection is also removed.

To work around this behavior, install the MSDN Library - April 2003 or later.

Visual Studio .NET integrates with any version of the MSDN Library that was released after the MSDN Library for Visual Studio .NET.

Visual Studio .NET 2003 integrates with any version of the MSDN Library beginning with the April 2003 release.

Visual Studio .NET 2003 does not integrate with the January 2003 release or earlier releases of the MSDN Library.

If both Visual Studio .NET and Visual Studio .NET 2003 are installed on your computer, any version of the MSDN Library that was released after January 2003 integrates with either Visual Studio .NET 2002 or Visual Studio .NET 2003.

Steps to reproduce the behavior

1. Integrate the MSDN Library with Visual Studio .NET:
   1. Install the prerequisites for Microsoft Visual Studio .NET.
   2. Install Visual Studio .NET.
   3. Install the MSDN Library for Visual Studio .NET 2003 by using the CD-ROM that is included with Visual Studio .NET 2003.
2. Open the MSDN Library - January 2003:
   1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Developer Network, and then click MSDN Library for Visual Studio 2003. You receive the following message:
      Help is updating to reflect your recent changes. This may take several minutes
   2. On the File menu, click Exit.
   3. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003, and then click Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003.
   4. On the Tools menu, point to Options. The Options dialog box appears.
   5. In the Options dialog box, expand Environment, and then click Help.
   6. In the Preferred Collection box, click MSDN Library for Visual Studio .NET 2003. You receive the following message:
      Changes in Help options will not take effect until the environment is restarted.
   7. On the File menu, click Exit.
3. Search the MSDN Library:
   1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003, and then click Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003.
   2. On the Help menu, click Contents. Notice that MSDN Library appears.
   3. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003, and then click Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 Documentation.
   4. On the Help menu of the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003 Documentation window, click Search.
   5. In the Look For box, type a valid string, and then click Search. You receive the following message:
      The operation could not be completed.
4. Remove the MSDN Library - January 2003:
   1. Click Start, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
   2. In Control Panel, double-click Add or Remove Programs. The Add or Remove Programs dialog box appears.
   3. In the Currently installed programs list, click MSDN Library for Visual Studio .NET 2003, and then click Remove. You receive the following message:
      Are you sure you want to remove MSDN Library for Visual Studio .NET 2003 from your computer?
   4. Click Yes.
5. Try to open the Visual Studio .NET 2003 Combined Help Collection:
   1. Click Start, point to Programs, point to Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003, and then click Microsoft Visual Studio .NET 2003.
   2. On the Help menu, click Dynamic Help.
   3. Notice that no table of contents appears.

For more information, visit the following Microsoft Developer Network (MSDN) Web sites: