Help! Can't uninstall beta2!?

I want to install the .Net release candidate on my Win2K server platform. To do so I need to uninstall beta2 but it won't let me! I go through the uninstall process (yes, through the control panel's add/remove programs) but I got error messages. When I run uninstall now it tells me "Setup is unable to determine a valid ordering for the installation. See the error log for further details". The error log is no help because it doesn't tell me what to fix.

When I try to install the new version of .Net over it, I get the error message "set up has detected that a previous version of Visual Studio .Net is installed, uninstall it first blah blah blah". So now I am dead in the water!

I was successfully able to uninstall the framework, but not Visual Studio .Net.

Help!!
Thanks in advance.

Re-install >NET vs2 again, beforehand deleting the directory & the registry entry for VS.NET 2 under the following key :
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Uninstall\
This should put a new entry in the windows uninstall list and generate an uninstal log text file again effectively 1/2 installing from scratch.

Uninstall the .NET VS 2 first, THEN the framework after. I think thats how I did it anyways :D

Thanks!
I'll give that a try right now... :)

Okay, I tried the steps in the last post, thanks. It all seemed to go fine except that when I tried to uninstall again it said that something was wrong with the installation and that it had possibly already been uninstalled. It then allowed me to remove it from the uninstall programs window. That all seemed fine to me but when I try to install the latest version, it still won't allow it and tells me that it has detected a version is already installed!

I went back to the registry, backed it up, and then deleted the following key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Visual Studio\7.0

I tried the install again and still no luck! It still detects a version is already installed! There must be something left in the registry somewhere.

I have already deleted the folder for Visual Studio.NET so is there anything else you can think of that I can try!?

What a mess!

Thanks again,
Mary

Drat. I had a note at one time of what I did for this but can't find it - typical :rolleyes:
I'll see if I can find anything on MSDN - think there was a couple of articles on this one there which helped me.

Thanks so much for your help Alex. I really appreciate it. I am just about ready to format the drive and start over and I have so much to install that's going to be a great big pain! I have talked to several other people and they all say that's about the only answer. It shouldn't have to be this bad to get the beta uninstalled. Thanks a lot Microsoft!

WAIT !!!!

Give me until tomorrow morning - I'll see if I can find the paperwork or link again. Hold your horses for the moment ! ;)

This wasn't the one I used, though a couple of the points sound familiar, start with this one :

http://www.maclean-nj.com/compute/vsbetas.htm

Thanks! I WILL wait because as Alistair says "reinstalling years of software is no joke".

I will give Alistair's recommendations a try...

Okay, I tried the suggestions offered from Alistair's web site but did not have any of the Registry keys to delete that he had found. Rats! I really thought that would work! So, I still am trying this. Please let me know if you find that information you were looking for!

I appreciate your hanging in here with me!
Mary

I hate to do this, but I think I'm gonna have to let you down on this one. :( I've jut been all over the MS & yahoo sites & can't pick it up any longer - I was sure it was on the MS site, so whether they did away with the page I looked at, or hidden it God only knows.

One last hope is to try the experts. I did find this one while searching and this may be of help before a re-format : http://communities.microsoft.com/new...otnet&slcid=us

Sorry I can't be of more help though.

Hey, that's okay! I appreciate your hanging in there with me...
Thanks.