I'm unable to install the GAT for VS 2008 because the installer says

"A previous version of Guidance Automation Toolkit is already installed and must be removed prior to installing this version"

I uninstalled it previously. I then manually deleted a folder that I thought was its. I hunted through the registry but didn't change or delete anything.

VS 2008, XP SPn, English.

Anyhow, here is my GAX troubleshooter log. The GAX troubleshooter seems to concur that the GAT ain't there. But the installer is resolute that it *is* there.

----------------

Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.RecipeFrameworkException: Unexpected error loading template file name C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Guidance Automation Toolkit for Visual Studio 2008\Templates\Solutions\Projects\GuidancePackage\GuidancePackage.vstemplate. Make sure that the template is well formed and try again. ---> System.IO.DirectoryNotFoundException: Could not find a part of the path 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Guidance Automation Toolkit for Visual Studio 2008\Templates\Solutions\Projects\GuidancePackage\GuidancePackage.vstemplate'.
at System.IO.__Error.WinIOError(Int32 errorCode, String maybeFullPath)
at System.IO.FileStream.Init(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, Int32 rights, Boolean useRights, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize, FileOptions options, SECURITY_ATTRIBUTES secAttrs, String msgPath, Boolean bFromProxy)
at System.IO.FileStream..ctor(String path, FileMode mode, FileAccess access, FileShare share, Int32 bufferSize)
at System.Xml.XmlDownloadManager.GetStream(Uri uri, ICredentials credentials)
at System.Xml.XmlUrlResolver.GetEntity(Uri absoluteUri, String role, Type ofObjectToReturn)
at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.OpenUrlDelegate(Object xmlResolver)
at System.Threading.CompressedStack.runTryCode(Object userData)
at System.Runtime.CompilerServices.RuntimeHelpers.ExecuteCodeWithGuaranteedCleanup(TryCode code, CleanupCode backoutCode, Object userData)
at System.Threading.CompressedStack.Run(CompressedStack compressedStack, ContextCallback callback, Object state)
at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.OpenUrl()
at System.Xml.XmlTextReaderImpl.Read()
at System.Xml.XmlLoader.Load(XmlDocument doc, XmlReader reader, Boolean preserveWhitespace)
at System.Xml.XmlDocument.Load(XmlReader reader)
at System.Xml.XmlDocument.Load(String filename)
at Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.VisualStudio.Templates.TemplateMetaData.ReadTemplate()
--- End of inner exception stack trace ---
at Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.VisualStudio.Templates.TemplateMetaData.ReadTemplate()
at Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.VisualStudio.Templates.TemplateMetaData..ctor(String templateFileName, CommandID command, String packageName, RegistryKey registryRoot)
at Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.VisualStudio.Templates.VSTemplatesService.Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.VisualStudio.Common.IVsTemplatesService.GetTemplate(String templateFileName)
at Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.VisualStudio.Templates.VszWizard.EnvDTE.IDTWizard.Execute(Object Application, Int32 hwndOwner, Object[]& ContextParams, Object[]& CustomParams, wizardResult& retval)

Hi Clark,

If you're getting the following message "A previous version of Guidance Automation Toolkit is already installed and must be removed prior to installing this version.".A quick workaround for your issue is the following:

Try to locate the following registry entry
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0\Packages\{23FC29C9-FAFE-47f1-B633-B548E788DDDF} then delete the entry "{23FC29C9-FAFE-47f1-B633-B548E788DDDF}" completly.

That's the entry which the installer is checking prior to try to install GAT.

If you got any other message, please don't touch the registry and post exactly which message that you're getting.

hth
jose.

---

Jose Escrich - weblogs.asp.net/jescrich

So due to other circumstances I completely uninstalled VS 2008 and reinstalled from scratch. Then I installed the SDKs and stuff. Then the GAX. The very last step I'm supposed to do is install the GAT. This went fine until a malware-blocker I had not turned off stepped in, declared the installer to be malware, and stopped the install. I shut the malware-blocker down, clicked on the installer, and it undid what it had done (the little progress bar turned into a regress bar and time went backwards). Except that now when I try to install, I am again getting the message saying that the GAT is already installed, but it's not, so I can't uninstall it.

It so happens that I had verbose logging turned on. Below is the relevant section of the log for the GAT install attempt that claims that the GAT is already installed. My attention is focused on these lines from the longer log:

AppSearch: Property: GATINSTALLED, Signature: __FBB719E26133480A827DE42745EF0EE4
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:311]: Note: 1: 2262 2: Signature 3: -2147287038
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:311]: Note: 1: 2262 2: CompLocator 3: -2147287038
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:311]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding GATINSTALLED property. Its value is 'MetaGuidancePackage'.
Action ended 15:45:30: AppSearch. Return value 1.

which seems to indicate a search to see if GATINSTALLED and a result indicating that it is. But I am speculating.

The other interesting part of the log is this:

DEBUG: Error 2835: The control ErrorIcon was not found on dialog ErrorDialog
The installer has encountered an unexpected error installing this package. This may indicate a problem with this package. The error code is 2835. The arguments are: ErrorIcon, ErrorDialog,

Anyhow, here is the larger section of the log in which those lines are found:

---------------

MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:295]: Doing action: AppSearch
Action 15:45:30: AppSearch. Searching for installed applications
Action start 15:45:30: AppSearch.
AppSearch: Property: RUNTIME, Signature: __70C36B4968314833B6773F487C9FC178
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:295]: Note: 1: 2262 2: Signature 3: -2147287038
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:295]: Note: 1: 2262 2: CompLocator 3: -2147287038
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:295]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding RUNTIME property. Its value is '9.0'.
AppSearch: Property: CSHARP, Signature: __374108BA5C0A4C6BB37567CF7B66D217
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:311]: Note: 1: 2262 2: Signature 3: -2147287038
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:311]: Note: 1: 2262 2: CompLocator 3: -2147287038
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:311]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding CSHARP property. Its value is '{FAE04EC1-301F-11D3-BF4B-00C04F79EFBC}'.
AppSearch: Property: VS, Signature: __298E8FEE8BA54E79978B799B4DF17BB8
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:311]: Note: 1: 2262 2: Signature 3: -2147287038
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:311]: Note: 1: 2262 2: CompLocator 3: -2147287038
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:311]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding VS property. Its value is 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\'.
AppSearch: Property: GATINSTALLED, Signature: __FBB719E26133480A827DE42745EF0EE4
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:311]: Note: 1: 2262 2: Signature 3: -2147287038
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:311]: Note: 1: 2262 2: CompLocator 3: -2147287038
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:311]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding GATINSTALLED property. Its value is 'MetaGuidancePackage'.
Action ended 15:45:30: AppSearch. Return value 1.
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:326]: Doing action: VSDCA_VsdLaunchConditions
Action 15:45:30: VSDCA_VsdLaunchConditions.
Action start 15:45:30: VSDCA_VsdLaunchConditions.
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:389]: Creating MSIHANDLE (7) of type 790542 for thread 7240
MSI (c) (34:C4) [15:45:30:389]: Invoking remote custom action. DLL: C:\DOCUME~1\Clark\LOCALS~1\Temp\MSIDDC.tmp, Entrypoint: VsdLaunchConditions
MSI (c) (34!C8) [15:45:30:576]: Creating MSIHANDLE (8) of type 790541 for thread 7624
MSI (c) (34!C8) [15:45:30:576]: Creating MSIHANDLE (9) of type 790540 for thread 7624
MSI (c) (34!C8) [15:45:30:592]: Creating MSIHANDLE (10) of type 790531 for thread 7624
MSI (c) (34!C8) [15:45:30:592]: Closing MSIHANDLE (10) of type 790531 for thread 7624
MSI (c) (34!C8) [15:45:30:592]: Creating MSIHANDLE (11) of type 790531 for thread 7624
MSI (c) (34!C8) [15:45:30:592]: Closing MSIHANDLE (11) of type 790531 for thread 7624
MSI (c) (34!C8) [15:45:30:592]: Closing MSIHANDLE (9) of type 790540 for thread 7624
MSI (c) (34!C8) [15:45:30:592]: Closing MSIHANDLE (8) of type 790541 for thread 7624
MSI (c) (34:C4) [15:45:30:608]: Closing MSIHANDLE (7) of type 790542 for thread 7240
Action ended 15:45:30: VSDCA_VsdLaunchConditions. Return value 1.
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:30:608]: Doing action: LaunchConditions
Action 15:45:30: LaunchConditions. Evaluating launch conditions
Action start 15:45:30: LaunchConditions.
MSI (c) (34:3C) [15:45:30:623]: Note: 1: 2262 2: Error 3: -2147287038
Info 2898. VSI_MS_Sans_Serif13.0_0_0, MS Sans Serif, 0
MSI (c) (34:3C) [15:45:30:623]: Note: 1: 2262 2: Error 3: -2147287038
DEBUG: Error 2835: The control ErrorIcon was not found on dialog ErrorDialog
The installer has encountered an unexpected error installing this package. This may indicate a problem with this package. The error code is 2835. The arguments are: ErrorIcon, ErrorDialog,
A previous version of Guidance Automation Toolkit is already installed and must be removed prior to installing this version.
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:33:780]: Note: 1: 2262 2: Error 3: -2147287038
MSI (c) (34:48) [15:45:33:780]: Product: Guidance Automation Toolkit for Visual Studio 2008 -- A previous version of Guidance Automation Toolkit is already installed and must be removed prior to installing this version.

There are two places in my registry that "MetaGuidancePackage" now appears:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0\Packages\{23fc29c9-fafe-47f1-b633-b548e788dddf}
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0\Packages\{77d93a80-73fc-40f8-87db-acd3482964b2}\Templates\{23fc29c9-fafe-47f1-b633-b548e788dddf}

Can you check your Vista "C:\Users\All Users\Microsoft\Recipe Framework" folder (or XP equivalent one) and see if there is a GAX manifest file? This file contains a list of all registered guidance packages per machine and there is a file per VS version and registry hive used. Can you look into these files and see if there is an entry for "MetaGuidancePackage" (GAT) in there?

I'm trying to determine in which state your GAT installation was left after the malware blocker jumped in.

thanks,
-vga.

---

Edit your T4 templates with full IntelliSense support!! http://www.t4editor.net

In this directory:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Recipe Framework

I have only two files:

C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Recipe Framework\RecipeFramework9.0.xml
C:\Documents and Settings\All Users\Application Data\Microsoft\Recipe Framework\RecipeFramework8.0.xml

The 9.0 file contains (entire contents):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RecipeFramework SchemaVersion="1.0" TraceLevel="Error" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/pag/gax-manifest">
<Hosts>
<Host Name="VisualStudio" InstallerType="Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.VisualStudio.RecipeFrameworkInstaller, Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.VisualStudio" />
</Hosts>
<GuidancePackages>
</GuidancePackages>
</RecipeFramework>

[no line wrapping in original]

The 8.0 file contains (entire contents):

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<RecipeFramework SchemaVersion="1.0" TraceLevel="Error" xmlns="http://schemas.microsoft.com/pag/gax-manifest">
<Hosts>
<Host Name="VisualStudio" InstallerType="Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.VisualStudio.RecipeFrameworkInstaller, Microsoft.Practices.RecipeFramework.VisualStudio" />
</Hosts>
<GuidancePackages>
</GuidancePackages>
</RecipeFramework>

[no line wrapping in original]

P.S. I should have the verbose log from the aborted install, if that would be useful.

This looks like your installation of GAT got interrupted by the malware blocker and got corrupted as there are no entries for GAT in the main manifest file.

You can try registering the GAT package from the command line as a quick workaround for which you will need to have the GAT files installed, please check if they're on your machine, they should be at a foldersomething like[ProgramFiles]\MicrosoftGuidance Automation Toolkit. There should be two .xml files in there with the package definition. Let me know if they're there so I can tell you how to go with the registration from command line.

---

Edit your T4 templates with full IntelliSense support!! http://www.t4editor.net

In a folder with a name like that I find one folder, "Templates", containing two folders,

C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Guidance Automation Toolkit for Visual Studio 2008\Templates\Items.Cache
C:\Program Files\Microsoft\Guidance Automation Toolkit for Visual Studio 2008\Templates\Projects.Cache

which in turn each contain non-XML files like

...\Items.Cache\23fc29c9-fafe-47f1-b633-b548e788dddfx0001.vsz
...\Items.Cache\23fc29c9-fafe-47f1-b633-b548e788dddfx0001.vsdir

Extensions include ico, vsz, vsdir. Looks like four GUIDs total (one in Items and three in Project).

Colleagues of mine in the office here have successfully installed the GAT so it is quite feasible for me to get a copy of the post-install folder from one of them.

There are some missing files, you should have two .xml files there. Can you run Repair on the GAT installer and see if that brings the missing files back?

---

Edit your T4 templates with full IntelliSense support!! http://www.t4editor.net

When I run the GAT installer I get "preparing to install" and then immediately the message about an earlier version is installed, uninstall that before running this. If I click on that screen then I get a screen that says the install was incomplete, and I can click on "close." There is no repair opportunity.

Hi Clark,

If you're getting the following message "A previous version of Guidance Automation Toolkit is already installed and must be removed prior to installing this version.".A quick workaround for your issue is the following:

Try to locate the following registry entry
SOFTWARE\Microsoft\VisualStudio\9.0\Packages\{23FC29C9-FAFE-47f1-B633-B548E788DDDF} then delete the entry "{23FC29C9-FAFE-47f1-B633-B548E788DDDF}" completly.

That's the entry which the installer is checking prior to try to install GAT.

If you got any other message, please don't touch the registry and post exactly which message that you're getting.

hth
jose.

---

Jose Escrich - weblogs.asp.net/jescrich

I deleted that one entry (and left other occurrences of that string alone), stopped my anti-malware software, and the GAT install ran to a successful conclusion.

I have not verified the functionality, but the installer ran to a successful conclusion.

Thanks much to all who posted.