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VC++ Novice: Obtaining VC++ 2005 Express Edition

Although Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition is now available, it's also possible to download and install Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition.  With care, you can use these two editions side-by-side.  If you are starting with the 2008 edition, it is probably unnecessary to have the 2005 Edition though. 

If you've been using VC++ 2005 Express Edition, you may want to make a collection of the complete software for archival purposes and in case you ever need to use it to work with a VC++ 2005 project in the future.  This post recommends how to do that.

see also:
    2007-11-25 Toolcraft: Making Discs from CD/DVD Image Downloads
    2007-11-19 VC++ Novice: Visual Studio 2008 Express Edition Arrives
    2007-06-10 VC++ Novice: What's the Visual C++ Express Edition?

Obtaining All of the Components

The Visual Studio 2008 Express Developers Center is a major redesign of the site for Express Editions.  From the home page, select the Previous Version option.  This will take you to the source of Visual Studio 2005 Express Editions:

This is the key page for access to all of the materials that you will need to preserve the complete Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition software:

1. The original VC++ 2005 Express Edition software on CD-ROM
     
2. The VC++ 2005 Express Edition SP1 update (a download)
      
3. The VC++ 2005 Express Edition SP1 supplement for Windows Vista (an additional download)
     
4. The Microsoft Platform SDK for Windows Server 2003 R2 on CD-ROM

Finding the VC++ 2005 Express CD-ROM Download

You will want all four of the components that make up the complete working VC++ 2005 Express Edition setup.  Later you can download other SDKs and software that works with these essential components for development Windows applications with VC++ 2005 Express.

The ISO image of the CD-ROM is more difficult to locate than the VS 2008 Express DVD.  I will start with that, because the CD-ROM is the easiest and most-reliable way to install VC++ 2005 EE now and at any time in the future, on the same machine or on another one. 

On the VS 2005 Express overview page, select the FAQ:

The Installation question provides the advice we are interested in:

The Manual Installation Instructions provide links to the ISO images for downloading:

You can download either the .IMG File or the .ISO File.  There is no difference (they are identical except for the name).  I recommend the .ISO image simply because available CD-ROM creation software tends to recognize that file extension automatically.  Also, notice that the size of the file is stated in two different ways.  Don't worry about it.  This is the same download that has been available since November 2005.  Internet Explorer will say the file is 462MB and it will show up in Windows Explorer as 473,720 KB, but the File Properties will confirm that it is 462 MB (485,089,280 bytes).  [Since the file size is misstated on the download page, it would seem that the CRC Number is likely to be incorrect as well, making the information very unhelpful to the target audience for this software.]

There are additional instructions on that page for different ways to use the ISO image. 

Obtaining the Additional Material

After a successful download of the ISO image, download the additional material.

Return to the Visual Studio 2005 Express Edition Overview Page.  Select the Download item on the menu.

Go to Step 2 on the Download page.  Review the SP1 Release Notes.  Download the Visual C++ 2005 Express SP1 file.  Save that for use after any fresh installation of the Express Edition.

Also download the Visual Studio 2005 SP1 Update for Windows Vista.  This is a supplement to SP1 that is to be installed after SP1 on Windows Vista systems.  Even if you don't have Windows Vista now, save this update in case you will want to install VC++ 2005 Express on Vista in the future.

Obtaining the Platform SDK for Developing Windows GUI Applications

The Platform SDK and other SDKs available for Windows are not needed to have a functioning Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition.  It is useful to download the ISO CD-ROM image of the Platform SDK now, creating the CD-ROM, and then using it later whenever it is needed.  You can do this for other SDKs that interest you as well.

After downloading the Visual Studio 2005 SP1 and its Vista update, select the link for the Platform SDK Instructions.  Remember where you found these.  These instructions must be followed very carefully after you have a confirmed installation of VC++ 2005 Express Edition without the SDK.  We'll go into that in a separate post.

For now, we just want the correct Platform SDK for download and burning to a CD-ROM.  On the Instructions page, follow Platform SDK link in Step 2.  This takes you to the web-install page, "Microsoft Windows Server 2003 R2 Platform SDK Web Install."  Do not do the Web install.  As always, we want to obtain a CD-ROM image that we can burn and preserve.

Scroll to the bottom of the web-install page to the Related Resources section.  Click the Windows Server 2003 R2 Platform SDK ISO Download link.  This is the file that you want.  It is a 410MB download of an .ISO image file.  This is what you need for a PSDK that goes with the VC++ 2005 Express Edition.

Don't Worry About the PSDK Name.  If you look at the System Requirements section of the download page, you'll see that this PSDK is suitable for developing Windows applications for all versions of Windows back to Windows XP.  (It works for earlier versions of Windows also, although those are no longer considered "supported.").  Important: Don't download anything else that seems to be a Platform SDK. And don't attempt to install the PSDK files anywhere but where the CD-ROM installs them.  Any other actions will create a mess that is almost impossible to clean up without having to delete everything and start over.  There will be more guidance on avoiding that and other pitfalls.  For now, just know that this is the appropriate PSDK and we'll identify any additional versions only when it is appropriate.

There's far more toolcraft and experience to be gained with these packages and additional SDKs, utilities, examples, and libraries from Microsoft and from other sources.  For now, download all of it, make a CD-ROM for VC++ 2005 Express and for the Platform SDK.  Then you're ready to attempt installation in gradual steps.

---

[update 2005-11-26: I added a link to a tutorial on making CD/DVD discs from the downloaded .iso image files.]

¶ posted by orcmid at 11/23/2007 02:14:00 PM

from:

 

VC++ Novice: Visual Studio 2008 Express Edition Arrives

see also:
     2007-11-26 Toolcraft: Making Discs from CD/DVD Image Downloads
     2007-08-24 VC++ Novice: What About VC++ 2008 (Orcas) Express Editions?
     2007-06-10 VC++ Novice: What's the Visual C++ Express Edition?

It's here!

The Visual Studio 2008 Express Edition release is now available for download.   The developer center for Express Editions has been revamped with fancy visuals and re-organized access to materials.

For users of Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition, the key first features are that

• Your Visual Studio 2008 Express Editions can be installed alongside Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition (and other Visual Studio 2005 Express packages) without interference with each other.  (There may be some changes with regard to which IDE opens when you double-click a program file or a solution.  And VS 2008 will upgrade 2005 projects.  We'll explore how to control all that later.)
    
• The complete set of VS 2008 Express Edition packages is available as a single DVD-image download.  It takes a DVD because it is slightly more than what fits on a single CD-ROM.  The disk image is 894MB.
    
• There are differences in packaging and supplemental materials between VC++ 2005 Express and VC++ 2008 Express.  There are also differences with regard to .NET dependencies and the .NET libraries that you can take advantage of (if using the C++/CLI dialect in a project).

First Things First

I strongly recommend that you download the DVD image and arrange to record it for preservation purposes.  This provides a medium from which you can reinstall the package as often as you want.  It is an important backup if for any reason that you need to revert back to this software at some future time, if you need to install on a new computer, and so on.

Step #1: Go to the fancy new Download Page, using the menu bar at the top of the development-center page (above):

While you are here, notice that

• The top of the page offers web installs of the individual VS 2008 Express Edition components.  I do not recommend this approach.  It's here as a convenience.  I prefer having recorded media that I can use whether or not I have a connection, whether or not the download is still available.
    
• Notice that there is an MSDN Express edition that is now downloadable separately.  This is part of the packaging differences.  Remember that you saw that here.
     
• There is a menu item for Offline Install.  I want you to want that.

The DVD Image Download

If you scroll down the main download page (above), you'll see that there is a DVD download option below the different web install invitations:

This is how I selected my DVD download.   If you click the Offline Install link at the top of the download page, there is a more-detailed page with more information about burning DVDs and other options:

Either way, the first step is to perform the download.  You should perform a standard download to a handy place on your PC:

My first download stalled at 33% and would go no farther.  I cancelled that download and started another.  That time, the full 894MB landed safely on my computer. 

The next action is making a DVD from the image file.  I won't attempt anything else until I have the DVD and can explore it as part of choosing how I want to do the installation, and on what machine.

Meanwhile, if you have been using Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition, or because you simply want to have it, now is a good time to download its Offline Install CD-ROM image.  At some point, the VS 2005 Express Edition material may become more difficult to locate.  Obtain the CD-ROM and use it to back yourself up.

Additional Information

• There is a FAQ page for the VS 2008 Express Editions.  Please note the intended audience and the limitations of the Express Editions in contrast with the commercial VS 2008 Standard Edition and higher offerings.
    
• Good News: The PSDK is no longer a separate install.  There is an integrated version of the Platform SDK as part of the Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition.  More details as further exploration is conducted.
    
• The Forums for the Express Editions have been consolidated for support of VS 2005 and VS 2008 Express Editions release versions.  When asking questions on the VC++ Express Edition forum, please be careful to specify whether it applies to the VC++ 2005 or VC++ 2008 Express Edition.

---

[update 2005-11-26: I added a link to a tutorial on making CD/DVD discs from the downloaded .iso image files.
 update 2007-11-20T06:51Z: I corrected a wording and added more about 2008 upgrading 2005 projects and needing to learn how to prevent that.  There are some image links that were to the wrong pages, too.]

¶ posted by orcmid at 11/19/2007 02:34:00 PM

from: