Windows Live Writer, Error during Install?

Jalaj — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 00:27:24 +0000

I had been trying to install Windows Live Writer for over a month getting several errors and other hindrances and at last now I am privileged to write this first post through Windows Live Writer. Are you among those who are not using Windows Live Writer because you failed to install it? then read ahead as this post might contain solution to your problem.

First I downloaded the installer from get.live.com/writer/. I was initially in an impression that it was WLW installer but it turned up later that the installer is a minimal software titled "Windows Live Installer" and it requires Internet Connection while installation to install WLW and/or other requisite softwares. Now when I tried to install it faced the very first problem... Windows Live Writer requires at least Windows XP SP2 and my XP version dates earlier to release of SP2.

No problem! I decided to download SP2 and thus started my biggest download ever sizing 278,927,592 bytes over a GPRS connection that allows download speed of 2KB-13KB per second. Downloading spanned several days and at last I had the complete SP2 file that I installed only to find that Resolution/adapter settings changed to distort the display. Anyhow I finished with it with proper display only to find another error.

Next, when I tried running the installer, I was greeted with an error message that I require to get Windows Update Agent 5.8.02469 installed. Google search for it unfortunately did not showed Microsoft download site on first page. Solution to this error is posted seperately here. When done the next error message conveyed me that I needed to get Windows Installer 3.1 which did went smoothly as Google SERPs pointed to proper MS page.

Having done all this the installer started up fine. It first requires you to select services/software that you want to install and when done that it checks the system for previous installations, taking time long enough to frustrate you. After it completes the check it starts downloading the Windows Live Writer having approximate size of 5MB. 1% downloaded... 2...90 wow I am nearing finish ... 99 ..99... 99 the installer stuck at 99 for infinitely long time showing no errors etc... At last taking the tough decision I cancelled the installation to start all over again... no luck this time too it did not move ahead of 99%. Now I myself don't believe this but I repeated the process for another 2-3 times and lastly decided that the grapes are sour and that I better get grapes from other locations. I took my last chance to find a direct installer for WLW and luckily got the URL but that turned up to be Windows Live Writer Beta (there was a Beta 2 also, before final release).. that's fine as better content with something than having nothing.

On running the installer I was greeted with message that the installer requires .net framework installed... that was enough... XP does have .net framework installed... did installer meant .net v2 or above and was it the same reason that resulted in WLW Installation using Windows Live Installer getting stuck at 99%... I had enough of last chances but decided to take another and downloaded .net 2.0 redistributable with SP1 (24 MB), installed it and tried installing WLW beta that finished successfully.

After a second of relief I uninstalled the WLW beta to start again with Windows Live installer to install full version and YES this time it crossed 99% to start actual installation and here I am using it for this post and hopefully for more ahead.

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Jalaj P. Jha » .net 2.0

Windows Live Writer, Error during Install?