.NET Framework 3.5 error 0x80071A90 during installaton

You’ve probably come here because you were trying to install Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 on Windows 8.1 and it kept on failing with this silly error, right?

There are some resources on this one online from uninstalling certain updates that aren’t actual anymore to other hacks, but the one that worked for me and is worth giving it a try is just temporarily pausing the antivirus, installing the .NET Framework and resuming it again. In my case it was avast! Antivirus Free, but considering the number of these errors found online, it probably isn’t limited to avast! only.

Because you are disabling antivirus, make sure you only use .NET Framework installer from a trusted source that is digitally signed by Microsoft Corporation. Like the one on link below (goes to official Microsoft webpage).

DOWNLOAD:
.NET Framework 3.5 installer from Microsoft webpage

Catalyst Control Center not starting

Have you just installed AMD Catalyst Control Center and when you want to open it, mouse changes to “in progress” indicator and then nothing happens? If you check the Event Viewer, KERNELBASE.DLL and CLI.exe errors for AMD stuff, it’s not .NET Framework issue at all. I thought this first as well, but after checking if I have latest version and verifying system integrity (I just made a WIn8.1 system Refresh to clean it up) with sfc /scannow and all was well. Catalyst drivers out of the blue on a perfectly clean system decided to go haywire. Tried reinstalling them several times, deleting them by hand in Device Manager, nothing.

Solution? Only way to do it was to use AMD Driver Cleaner located here:

http://support.amd.com/en-us/kb-articles/Pages/AMD-Clean-Uninstall-Utility.aspx

Uninstalled the drivers with the above tool, re-downloaded latest WHQL drivers and after that, Catalyst Control Center was working fine again. Just another day in systems hell…

Skype crashing on Windows 8.1

I was just fixing a laptop with Windows 8.1 where Skype refused to run entirely (after an update from 8 to 8.1, even after Skype re-install). I could install Skype just fine, but when I tried to run it, nothing happened. After checking Event Viewer logs, I found that it’s related to msvc.dll component. MSVC means Microsoft Visual C++, so I’ve installed bunch of runtime packages from version 2005 up till 2013 and nothing got resolved. I was like WTF, when I got an idea. What if it’s somehow related to .NET Framework 3.5 that doesn’t come with Windows 8.1, but you have to install it separately.

Tried installing .NET Framework 3.5 which simply didn’t launch at all. Ok, what the hell. To solve this, you have to go to:

Programs and Features -> Turn Windows features on or off

And uncheck (that’s right, remove the checkmark or square) in front of “.NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0)”, Apply and reboot the system.

After system boots up again, go to:

http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/download/details.aspx?id=25150

…and download the package. Install the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 redistributable package and try running Skype again. It should work now.

Another moronic issue resolved. Damn.

AMD Catalyst Beta without .NET 4.5 framework…

If you are the sort of person who doesn’t mind installing beta graphic drivers just so you can gain that extra 1% of performance, you have probably noticed that all the AMD Catalyst Beta drivers force install .NET 4.5 framework because someone at AMD didn’t do his job properly. My system has .NET 4.5 Framework properly installed, yet AMD Catalyst installer says “Current version not installed” and installs it over again. What this does is that it borks up your existing installation, so Windows Update will have to re-download all the security updates again which take ages to complete even on my main system which is no snail. It’s stupid and the one responsible for this moronic issue should be smacked in the face.

How to get around this problem?

Download the installer and run it as usual. Click Install and wait for the package to extract its files. When AMD Catalyst Install Manager appears, click Cancel and exit it. Now go to where the package extracted its files (for example: “C:\AMD\AMD_Catalyst_13.8_Beta2”).

Now open the folder where files were extracted and look for a folder “DotNet45” inside “C:\AMD\AMD_Catalyst_13.8_Beta2\Packages\Apps”. Delete the entire “DotNet45” folder. Now go back to main folder and run setup.exe again. This time, AMD Catalyst Install manager won’t even list .NET 4.5 Framework anymore.

This of course doesn’t mean you can use it without the framework, you still need to install it (once), but not every single freaking time you install new BETA drivers.