Enable .Net 3.5 SP1 offline on Windows 8

[powerinstall]

Hello,

We would like to enable .net 3.5 SP1 offline on Windows 8, without connexion to Internet.
InstallShield provided a patch to do it, but you need Internet connexion.
http://kb.flexerasoftware.com/selfservice/microsites/search.do?cmd=displayKC&docType=kc&externalId=Q210041&sliceId=

Is there is way to do it without internet connexion ?

Microsoft provides the following tool to do it offline :

dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFX3 /Source:d:\sources\sxs /LimitAccess

d: is the location where you have the installation sources of Windows 8.
Is there a way to do the same with installshield ?
You may replace d:\sources\sxs by c:\windows\WinSxS, so this will not need the installation CD of Windows 8


Now, we are using InstallShield 2008, version 14. But we can upgrade to a newer version if we could activate .Net 3.5 SP 1 offline.

Thanks

[Christopher_Pai]

How would this not need the installation media? If the bits were cached like in Windows 7 you wouldn't have this problem in the first place.

There are various ways in MSI to call the dism command. That said a simpler solution is to compile your code for .NET 3.5 but manifest it to support newer runtimes. That way you're app will run whether 3.5, 4.0 or 4.5 is installed.

[sryan1977]

I have Installshield 2012 Spring and am also looking for an "offline" solution for this problem. has one been provided yet?

[Christopher_Pai]

Read:

http://www.techiebin.com/install-dot-net-framework-3-5-offline-in-windows-8/

Now the problem is, how can you be sure the user has the CD? My suggestion is to document this procedure for the end user and merely check that .NET 3.5 SP1 is installed. There really isn't anything better you can do other then eliminate the dependency on .NET 2.0-3.5SP1.

[sryan1977]

Christopher Painter wrote:
Read:

http://www.techiebin.com/install-dot-net-framework-3-5-offline-in-windows-8/

Now the problem is, how can you be sure the user has the CD? My suggestion is to document this procedure for the end user and merely check that .NET 3.5 SP1 is installed. There really isn't anything better you can do other then eliminate the dependency on .NET 2.0-3.5SP1.

Unfortuantely the dependency doesn't belong to our software (our software uses 4.5 framework). The problem is from installing SQL Server Express 2012.

[Christopher_Pai]

This is a deep question that I challenge you to consider.

What do you really need for a database engine? Is this a server application or a client application?

Do you need a "real" database? If so, why not have a DBA install it? Why try to hide behind "Express" and make it look like a simple install?

Have you considered SQL-CE or LocalDB? There is nothing "Express" about the installation of SQL Server Expess edition.


If it was me... if this is really a client with a local data store, I'd scale that back to SQL-CE or LocalDB. If it's really a server I'd either a) see if SQL-CE or LocalDB will meet your needs or b) document the data-tier requirements and allow a DBA to install this. In that case the installer would merely use the SqlLogin / Connection / Scripts features of InstallShield to validate this connection and run the needed scripts to set everything up.

In my experience, trying to encapsulate the installation of .NET 3.5 and SQL CE will only have a 90% success rate.