Guy's Ezine 169 .NET Framework Cleanup Tool by Aaron Stebner

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Cleanup Tool for .NET Framework from Aaron Stebner

Despite being an aficionado of PowerShell, I have never developed a 'feel' for .Net Framework. I simply accept that these building blocks are always there waiting to respond to my scripts. All I have to do is install the latest version of .Net Framework. However, the normally trivial task of installing can be a nightmare if you need to uninstall a previous version of .Net. The problem gets really tricky if you have applied an operating service pack or two in the meantime.

Uninstalling .Net Framework is one of those problems that you never really believe exists until it happens to you. Fortunately, Paul DeBrino who is a regular contributor to this ezine, has researched the definitive tool to remove any version of .Net Framework - Aaron Stebner's .NET Framework Cleanup Tool.

I love the whole philosophy behind this tool, which is to get your machine in state where you can install a new version of .Net Framework. Understanding this means you are prepared to take the risk that it will remove shared registry settings, or even files that are used by other programs. For this reason, you should try a plain normal installation of the current version of .Net Framework first. Furthermore, given this warning, even gung-ho Guy would backup the machine before proceeding with Stebner's cleanup tool. That said, once you install the latest version those updated files and registry settings should enable programs relying on .Net Framework to function correctly.

Another mystery - at least to me - is that certain combinations of programs require you to install multiple versions of .Net Framework. Moreover this state of affairs is supported by Microsoft. As I hinted earlier, I regard .Net as a wonderful servant, but it does seem strange that the design team were allowed to get away with this multiple install ability, given the problem that uninstalling causes.

Reader's Comment

I just wanted to let you know of possible problems with the dot net cleanup tool.

I ran into a problem on one of my customers' laptop. They had gotten a couple of viruses on their system and asked me to remove them. I cleaned them all up and had a problem that the dot net 3.1 patch kept on asking to be installed and would fail. I tried to uninstall the dot net and couldn't, so I tried the cleanup tool that you talked about. To my delight it worked! Thanks again for the info...

Well, at least until I tried to run windows update on the system again to see if any thing else needed to be updated. No luck there! Now the system was giving a denied access error during the update check. I finally had to go through and do a update of ACL lists to fix the problem. At least before the cleanup the windows update would run and tell me that the patches were there. Go figure! Maybe the cleanup tool is doing something to the ACL's and maybe there is a fix to stop it.

Footnote:
Guy wonders if re-installing the latest .NET Framework would have cured this problem.

Yes, I did, but I still had to fix the ACL's. My email was just a little warning that problems could happen.

Orion NPM (Network Performance Monitor) 9.5

What I like about SolarWinds is their mantra of 'built by network engineers for network engineers'. If you get a chance look around their site and seek out the head geek videos. Josh Stephens is that rare geek, someone with network skills, who can also explain lucidly on camera what is going and how to configure the settings. Now I must confess to an impure thought, Josh is so slick on the videos that I wondered if he was in fact an actor, but no, Josh is the real deal, a techie who talks the talk AND walks the walk.

As my website indicates, over the years I have dabbled with tweaking computer performance. However, I regard Orion Network Performance Monitor (NPM) as the 'big tackle'. Big in the sense that has the power to zoom into network trouble spots, and big in the comprehensive range of checks that it manages. If you are reviewing performance monitors, then take advantage of Solarwinds offer to download a free trial of Orion NPM 9.5.

Network Utilities from Tools4Ever

Tools4Ever provide not one but a host of handy network utilities. They have a professional stable of products for example, SpaceGuard Disk quota manager, Self Service Password Reset, and my favourite FreePing. Tools4Ever use the popular internet utility model where we download a trial version, and if we like it, we return and buy the full version.

WSUS EasyReporter 3.0

I say again, Paul DeBrino is a stalwart at researching nifty utilities, here is a recent letter that he wrote to me.

Whilst working on an interesting WSUS project, it was discovered that the WSUS 3.0 built-in reports do not disclose when a specific patch was installed. Instead, they focus more on what is needed / outstanding.

This provoked me to research an alternative reporting system for WSUS. I am in the process of installing and testing, according to the demands of a current project. Therefore, my feedback is somewhat limited at this time, despite the promising screenshots offered on the product's site.

Features

Requirements

Will and Guy's Humour

If you have trouble in understanding some of my ramblings, you may find it illuminating to view some of these English eccentricities that Will and I have collected.

Guy's Ezine 169 .NET Framework Cleanup Tool