I've been trying to install new .NET framework 3.x for the last month. My system is XP-Pro fully patched through SP3, quad core, 4 gbyte memory, lots of disk space.

I've also tried the instructions that said to uninstall all versions of .net and start over. Done that via the uninstaller download tool.

I've got v1, v1.1 v2.0 framework etc all installed and patched just fine. System is very stable.

I gave up with downloading via the update site and downloaded the v3 redistributable package.

Symptoms are **always** the same. Never change. I start the installer, it unpacks the files, enters setup, displays the EULA screen thenlooks to hang at about 30-40% through. Fatal system hang, to get back into XP I need to boot into safe mode and do a system restore. Every time. There don't appear to be any errors in the log files in my temp directorys.

However the last entry in one of the logs mentions that its messing with the fonts. After the crash and restore, just opening the font directory produces a fatal error, either via explorer or by the control panel.

I found that deleting the fonts that started with global* via a cmd prompt window cleared that problem.

I've been chasing blogs, tech notes, MSDN articles etc for the last month. I'm pretty much at my wits end.

Anyone out there have any advice, I'd sure appreciate it.

Thanks


More info from mylatest go round:

Iloaded the last of the v2 sp 2 items and that went fine. Then I downloaded the entire v3.51 sp as per the website recommendations.

Same problem....

Here's an excerpt from the end of the file named "dd_NET_Framework30_Setup12CD"

The ServiceModelReg tool has completed successfully.
05/04/09 23:05:36 DDSet_Status: Process returned 0
05/04/09 23:05:36 DDSet_CARetVal: 0
MSI (s) (40:60) [23:05:36:328]: Executing op: ActionStart(Name=RegisterFonts,Description=Registe ring fonts,Template=Font: [1])
05/04/09 23:05:36 DDSet_Exit: RunProcess ended
MSI (s) (40:60) [23:05:36:328]: Executing op: ProgressTotal(Total=4,Type=1,ByteEquivalent=180000 0)
MSI (s) (40:60) [23:05:36:328]: Executing op: SetTargetFolder(Folder=C:\WINDOWS\Fonts\)
MSI (s) (40:60) [23:05:36:328]: Executing op: FontRegister(Title=Global Monospace,File=GlobalMonospace.CompositeFont)

This is the normal failure point. I had to execute a system restore to get back to where I was prior to the v3.51 stuff, as usual.

I'm going to post this before I look in the font directory because I imagine as soon as I do the system will hang until I restart and delete Global series of fonts. Again.

Should I just reformat the drive and reinstall?