T42 w/fresh Win XP SP2; which Microsoft .NET version needed?

[Johan]

Background:

I am in the midst of setting up completely from scratch – using the IBM R&R CD-media - a T42 (a 2373-N1U with 1 GB RAM and a 60 GB/7200 rpm HDD). Although the ThinkVantage System Update 3.14 has received a good deal of criticism I intend to try and see if it will be able to (successfully!) update all the misc. drivers etc. without all the hassle of doing it manually. However, System Update require Microsoft .NET Framework version 2.0 or later. Also the program Notebook Hardware Control (which is a must have for me!) require .NET ver. 2.

The .NET ver. 2 dates back to Jan. 2006, but only takes up 22 MB (the download). Subsequent downloads are however available, such as .NET Framework 3.5 where the installer is only some 2.7 MB, but once run which will download the ”program” itself which is 70 MB (!!).

Question:

What I don’t know – and hope someone here can help me with information about! – is: What version of .NET should I install?? I would ”guess” that the latest versions (3.5 w/SP1) is the biggest, slowest etc…but I really have nothing solid to base this ”belief” on… so, please – what is the recommendation? To begin with, I intend to stay with Win XP Pro SP2 (I don’t dare to install SP3, as it seems to have caused too many people too many troubles with lost network connections etc.).

This T42 will be used by my Mother who will mostly use if for writing, surfing, e-mailing… and not likely for any very demanding applications.

PS: I just did a trial-download/-installation of .NET ver. 3.5, and now I have the following .NET programs/versions in my ”Add or Remove Programs” list:

Code: Select all

Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 39.48 MB
Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1 Danish Language Pack 3.67 MB
Microsoft .NET Framework 2 Service Pack 1 186 MB
Microsoft .NET Framework 2 Service Pack 1 Danish Language Pack 5.87 MB
Microsoft .NET Framework 3 Service Pack 1 169 MB
Microsoft .NET Framework 3 Service Pack 1 Danish Language Pack 3.02 MB
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 Danish Language Pack 33.88 MB
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 33.88 MB
Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Redistributable 5.21 MB

… that’s more than 480 MB in total (!!!) – so because of this huge load of... Microsoft-whatever... I can't help to ask myself: Do I really need all this stuff???

PS2: The only relevant thread about this issue I have been able to find on the forum is Microsoft.NET 2.0 framework but it doesn’t quite answer my question…

PS3: After first having "trial-installed" .NET ver. 3.5, and then installed the ThinkVantage System Update ver. 3.14 (as linked to above), System Update report (after completing 30 % of something?) that "The Package Index Server is not available at the moment - try again later". Is this a Lenovo-problem, or is something wrong in my end??

So – any suggestions about which version of .NET would be sufficient for my rather modest applications? Thanks very much in advance for any advice!

Johan

[NorrisCell]

The answer to that question lies in which programs will be run. I have 3.0 installed, only because some of my essential programs require it. I won't upgrade to 3.5 until I'm forced to, as the updates keep getting bigger. If she's not adding anything beyond the basic word processing and internet programs, she would probably be fine with 2.0 honestly.

[goofyGAguy]

System Update report (after completing 30 % of something?) that "The Package Index Server is not available at the moment - try again later". Is this a Lenovo-problem, or is something wrong in my end??

I've been getting this message for three days now.

[Puppy]

.NET 3.5 SP1 is the recent version. The Framework itself has about 50 MB. You don't need language files. I'd remove all of them and install the latest one only.

[RealBlackStuff]

For System Update you only need .Net Framework 2.0/SP1.
The download is: NetFx20SP1_x86.exe which is about 23.3MB
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/deta ... laylang=en

[jdhurst]

.NET Framework was NOT one of Microsoft's finer moments. Some things need V1, some need V2 and some need V3. I have all three installed because of that and for that reason, .NET Framework stikes me as botched from the point of view of upgrade paths. And then, I agree with the sentiment raised here that I will wait until Windows Update tells me V3.5 is on the critical or recommended list. It might be already but wasn't the last time I looked. ... JDH

[ashleys]

I've been getting this message for three days now.

That message regarding the index server error is at the Lenovo end. It seems to have been (mostly) broken for a week now.
There's a thread about it on the Lenovo forum but it still hasn't been resolved.

[Purcy]

I also suggest to just install vers 2 and down the road if you install a program needing a higher .NET Framework, it will tell you. I have yet to come across a program I installed that needed beyond vers 2. My husband did have an audio editor program (I believe it was Sound Forge) that required vers 3, but that is it. So his T23 has vers 3 installed.

[Johan]

Thanks very much, all of you - what a valuable and helpful "community" this forum truly is!!

I have now "slim-lined" and turbo-charged my installation (a little bit!), and have removed .NET ver. 1.1, ver. 3.0 and ver. 3.5 as suggested above, so all there's left now is .NET ver. 2.0. Both the ThinkVantage System Update runs (except that it doesn't run; like yesterday it still report: "The Package Index Server is not available at the moment - try again later"?), and Notebook Hardware Control also runs... so it seems that I'm all fine with only .NET ver. 2.0.

Thanks again, all - if I run into other problems, you might very well find me around here, again...

Best regards,

Johan

[Johan]

System Update report (after completing 30 % of something?) that "The Package Index Server is not available at the moment - try again later". Is this a Lenovo-problem, or is something wrong in my end??

I've been getting this message for three days now.

I just discovered the reason for the System Update message: "The Package Index Server is not available at the moment - try again later" - see Lenovo support site: "The Package Index Server is temporarily unavailable" error when using System Update.

The fix: I simply allowed the two programs:

C:\Program Files\Lenovo\System Update\TVSU.exe
C:\Program Files\Lenovo\System Update\Tvsukernel.exe

...in my firewall (Win XP), and System Update immediately started running! Woo-hoo!!

Note: In my firewall settings, the old "IBM Update Connector" is still listed (as "allowed"), even I have removed (uninstalled) this no-longer usable program.

Johan