How many times has this happened to you? You get in your car for your commute, and your mind is already on your new project. You decide whether the output will be a web page or within a form, you decide how you want the XML schema to work. Then you get started and a series of snafus regarding VS.Net derail you and it's 3am before you really get started.

The first time I installed VS I said "no" to the Web Applications option, thinking I could install it later. I was actually game to install it then, but there was SP1 and then more updates after that, then there was the matter of finding my XP install disk so I could install IIS. As I was on dialup at the time, I opted to skip and do it later.

My first efforts in getting back to that choice involved opening up VS.Net setup and trying to add the Web Service options to my existing install. The dialog was very clear that this was impossible, but gave little clue as to what to do. I ended up in the maintenance utility which had the progress bar from hell: starts out at 1 minute estimated remaining, by the time it's a quarter of the way done it's estimating 2hrs. If you hit cancel you get another progress bar from hell saying it's restoring your settings: esitmate starts out at one minute and then keeps growing.

Finally I uninstalled, then reinstalled. Still no option for Web Services. It was if that first option on the clean install was my only chance.

Then I got smart and looked at MSDN to follow directions there. Install IIS first, then Frontpage Extensions, then repair the framework (something broke it?). Uninstall, then reinstall. Presto! You can now install your Web Services to VS.Net.

But there's another gotcha. After installing IIS I of course installed virus software (McAfee eval copy). My spanking new VS.Net for Web Services would crash when accessing help. The help screens are persistent, so when the VS crash dialog keeps is default of "restart VS" you get into an endless loop. Crash, restart, crash.

This is all in one day, and my ideas for what I was going to do are growing cobwebs.

Finally I turn off the virus software (I decided to remain offline while running IIS during development) and looky there, help works fine.

I kicked off my project at 3am and I'm a little afraid to look at it this morning... I couldn't have been doing my best work.

comment []12:52:08 PM