* Gedmill, IMPROVE WEBSITE OR CD DVD HTML, and .Net framework

[ississi]

Hi,
I was wanting to use the IMPROVE WEBSITE OR CD DVD HTML plugin. Having recently had to rebuild my pc I reinstalled Gedmill but it said it needed to install the .Net framework first, but took me to a page that doesn't exist anymore. Could the https://pluginstore.family-historian.co ... agrams-tab page be updated with a link to a .Net framework install, please?
Many thanks.

[Valkrider]

You will need to raise that as a ticket with CP direct, they do not actively monitor the forum as it is independent of them.

[ColeValleyGirl]

Calico Pie don't need to get involved. The plugin author (MIke Tate) can update the plugin page in the store, but he may not be able to update the Gedmill installer.

[ississi]

I've installed dotnet sdk 7 from microsoft and the gedmill installer still fails. If I still worked in application packaging I'd've the tools to peek inside and see what it's looking for :-/

[tatewise]

GEDmill is no longer generally available and the Plugin Help page provides an archived GEDmill installation file.
I thought that .NET framework was already installed by default on current versions of Windows.
So I don't understand why it would ask for .NET framework to be installed.

I don't want to experiment and uninstall GEDmill to try and re-install it.
Can anybody volunteer to install the GEDmill download to reproduce the problem?
Perhaps it depends on which version of Windows is in use.

[tatewise]

Try the https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/down ... -framework webpage and download a Runtime version.

Does GEDmill say which .NET Framework version it needs?

It probably needs a version much earlier than .NET 7.0 which is something slightly different.

[NickWalker]

I think generally all versions of. Net are contained in the latest version except. Net 2 (and 1j. So try .Net 2.

[ColeValleyGirl]

I've got .Net SDK 6.0.202 and 7.0.1 installed

GedMill runs (has to be run as Administrator on my system for some reason, and I don't have time to investigate).

However, I'm running my own fork of the software (Bigger text in the diagrams), so can't guarantee that it will work for everyone. Looking at the dependencies using Visual Studio it seems to require for .NET V2 but 'Specific Version' is false and I don't have V2 installed.

[NickWalker]

I think generally all versions of. Net are contained in the latest version except. Net 2 (and 1j. So try .Net 2.

Sorry I got mixed up. If you install. NET 3 it includes the earlier versions but. Net 4 doesn't include. Net 3. So perhaps Helen has .Net 3 installed.

[ColeValleyGirl]

So perhaps Helen has .Net 3 installed.

Don't think so.

Screenshot 2023-08-27 181220.png (56.66 KiB) Viewed 1954 times

[NickWalker]

So perhaps Helen has .Net 3 installed.

Don't think so.

I think you need to check a registry key to see if you have .Net 3.5 or earlier installed.

image.png (229.32 KiB) Viewed 1941 times

Or go to Windows settings and search for "Windows Features" or "Turn Windows Features on or off" and then see if .Net 3.5 is ticked:

image.png (28.14 KiB) Viewed 1938 times

[ColeValleyGirl]

I have 3.5 ticked in Windows Features. So presumably, doing that (without downloading anything ) will solve the issue, but needs to be documented.

[tatewise]

Similar to Nick Walker, I have .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0) and .NET Framework 4.8 Advanced Services ticked.

I think the combined wisdom is saying that the former of those two must be ticked for GEDmill to install and run.

If ississi can confirm that is correct, then I will update the Plugin advice page.

[NickWalker]

Yes that's been the way to install .Net 3.5 for quite a while now. It comes with Windows 10 and Windows 11 but is not installed/enabled unless that is ticked. .Net 3.5 is generally only required by older applications which is why it isn't enabled by default.

[tatewise]

But I don't recall ever having to tick that option to get GEDmill installed on Windows 10.
Might it have been automatically ticked if Windows 10 was installed over Windows 7?

When ississi confirms that allows GEDmill to install, then I will update the Plugin advice page.

[Mark1834]

A couple of simple experiments seem to confirm what we are saying here.

My desktop was reimaged from a fresh W10 iso file about a year ago when I upgraded to a larger SSD. I have a number of older apps installed, and .NET framework 3.5 was already switched on. Gedmill installed without any problems. Presumably one of my previous software installs had switched it on automatically.

My laptop was also reimaged from an updated W10 iso about 6 six months ago when I upgraded from HDD to SSD, but it has only modern software loaded. .NET 3.5 was not switched on, and Gedmill did not install correctly (it said it needed to download .NET but did not specify the version).

I switched on .NET 3.5 and the laptop downloaded and installed the files from Windows Update. Gedmill then installed and ran without any issues. I switched off .NET 3.5, and the laptop uninstalled it automatically. Gedmill then would not run, and generated a error message to say that it required .Net Framework 3.5. I clicked on the "download" button, Windows reinstalled it, and lo and behold, Gedmill was back working.

[mjashby]

And the Miccrosoft explanation is here:

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/windo ... windows-11

For anyone who doesn't want to read the whole thing, the opening paragraph, last updated in December 2021, states:

".NET Framework 3.5 is not included by default in Windows 10, Windows Server 2016, and later operating systems but you can download and deploy it for application compatibility. This section describes these deployment options."

I believe this change was actually implemented from the original release of Windows 10, but most users won't have been impacted by the change unless they purchased a new Windows 10/11 System as free upgrades from Windows 7/8.0/8.1 to Windows 10/11 would carry forward existing installations of .NET Framework 3.5 and earlier.

Mervyn

[jelv]

I found this:

Starting with Windows 10 version 1809 and Windows Server 2019, .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 is defined as a standalone product and no longer as a component of the operating system (OS). As a product, .NET 3.5 SP1 will receive 5 years of mainstream support followed by 5 years of extended support.

[tatewise]

That seems quite conclusive so I have updated the plugin Help page Improve Website or CD DVD HTML Tree Diagrams Tab to include the .Net Framework 3.5 update instructions.

[ississi]

Ha! Fixed it. Tried a few different installs of .net framework versions from the Microsoft site...what finally worked was installing it as a Windows Feature on my pc - this is for Windows 10:

1.opened Start menu in Windows
2. type in some of "Turn Windows features on or off" to get that showing at the top of the list, then hit Enter
3. select (tick box) .Net Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0) (I ensured all the tick boxes under that feature were selected too, can't remember if that's the case by default)
4. click OK

Then GEDMILL will install ok.

UPDATE: lol, wrote this then saw all the answers and that you'd already found the answer, lol thank you for all your help and helping everyone