XNA Game Studio 2.0 setup can display an error requesting source files in some scenarios

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Since the final version of XNA Game Studio 2.0 was announced earlier today, we have heard from a few customers (notably, in the forum post at https://forums.xna.com/thread/36650.aspx) who have run setup and received a pop-up error message like the following while setup is trying to install the Games for Windows - LIVE Redist:

Source Required

Setup has detected that the original source is necessary to continue. Please redownload and execute XNAGS20_Setup.exe.

How to work around this issue

In the cases we've seen so far, this issue can be resolved by doing the following:

  1. Go to the Add/Remove Programs control panel (or Programs and Features on Windows Vista)
  2. Locate the item named Microsoft Games for Windows - LIVE Redistributable and choose to uninstall it
  3. Re-run XNA Game Studio 2.0 setup

What is happening behind the scenes

XNA Game Studio 2.0 setup is failing in this scenario in the cases we've heard of so far because a version of the Microsoft Games for Windows - LIVE Redistributable was already installed on the system, but it was installed from a different source location than XNA Game Studio 2.0 setup is trying to use.  In this type of scenario, XNA Game Studio 2.0 recognizes that the Games for Windows - LIVE Redist is already installed and triggers a repair instead of an initial install.  If any of the files installed by this package are missing or corrupt, Windows Installer will try to find the source location in order to replace those files.  If the source location no longer exists, then XNA Game Studio 2.0 will display this type of error message.

The primary cause we've seen so far is a system that previously had the beta version of XNA Game Studio 2.0 installed and then uninstalled.  Behind the scenes, the same Games for Windows - LIVE Redist is installed by the XNA Game Studio 2.0 beta and the final release, but the source location was moved after the beta shipped.  Therefore, if any files installed by the Games for Windows - LIVE Redist are missing or corrupt, then the repair process for this package will trigger a request for the original source because it doesn't exist in the location that the final release of XNA Game Studio 2.0 installs it to.

However, this scenario will only occur if one of the files in the Games for Windows LIVE - Redist package is missing/corrupt and needs to be replaced.  That means that only a small subset of people who previously installed the XNA Game Studio 2.0 beta will ever see this error.  Most beta-to-final release install scenarios for XNA Game Studio 2.0 will work fine and not require any manual workarounds.

This scenario could also occur if some other product, such as a game that requires the Games for Windows - LIVE Redist, was installed on the system prior to installing XNA Game Studio 2.0.  The specific conditions that must exist to trigger this error message are the following:

  • The Microsoft Games for Windows LIVE - Redistributable package must be installed on the system before running setup for the final release of XNA Game Studio 2.0, and must be installed from a source location that is different than the one used by XNA Game Studio 2.0 setup (which is %programfiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v2.0\Setup)
  • One or more files installed by the Microsoft Games for Windows LIVE - Redistributable package must be missing, corrupt or an older version than the one in the package

Regardless of which setup originally installed the Games for Windows LIVE - Redist, if you encounter this error while installing the final release of XNA Game Studio 2.0, you should be able to resolve it by uninstalling this package from Add/Remove Programs and then re-running XNA Game Studio 2.0 setup as described above.