Steps to install XNA Game Studio without using the setup bootstrapper
In the past, we've heard from a few people via the Creators Club forums who have had trouble getting XNA Game Studio setup to run correctly. In a few cases, such as in this forum post, the setup program (named bootstrapper.exe) crashes shortly after double-clicking on the setup package to launch it.
If you run into this type of issue with XNA Game Studio 2.0, 3.0, 3.1, 4.0 or 4.0 Refresh setup, you can use the following set of steps to bypass bootstrapper.exe and install the pieces of XNA Game Studio manually.
To manually install the XNA Game Studio 4.0 Refresh
Note - if you are running a 64-bit version of Windows, you will need to use %programfiles(x86)% instead of %programfiles% for the installation paths.
Download xnags40_setup.exe and save it to your hard drive
Run xnags40_setup.exe /x to extract the contents to a folder of your choosing
Go to the folder you extracted to in step 2 and run the MSI named redists.msi
Note: This MSI will only display a small progress bar while it is installing and will not tell you when it is done. When the progress bar disappears, continue to the next step.
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v4.0\Setup\XLiveRedist.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v4.0\Redist\XNA FX Redist\xnafx40_redist.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v4.0\Setup\xnaliveproxy.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v4.0\Setup\xnags_platform_tools.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v4.0\Setup\xnags_shared.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v4.0\Setup\xnags_visualstudio.msi
Go to the folder you extracted to in step 2 and run the MSI named arpentry.msi
To manually install XNA Game Studio 4.0
Note - if you are running a 64-bit version of Windows, you will need to use %programfiles(x86)% instead of %programfiles% for the installation paths.
Download xnags40_setup.exe and save it to your hard drive
Run xnags40_setup.exe /x to extract the contents to a folder of your choosing
Go to the folder you extracted to in step 2 and run the MSI named redists.msi
Note: This MSI will only display a small progress bar while it is installing and will not tell you when it is done. When the progress bar disappears, continue to the next step.
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v4.0\Setup\XLiveRedist.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v4.0\Redist\XNA FX Redist\xnafx40_redist.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v4.0\Setup\xnaliveproxy.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v4.0\Setup\xnags_platform_tools.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v4.0\Setup\xnags_shared.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v4.0\Setup\xnags_documentation.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v4.0\Setup\xnags_visualstudio.msi
Go to the folder you extracted to in step 2 and run the MSI named arpentry.msi
To manually install XNA Game Studio 3.1
Note - if you are running a 64-bit version of Windows, you will need to use %programfiles(x86)% instead of %programfiles% for the installation paths.
Uninstall XNA Game Studio 3.0 if you have it installed
Download xnags31_setup.exe and save it to your hard drive
Run xnags31_setup.exe /x to extract the contents to a folder of your choosing
Go to the folder you extracted to in step 2 and run the MSI named redists.msi
Note: This MSI will only display a small progress bar while it is installing and will not tell you when it is done. When the progress bar disappears, continue to the next step.
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.1\Setup\XLiveRedist.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.1\Redist\XNA FX Redist\xnafx30_redist.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.1\Redist\XNA FX Redist\xnafx31_redist.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.1\Setup\xnaliveproxy.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.1\Setup\xnags_platform_tools.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.1\Setup\xnags_shared.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.1\Setup\platformer.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.1\Setup\xnags_documentation.msi
(skip this step if you do not have Visual C# 2008 Express Edition installed) Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.1\Setup\xnags_vcsexpress.msi
(skip this step if you do not have Visual Studio 2008 Standard Edition or higher installed) Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.1\Setup\xnags_devenv.msi
Go to the folder you extracted to in step 2 and run the MSI named arpentry.msi
To manually install XNA Game Studio 3.0
Note - if you are running a 64-bit version of Windows, you will need to use %programfiles(x86)% instead of %programfiles% for the installation paths.
Download xnags30_setup.exe and save it to your hard drive
Run xnags30_setup.exe /x to extract the contents to a folder of your choosing
Go to the folder you extracted to in step 2 and run the MSI named redists.msi
Note: This MSI will only display a small progress bar while it is installing and will not tell you when it is done. When the progress bar disappears, continue to the next step.
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.0\Setup\XLiveRedist.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.0\Redist\XNA FX Redist\xnafx30_redist.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.0\Setup\xnaliveproxy.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.0\Setup\xnags_platform_tools.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.0\Setup\xnags_shared.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.0\Setup\platformer.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.0\Setup\xnags_documentation.msi
(skip this step if you do not have Visual C# 2008 Express Edition installed) Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.0\Setup\xnags_vcsexpress.msi
(skip this step if you do not have Visual Studio 2008 Standard Edition or higher installed) Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.0\Setup\xnags_devenv.msi
Go to the folder you extracted to in step 2 and run the MSI named arpentry.msi
To manually install XNA Game Studio 2.0
Note - if you are running a 64-bit version of Windows, you will need to use %programfiles(x86)% instead of %programfiles% for the installation paths.
Download xnags20_setup.exe and save it to your hard drive
Run xnags20_setup.exe /x to extract the contents to a folder of your choosing
Go to the folder you extracted to in step 2 and run the MSI named redists.msi
Note: This MSI will only display a small progress bar while it is installing and will not tell you when it is done. When the progress bar disappears, continue to the next step.
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v2.0\Setup\XLiveRedist.msi
Run the EXE at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v2.0\Redist\DX Redist\DXSETUP.exe
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v2.0\Redist\XNA FX Redist\xnafx20_redist.msi
Go to the folder you extracted to in step 2 and run the MSI named xnaliveproxy.msi
Go to the folder you extracted to in step 2 and run the MSI named xnags_shared.msi
Go to the folder you extracted to in step 2 and run the MSI named spacewar.msi
Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v2.0\Setup\xnags_documentation.msi
(skip this step if you do not have Visual C# 2005 Express Edition installed) Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v2.0\Setup\xnags_vcsexpress.msi
(skip this step if you do not have Visual Studio 2005 Standard Edition or higher installed) Run the MSI at %ProgramFiles%\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v2.0\Setup\xnags_devenv.msi
Go to the folder you extracted to in step 2 and run the MSI named arpentry.msi
If you end up running into this type of crash, before you proceed with one of the above workarounds, please collect a call stack with Visual Studio or Visual C# Express Edition and report a bug on the Connect site so that we can investigate it further.
<update date="8/7/2009"> Added clarification about the install step for redists.msi. </update>
<update date="11/5/2010"> Added information about installing XNA Game Studio 4.0. </update>
<update date="11/8/2010"> Added a note about the %programfiles(x86)% path on 64-bit versions of Windows. </update>
<update date="2/22/2012"> Added information about installing the XNA Game Studio 4.0 Refresh. </update>