Uninstalling SDK components

The Windows SDK installs both SDK-core components and “shared” applications created by other teams at Microsoft as separate MSI files (see below for more on MSIs). When you select to uninstall the SDK through Add/Remove Programs (Programs and Features on Vista), most of the SDK will be uninstalled automatically. However, a few components might need to be uninstalled separately in order to remove all SDK components.

SDK components you may see in Add/Remove Programs:

· Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit -- the SDK core-component files

· Microsoft FxCop 1.35 -- .NET code analysis tool installs with the SDK and also with Visual Studio

· Microsoft Document Explorer -- document viewer tool installed by both Visual Studio and the SDK

· Microsoft Visual C++ 2008 Standard Edition – compiler package installed by the SDK and/or Visual Studio 2008

You may have installed some of these applications with another product besides the SDK, such as Visual Studio. Removing shared applications will make those applications unavailable for other applications that may use them, so think twice before uninstalling them. For example, Visual Studio has a dependency on Microsoft Document Explorer. If you uninstall a component by mistake, you can Repair the installation of the application that requires it.

What is an MSI file? MSI files are Microsoft Windows Installers. Microsoft and other companies distribute MSIs instead of a setup.exe file to install applications. MSI files offer more flexibility when installing programs. For example, Windows installers allow you to repair your current installation instead of having to uninstall and reinstall a damaged program.