How to move the Visual Studio .NET or Visual Studio 2005 MSDN documentation to a different location (317915)


The information in this article applies to:

  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Professional Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Standard Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (2003), Professional Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (2003), Enterprise Architect Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (2003), Enterprise Developer Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (2003), Academic Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (2002), Professional Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (2002), Enterprise Architect Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (2002), Enterprise Developer Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Studio .NET (2002), Academic Edition
  • Microsoft Visual Basic 2005
  • Microsoft Visual Basic .NET (2003)
  • Microsoft Visual Basic .NET (2002)
  • Microsoft Visual C++ 2005 Express Edition
  • Microsoft Visual C++ .NET (2003)
  • Microsoft Visual C++ .NET (2002)
  • Microsoft Visual C# 2005, Express Edition
  • Microsoft Visual C# .NET (2003)
  • Microsoft Visual C# .NET (2002)
  • Microsoft Visual J# 2005 Express Edition
  • Microsoft Visual J# .NET (2003)
  • Microsoft Visual J# .NET (2002)
This article was previously published under Q317915

SYMPTOMS

The MSDN Documentation Help system takes up 1 gigabyte (GB) or more of disks space. Because of the size of the MSDN documentation, you may want to move it to a different disk partition. However, you cannot move the MSDN documentation from within maintenance mode.

You must first remove the MSDN documentation from your computer by clicking to clear the Documentation check box in the product tree. Only then can you relocate the MSDN documentation. You must do this because the ellipsis button (...) next to the Local Path box in the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Setup Options Page box or in the Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Setup Options Page box is not available when the Documentation option has already been selected.

RESOLUTION

To move the MSDN documentation to a different disk partition:
  1. Click Start, click Control Panel, and then double-click Add/Remove Programs.
  2. In the Add or Remove Programs box, make sure that Change or Remove Programs is selected in the upper-left corner, and then click Microsoft Visual Studio .NET or Microsoft Visual Studio 2005.
  3. Click Change/Remove.
  4. Click Visual Studio .NET or Visual Studio 2005.
  5. Click Add or Remove Features.
  6. In the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Setup Options Page box or the Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Setup Options Page box, if Documentation has been selected, click to clear the check box, and then click Update Now. This step may take a few minutes.
  7. As soon as the documentation as been removed, repeat steps 3 through 5.
  8. In the Microsoft Visual Studio .NET Setup Options Page box or the Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 Setup Options Page box, click to select the Documentation check box. Note that an ellipsis appears next to the Local Path box. Click the ellipsis button (...) to select the new disk partition location. Follow the prompts to update.

STATUS

This behavior is by design.

MORE INFORMATION

When you install the MSDN documentation, you can select either Local Path (the default) or Run from Source. The Run from Source option provides more free hard disk space; however, this option requires that you use the CD-ROM or DVD-ROM each time that you want to use the documentation.
Modification Type:MinorLast Reviewed:10/3/2006
Keywords:kbvs2005swept kbvs2005applies kbprb KB317915 kbAudDeveloper
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