Download error for the Windows SDK? Check your CRC.

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The most common setup or download error by far for our users has been corrupt DVD ISO downloads. We are working on finding a good BITS-oriented download manager to help with problems downloading the SDK, and are planning to link to one by RTM. But in the meantime, if you have a favorite download manager, I highly recommend you use it if you're downloading the ISO.

When you're done downloading the ISO, make sure to run a CRC check on it ensure that the DVD has the correct attributes. The CRC check will determine the validity of the download, its size, and its AutoCRC signature. to do this, follow these steps:

  • Download the CRC Utility.
  • Open a command prompt and run the utility
  • Providing the CR the name of the file (i.e. crc c:\6.0.5383.1.1.WindowsSDK_Vista_idw.DVD.Rel.img)
  • View results. Results should be like those shown in the matrix below:
Release Size Size in bytes CRC ID
Beta 2 1.14 GB 1,229,355,008 bytes 0x28434EEF
June CTP 1.13 GB 1,222,107,136 bytes 0x4F2680CF
July CTP 1.142 GB 1,226,362,880 bytes 0x4A168970

If your download fails any of these tests, simply download it again. I know that can be ugly for those of you in low-bandwidth situations, but it won't do you any good to have a bad ISO on disk; it will still fail install.

Finally, if you're not sure which version of the SDK to install, read my colleague Tom Archer's blog entry on that question. Tom has created the definitive guide to different scenarios for SDK installation.