Windows Embedded CE 6 SDK not installing on Visual Studio 2008?
I am actually working on a set of demos for TechEd next week (I know these demos should be finished now!, but I'm sure I will get everything up and running by the end of this week ;-)).
I struggled a couple of hours on a problem: I generated a SDK for a Windows Embedded CE 6.0 image using the Platform Builder 6.0 Plug-in in Visual Studio 2005. I then tried to install that SDK in order to use it in Visual Studio 2008 to develop a Smart device application for my device (I know you can develop your application into Visual Studio 2005, but I am kind of a geek and I like to use the latest tools...). The problem was that the newly installed SDK didn't show up in Visual Studio 2008... After a long investigation, I found out this is a known issue. The workaround to get the SDK showing up in Visual Studio 2008 is to select "custom" installation mode during the installation wizard and to deselect the documentation installation. I guess this will be fixed in a next release!
Back to writing code for my demos.... :-)
Comments
Anonymous
July 28, 2008
Have a similar problem. Kit from Logicpd for OMAP35x, comes with Windows Embedded CE 6.0 (+R2), but that won't install because it only want VS 2005, I also prefer to use the lastest tools, have VS 2008 now. Don't really want to revert. Or does VS 2008 embody everything one needs already? I will try the workaround you suggest, and post the outcome. Otherwise, any advice gratefully received. /PaulAnonymous
July 29, 2008
Hi Paul You probably are talking about Platform Builder 6 which is the tool that enables developing Windows Embedded CE images, right? PB 6 is a plug-in to Visual Studio 2005 only, not to Visual Studio 2008. What I was talking about in my post was the SDK (Software Development Kit) that enables developing applications for a specific Windows Embedded CE 6 image (previously built using VS2005 and PB6). Let me explain what the process is to develop images and applications for Windows Embedded CE 6.0. First step is to build an image using VS 2005 and the Plugin Platform Builder 6.0. You will be relying on what we call a Board Support Package (BSP) provided by the OEM of the board you want to build an image for and that contains all the low layers and drivers necessary to make CE run on the board. Within VS 2005 + PB 6.0, you will select the features you want for your OS. You will then build the image, deploy it to the target and debug it. Once the image is up and running, you will export an SDK using PB for your specific image (containing the exact APIs your OS image is providing). This SDK will be installed on a dev platform running VS 2005 or VS 2008 and you will be able to develop applications for your CE image. Note that you could develop native applications using Platform Builder (at the same time you are developping the OS image), but if you want to develop .Net applications or to separate kernel and applications development, you would rather go for the process described below. Hope this calrifies things :-) Enjoy developing for CE 6.0 -OlivierAnonymous
September 11, 2008
Hi. Is there anything new about that issue? (installed CE SDK not displayed in Visual Studio 2008) Thanks PeterAnonymous
September 15, 2008
Not for the moment Peter. As soon as find out more about it, I will update the post. -OlivierAnonymous
October 23, 2008
So are there any plans to support the Platform Builder 6.0 plug-in in Visual Studio 2008? I can't believe Microsoft wouldn't provide support for using their latest CE tools with their latest IDE.Anonymous
October 26, 2008
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November 07, 2008
Seriously PLEASE support this. Having a virtual machine with vs2005 and pbuilder installed is my interim solution, since both don't play nice on theAnonymous
November 08, 2008
Thank you, I've tried to install without the documentation, but it still doesn't show on the list...Anonymous
November 14, 2008
Ciao Mauro. Did you uninstall any previously installed version of the SDK?Anonymous
November 19, 2008
Wait a minute..Im confused. With the introduction of .NET CF, how does it change the picture? With the introduction of Embedded CE OS provided by microsoft, does that means that the OEM no longer build any custom os image? I'm confused by all the options. Can someone please clarify?Anonymous
November 24, 2008
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March 06, 2009
Hi Olivier, Any news on Microsoft's plans to support the Platform Builder 6.0 plug-in in Visual Studio 2008? -JeffKAnonymous
March 10, 2009
Hi Jeff There will be no support for PB6 in Visual Studio 2008 as far as I know. -OlivierAnonymous
June 15, 2009
Hi, Olivier It seems this issue still exists, even after I remove the custom Windows CE 6 SDK and reinstaill it with Documentation de-selected, and then reboot my machine. It still not in the SDK list of Visual Studio 2008. But this new CE 6 SDK does appear in the SDK list of Visual Studio 2005. And I had no problem with Windows Mobile 5 or 6 SDKs in working with Visual Studio 2008. Any other clues?Anonymous
June 15, 2009
Hi Lyon I guess you have tried multiple times and ways of doing. I would say the right order would be to uninstall previous version, reboot, install the SDK with documentation deselected and then check in VS 2k8. If this doesn't work I can try to put you in touch with some dev guy. -OlivierAnonymous
October 26, 2009
So.... Is it yet possible to use the CE6 plug in for VS2005 to generate an SDK which will work for applicaiton development in VS2008 and/or VS2010?Anonymous
October 26, 2009
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December 23, 2009
Dear all, I have a question: To build an image using VS 2005 and the Plugin Platform Builder 6.0, what are the prerequisites? Is Windows CE 6.0 (or R2, R3, etc.) need be installed to generate this image?Anonymous
December 27, 2009
Affirmative, to build a Windows CE 6.0 image you need Visual Studio 2005 Standard or more, VS 2005 SP1, VS Vista patch if you are running on Vista or Win7, Platform Builder 6, PB SP1, and if you want to benefit from R2 and R3 releases you need to install PB R2 and PB R3. The compiler is Platform Builder, but it is a plug-in to Visual Studio so it does not run as a stand alone application.
- Olivier
Anonymous
January 12, 2010
Alternatively, is there a way to add CF 3.5 as a choice when creating an image using Platform Builder 6.0, the plug-in to Visual Studio 2005? It only shows me CF 2.0, but I have read that CF 3.5 should be there as well. Since there is no Platform Builder for VS2008, this would have to be possible somehow, to get CF 3.5 into an image. Even so, I thought VS2008 was required to develop .NET 3.5 applications, even Compact Framework 3.5, is that correct? Thx much in advance.Anonymous
January 13, 2010
You will not see CF 3.5 in the wizard but if you have R2 installed, you will get it in the catalog in VS 2005 when building the OS with Platform Builder 6. You are right, you need Visual Studio 2008 to develop .Net CF 3.5 applications, which means you need 2 development tools for CE 6:
- VS 2005 for the kernel
- VS 2008 for CF 3.5 applications dev.
- Olivier
Anonymous
July 04, 2010
Hi Olivier, Does installing R3 solved the issue of SDK (generated by PC with VS2005 + PB 6.0 installed) installation failure on PC with VS2008 installed and Documentation part checked?Anonymous
July 04, 2010
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November 11, 2010
Hi Olivier, I'm trying to follow your Instruction, Before i deselect the documentation installation in SDK, the error-information comes at first: "This release requires the following prerequisites. please install any that are missing and restart thist setup. visual studio 2005 visual studio 2005 service pack 1 visual studio 2005 service pack 1 update for Windows Visata Windows Embedded CE 6.0 Tools" How can i solve this problemAnonymous
November 12, 2010
@mili The dependency on "windows embedded CE 6.0 tools" makes me think you are trying to install a BSP, not a SDK. Sometimes Silicon Vendors package BSP and SDK for a specific board and OS image into a single installer that they call SDK, this is confusing for a lot of people. Can you provide more details on what you are trying to install and what steps you go through. Note you also need to have Visual Studio Professional or more, Express editions won't support the CE tools and development. -OlivierAnonymous
February 10, 2011
Hello, I have a question. I now roughly nothing about Windows CE (I now much more about Labview). I would like to develop an application with Labview for Windows CE 6.0 based Notebook. It is possible if and only if the target machine (the Notebook) have the "standard SDK" option on built in its OS. And, of course it is not the case on my notebook... My question is: is it possible to add the standard SDK now? Have I to rebuilt entirely the windows CE image or it is enough to added some library to some location on the Notebook HD and how? Thank you in advance for any info. BartAnonymous
February 11, 2011
@Bart: You can do app development for Windows CE with Labview, at least for CE 4.2 and 5, not sure for CE 6. But you will need to have the CE Standard SDK in the image to make it work. It is the device manufacturers who can add it to the OS, this is not something you are supposed to do on your own from the licensing perspective. Note that you can consider using Visual Studio 2005 or 2008 (professional or above) to develop apps for CE devices. With Visual Studio, having the Standard SDK in the image is not mandatory, as long as you are carefull not using APIs that are not implemented in the OS. A device manufacturer can export an SDK for a specific build of WIndows CE, maybe you can find an SDK provided by the manufacturer of your device... -OlivierAnonymous
February 13, 2011
Thanks Oliver, Nop, I can’t get the SDK from the manufacturer (it is a cheap mini notebook from China and the seller can’t help me). I know that labview can work on Windows CE 5.0 (6.0???) if the “standard SDK” from Microsoft was implemented. So I will be able to use the notebook if I could add this standard SDK from Microsoft (I have it, it is free and directly downloaded from Microsoft) but I do not know if I can just add it to the notebook and eventually how to do it. BartAnonymous
February 14, 2011
@Bart: You might not need to install anything on the device side. The SDK needs to be installed on the development environment to build apps for a specific platform. If not using dynamic libraries that are not in the image or APIs not supported, your application should not need any specific things installed in on the machine. Note that you can setup your Visual Studio project to export missing libraries to the device along with the app it self. -OlivierAnonymous
February 14, 2011
OK thanks I think I have get it. I can use the Visual Studio to export the Standard SDK with my Labview soft if needed, right? I think that I have to try to do it (there is a demo version of visual studio from Microsoft). Thanks again. B@rtAnonymous
September 16, 2011
Olivier, I have a custom SDK from GuruCE for the DS Topaz board. They say they have already fixed the documentation issue in their SDK. I don't get the error. The install log says everything is fine. I have tried the following: Install, reboot, look disable UAC, install reboot look Open command prompt as Admin, install, reboot, look I have also tried starting VS2008 as an admin. In all cases the custom SDK is not showing up in VS 2008. I don't even have 2005 installed on the computer. I do have 2010 with SP1 installed. I do have VS 2008 with SP1. I don't want to uninstall 2008 and reinstall because I have many years worth of installing tools and SDKs and such and it would take forever to get back up and running right. I don't even know if that would fix the problem. This is Windows 7 fairly new laptop. Can you tell me maybe the exact place in the registry or file that gets modified that makes an SDK show up in the 2008 SDK selection drop down? Maybe there is a manual way to trigger it showing up. Any ideas?Anonymous
September 16, 2011
@PhoneTrek Have you tried installing another SDK to see if it would install properly? -OlivierAnonymous
January 11, 2012
I am AMAZED Microsoft has not fixed this problem. It's now 1/12/2012, and people are still fighting it.Anonymous
January 12, 2012
guruce.com/.../installing-ce-60-sdks-on-systems-with-only-vs2008-installed just to close this out, this corrects the issue for me - tried it on two systems.Anonymous
January 12, 2012
Previous post was a fail - try this link: geekswithblogs.net/.../windows-ce-sdk-doesnt-show-up-in-visual-studio-2008.aspxAnonymous
September 12, 2012
Hi Everyone, Can anyone please help me to Develop wince 6.0 applications with Visual Studio 2008 for FrendlyARM Mini2440. I installed Windows Embedded CE 6.0 on Mini2440. i want to develop a Smart Device Project using Visual Studio 2008, when i selected the Smart Device Project in Visual Studio 2008 it showing following choice in Target Platform. which one i have to select in this list 1)Pocket PC 2003 2)Windows CE 3)Windows Mobile 5.0 Pocket PC SDK 4)Windows Mobile 5.0 Smartphone SDK 5)Windows Mobile 6 Standard SDK image is attached,, please help me thank you.