Hi,

I recently installed Visual Web Developer 2008 Express and I wanted to play around with the Personal Website Starter Kit, but I don't seem to be able to install it.

I download the .vsi file, I double click it, accept the license agreement, check the C# and VB version, click next, then finish and... I get an error message saying: "Installation stopped because the directory for the ProjectType value did not exist.  The project type is invalid for your installation of Visual Studio."

Does the Personal Website Starter Kit work with VS Web 2008 Express or only the 2005 version? What ProjectType directory is needed? Why can't be created by the installer?

Thank you for your help

It's probably looking for a 2005 setup, so try installing VWD 2005 and then the Starter Kit and then use the Starter Kit in 2008.

Or wait until they have the Starter Kits working with 2008 (though that could be a couple of months). 

I don't think 2005 is still available, is it? Plus, I don't really want to have it sitting around. I guess I can just open the *.vsi file and figure out how to copy files in a directory!

Look here: http://www.asp.net/downloads/essential/

I have had no problem using the vsi's on Visual Studio 2008, I have read other posts of people having problems, If you are using Vista it may be the issue or it may be the express version.  Anyway keep in mind the vsi's are zip files in disguise. If you rename the extension from .vsi to .zip you can unzip it and manually add it to the VWD websites folder. Then use Open Website to use it.

I am not running Vista but XP SP2. The problem is that when I unpack the files with winzip, they are not sorted into directories and the site does not seem to work properly (it can't find images and such). Does anyone have a lits of what goes where? That would help a lot. Thanks

Strange, the club site is already divided into folders.  Anyway you can see what goes into which folder by opening the PersonalWebSite.vstemplate file in notepad.

Keep in mind the App_Data App_Themes and App_Code folders are asp.net folders.

Ok here is an easier way, Take either the pers_rtm_v1_cs.zip or the vb version (do not unzip them)  and place it or them in the template folder in vwd 2008

You should then be able to see the template when you choose New Website. 

Example: this is where it is on my computer.

C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Visual Studio 2008\Templates\ProjectTemplates\Visual Web Developer

I just downloaded the Starter Kit and when I ran it, it put the ZIP file in both the 2005 and 2008 template folders.

So, go into VWD 2008, create a new website, and select the Personal Web Site Starter Kit.  It'll populate the folders correctly.

Thank you MaineOne, your solution was quick and easy and now the site is working flawlessly!