Visual Studio 2013 Setup Blocked: The product version that you are trying to set up is earlier than the version already installed on this computer. [FIXED]

So I was rebuilding my personal machine for the holidays and an error:

So basically saying that I already installed VS2013 here, odd.

To fix this, simply opening  the log file by clicking the link to it and it will open notepad.

I read latest entry on this log, before the error occurred.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So it says that it saw a ‘bundle’ that’s of version 12.0.21005.13. I bet this is in the registry!

Here’s a snip of my log:

[1940:2F1C][2013-12-23T19:05:47]i102: Detected related bundle: {cd09eea6-d0b3-4246-bb80-e047ceadf61f}, type: Upgrade, scope: PerMachine, version: 12.0.21005.13, operation: Downgrade
[1940:2F1C][2013-12-23T19:05:47]i000: MUX:  Detected related bundle. Installing bundle Lcid:1033  related bundle tag: vs_ultimate,1033
[1940:2F1C][2013-12-23T19:05:47]i000: MUX:  A higher version bundle has already been installed.
[1940:2F1C][2013-12-23T19:05:47]e000: Error 0x80070642: BA aborted detect related bundle.
[1940:2F1C][2013-12-23T19:05:47]e000: Error 0x80070642: Failed to report detected related bundles.
[1940:2F1C][2013-12-23T19:05:47]i000: MUX:  Success Block: HigherVersionBlock : The product version that you are trying to set up is earlier than the version already installed on this computer.
[1940:2F1C][2013-12-23T19:05:47]i000: MUX:  Detect Completed
[1940:2F1C][2013-12-23T19:05:47]i000: MUX:  Wait for View to be loaded
[1940:0464][2013-12-23T19:05:47]i000: MUX:  Detect Completed, now create view
[1940:2F1C][2013-12-23T19:05:47]i000: MUX:  View loaded
[1940:2F1C][2013-12-23T19:05:47]i000: MUX:  Go to Blocker page.
[1940:2F1C][2013-12-23T19:05:47]i199: Detect complete, result: 0x80070642

As you can see, it has a GUID, copy this and lets fire up our registry editor (Win + R, Regedit).

On the Registry Editor, click Edit then Find or CTRL + F. On the find dialog box, paste the copied GUID then click Find Next.

Found this entry on the registry:

<Insert DOG Here with Caption: I don’t have idea what I’m doing>

I really don’t have any idea what’s going to happen at this point, Its just it has a GUID and it has versions… It’s a leap of faith… But not to do this on production, its MY Personal machine so I can do this..

Looking back at the error its telling us that we are installing a lowever version or what I think is that the actual operator is if Less than or EQUAL. That’s why its saying theres already a version installed in my PC.

The next logical thing to do is to ‘downgrade’ the one on the registry. To do this, doubleclick the entry and edit the value to a lower decimal.

Me, I replaced the Bundle Version 12.0.21005.13 to 12.0.21000.13. (Then Chuckles Internally).

 

Click OK and then, we may want to edit also the Display Version, just in case.

Then lets try to install again!

Viola! Problem Solved! (I think)

Setup is running nicely and I moved to E: drive, where all of my programs reside.

So there you have it, a registry entry fix for installing VS2013.