VS 2017 CE download error with Offline Setup Utility 1.4.4

[LifeCANvs]

Hi again.

As I said in the closed issue about VS 2017 not being downloadable at all, your new version 1.4.4 did eventually work, to download the offline layout for Visual Studio 2017 Community, as I wanted. However, it failed at first... I retried multiple times by directly running the CliCommand.bat your application generated... but nothing was downloaded.

After much searching, I finally found the log files in AppData/Local/Temp

• dd_bootstrapper_20241109215242.log included an error about "Invalid layout path", so I changed the path in CliCommand.bat to download to a top level directory (which I created) instead of a subdirectory that was 4 levels deep, thinking that might have caused the problem... but it still failed exactly the same and the same error again in that log file (now for the new short destination path):

[6664:0001][2024-11-09T22:07:59] Commandline arguments = --layout,e:\vs2017ce\offline" --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.CoreEditor --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeCrossPlat --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeGame --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeMobile --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NetCrossPlat --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Python --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Universal --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VisualStudioExtension --includeOptional --includeRecommended --lang en-US --env _SFX_CAB_EXE_PACKAGE:e:\vs2017ce\Visual_Studio_2017_Community.exe,_SFX_CAB_EXE_ORIGINALWORKINGDIR:e:\vs2017ce
[6664:0001][2024-11-09T22:07:59] C2R signature did not exist or could not be read: 
[6664:0001][2024-11-09T22:07:59] Parent process name = Parent process environment variable _SFX_CAB_EXE_PACKAGE was not set
[6664:0001][2024-11-09T22:07:59] Parent process product version = Parent process environment variable _SFX_CAB_EXE_PACKAGE was not set
[6664:0001][2024-11-09T22:07:59] CampaignId = 
[6664:0001][2024-11-09T22:07:59] Error 0x80070057: Invalid layout path: 'e:\vs2017ce\offline" --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.CoreEditor --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeCrossPlat --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeGame --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeMobile --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NetCrossPlat --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Python --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Universal --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VisualStudioExtension --includeOptional --includeRecommended --lang en-US --env _SFX_CAB_EXE_PACKAGE:e:\vs2017ce\Visual_Studio_2017_Community.exe'

In here I noticed the first entry with my layout destination path had only one double quote around the path, and the next entry had a single quote paired with a double quote...
EDIT: I see now the Invalid layout path: 'e: single quote before the e: has a matching "partner" right at the end of the entire line. However, the double quote directly following e:\vs2017ce\offline is quite lonely... it has no matching "partner" double quote. That must surely be the cause of the failure to download any files.

• dd_Visual_Studio_2017_Community_decompression_log.txt

[11/9/2024, 22:9:10] === Logging started: 2024/11/09 22:09:10 ===
[11/9/2024, 22:9:10] Executable: e:\vs2017ce\Visual_Studio_2017_Community.exe v15.9.35324.217
[11/9/2024, 22:9:10] --- logging level: standard ---
[11/9/2024, 22:9:10] Directory 'C:\Users\LCVS\AppData\Local\Temp\39b8a124688a04dd4c0f\' has been selected for file extraction
[11/9/2024, 22:9:10] Extracting files to: C:\Users\LCVS\AppData\Local\Temp\39b8a124688a04dd4c0f\
[11/9/2024, 22:9:11] Extraction took 625 milliseconds
[11/9/2024, 22:9:11] Executing extracted package: 'vs_bootstrapper_d15\vs_setup_bootstrapper.exe ' with commandline '  --layout "e:\vs2017ce\offline\" --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.CoreEditor --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeCrossPlat --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeGame --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeMobile --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NetCrossPlat --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Python --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Universal --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VisualStudioExtension --includeOptional --includeRecommended --lang en-US --env "_SFX_CAB_EXE_PACKAGE:e:\vs2017ce\Visual_Studio_2017_Community.exe _SFX_CAB_EXE_ORIGINALWORKINGDIR:e:\vs2017ce"'
[11/9/2024, 22:9:14] The entire Box execution exiting with result code: 0x0
[11/9/2024, 22:9:14] Launched extracted application exiting with result code: 0x138a
[11/9/2024, 22:9:14] === Logging stopped: 2024/11/09 22:09:14 ===

I went back to CliCommand.bat and changed the command to execute from

Visual_Studio_2017_Community.exe --layout "e:\vs2017ce\offline\" --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.CoreEditor --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeCrossPlat --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeGame --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeMobile --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NetCrossPlat --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Python --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Universal --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VisualStudioExtension --includeOptional --includeRecommended --lang en-US

which was generated by your GUI app, to

Visual_Studio_2017_Community.exe --layout e:\vs2017ce\offline --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.CoreEditor --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeCrossPlat --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeGame --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeMobile --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NetCrossPlat --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Python --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Universal --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VisualStudioExtension --includeOptional --includeRecommended --lang en-US

Just removing the quotes around the destination path (and the trailing backslash) and removing and re-adding spaces between the various pieces of data in the command... in case some unwanted invisible characters were inserted somehow.

I executed the CliCommand.bat script again, and then it worked... everything downloaded.
So I don't know if you want to take a look at that and see if it was perhaps caused during the process of generating the .bat file from the command line execution string that was generated in your app, during entry of the destination path and selection of the workloads/packages to download.

In the logs for when the download process worked, the following were different from the above non-working logs:

• dd_bootstrapper_20241109221945 20241110-0141.log

[5634:0001][2024-11-09T22:19:45] Commandline arguments = --layout,e:\vs2017ce\offline,--add,Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.CoreEditor,--add,Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop,--add,Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeCrossPlat,--add,Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop,--add,Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeGame,--add,Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeMobile,--add,Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NetCrossPlat,--add,Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Python,--add,Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Universal,--add,Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VisualStudioExtension,--includeOptional,--includeRecommended,--lang,en-US,--env,_SFX_CAB_EXE_PACKAGE:e:\vs2017ce\Visual_Studio_2017_Community.exe _SFX_CAB_EXE_ORIGINALWORKINGDIR:e:\vs2017ce

[5634:0001][2024-11-09T22:19:45] Warning: ResponseId not available in 'vs_setup_bootstrapper.config'. Trying to parse filename.
[5634:0001][2024-11-09T22:19:45] Warning: loading config settings: -update --update --layout -offline --offline --locale --layout --originalworkingdir --installLayoutPath --env

[5634:0001][2024-11-09T22:19:45] OfflineFilePath = 
[5634:0001][2024-11-09T22:19:45] LayoutLocation = e:\vs2017ce\offline
[5634:0001][2024-11-09T22:19:45] ExecutableArguments =  layout --bootstrapperPath "e:\vs2017ce\Visual_Studio_2017_Community.exe" --layout "e:\vs2017ce\offline" --in "C:\Users\LCVS\AppData\Local\Temp\6f135a6c40f44f2bff5bd68a6d5c6e36\vs_bootstrapper_d15\vs_setup_bootstrapper.json" --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.CoreEditor --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeCrossPlat --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeGame --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeMobile --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NetCrossPlat --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Python --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Universal --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VisualStudioExtension --includeOptional --includeRecommended --lang en-US --locale en-US --activityId "7ffa55f0-1dca-42d7-a69f-f8975b46cfb8"

[5634:0008][2024-11-09T22:32:32] Starting VS setup process 'setup.exe' with arguments ' layout --bootstrapperPath "e:\vs2017ce\Visual_Studio_2017_Community.exe" --layout "e:\vs2017ce\offline" --in "C:\Users\LCVS\AppData\Local\Temp\6f135a6c40f44f2bff5bd68a6d5c6e36\vs_bootstrapper_d15\vs_setup_bootstrapper.json" --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.CoreEditor --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeCrossPlat --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeGame --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeMobile --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NetCrossPlat --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Python --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Universal --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VisualStudioExtension --includeOptional --includeRecommended --lang en-US --locale en-US --activityId "7ffa55f0-1dca-42d7-a69f-f8975b46cfb8" --InstallerPath "C:\Users\LCVS\AppData\Local\Temp\11ihuf5.tqb\vs_installer.opc"'.
[5634:0008][2024-11-09T22:32:32] Warning: Failed to parse the json file since it does not exists: C:\Users\LCVS\AppData\Local\Temp\kz4e0sx.or4\resources\app\layout\vs_installer.version.json
[5634:0008][2024-11-09T22:32:32] VS setup process C:\Users\LCVS\AppData\Local\Temp\kz4e0sx.or4\resources\app\layout\setup.exe started. All done.
[5634:0008][2024-11-09T22:32:32] Waiting for setup process to complete...
[5634:0008][2024-11-10T01:41:24] VS setup process exited with code 0
[5634:0008][2024-11-10T01:41:25] Bootstrapper Successfully completed.

This version did not have the odd quotes pairing around the command path.
In fact the first "Commandline arguments = " had no quotes in it this time at all.

• dd_setup_20241109223448 20241110-0137.log

[7a58:0001][2024-11-09T22:34:48] Command line: "C:\Users\LCVS\AppData\Local\Temp\kz4e0sx.or4\resources\app\layout\..\..\..\vs_layout.exe" layout --bootstrapperPath "e:\vs2017ce\Visual_Studio_2017_Community.exe" --layout "e:\vs2017ce\offline" --in "C:\Users\LCVS\AppData\Local\Temp\6f135a6c40f44f2bff5bd68a6d5c6e36\vs_bootstrapper_d15\vs_setup_bootstrapper.json" --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.CoreEditor --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.ManagedDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeCrossPlat --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeDesktop --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeGame --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NativeMobile --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.NetCrossPlat --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Python --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.Universal --add Microsoft.VisualStudio.Workload.VisualStudioExtension --includeOptional --includeRecommended --lang en-US --locale en-US --activityId "7ffa55f0-1dca-42d7-a69f-f8975b46cfb8" --InstallerPath "C:\Users\LCVS\AppData\Local\Temp\11ihuf5.tqb\vs_installer.opc"
[7a58:0001][2024-11-09T22:34:48] Cache: Layout set to e:\vs2017ce\offline
[7a58:0001][2024-11-09T22:34:48] ManifestVerifier Result: Success
...
[7a58:0001][2024-11-10T01:37:05] Completed 'Layout' operation

My thanks again for fixing the problem where the VS 2017 sources could no longer be found, due to M$ evilness :)