VS 2008 install - cl.exe not found

Scott McPhillips [MVP]

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Aug 31, 2008, 9:26:18 PM8/31/08

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I've installed VS2008 standard edition on a Vista PC where VS2005 is working
fine. There have been no VS betas on this machine. When I try a simple
compile with 2008 I get "cl.exe not found". I've tried the install twice,
with and without SP1, and the problem occurs in all cases.

The first directory in the Tools, Options, Directories list is
"$(VCInstallDir)bin" and sure enough, there is no cl.exe in that folder. I
did find a cl.exe in "$(VCInstallDir)bin\x86_amd64" but it seems to be a
64-bit compiler. My questions are: In a standard install is there supposed
to be a cl.exe in the "$(VCInstallDir)bin" directory? Where is the cl.exe
for 32-bit C++ compiles?

--
Scott McPhillips [VC++ MVP]

David Wilkinson

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Aug 31, 2008, 9:37:37 PM8/31/08

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Scott:

My Vista is x64, and cl.exe is indeed in

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\vc\bin

And it works!

--
David Wilkinson
Visual C++ MVP

David Wilkinson

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Sep 1, 2008, 8:57:24 AM9/1/08

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Scott:

(I sent this yesterday, but it does not seem to have found its way to the server.)

Tom Serface

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Sep 3, 2008, 1:12:51 PM9/3/08

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Hi Scott,

I run 2005 and 2008 interchangeably and even simultaneously and haven't had
any problems (with C++ that is). I'm having lots of problems with finding
.NET 3.5 web stuff, but that's a different issue.

Tom

"Scott McPhillips [MVP]" <org-dot-mvps-at-scottmcp> wrote in message
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Scott McPhillips [MVP]

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Sep 3, 2008, 2:36:02 PM9/3/08

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"Tom Serface" <tom.n...@camaswood.com> wrote in message
news:B9DB8966-66BB-4E52...@microsoft.com...

> Hi Scott,
>
> I run 2005 and 2008 interchangeably and even simultaneously and haven't
> had any problems (with C++ that is). I'm having lots of problems with
> finding .NET 3.5 web stuff, but that's a different issue.

In your 2008 setup, is cl.exe in
"C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\bin"
?
I don't have a cl.exe there, and that causes an error.
If it is there, what is the size & date of the 32-bit cl.exe?

Thanks

Giovanni Dicanio

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Sep 3, 2008, 7:03:32 PM9/3/08

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Hi Scott,

"Scott McPhillips [MVP]" <org-dot-mvps-at-scottmcp> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:e4IhyPfD...@TK2MSFTNGP04.phx.gbl...

> In your 2008 setup, is cl.exe in
> "C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\bin"
> ?
> I don't have a cl.exe there, and that causes an error.
> If it is there, what is the size & date of the 32-bit cl.exe?

Mine is 122 KB big, and dated 2007 November 8th.

The MD5 hash is the following:

CFF9B41B7B5C89113E2C295AC38D1814

HTH,
Giovanni

Cmplx80

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Sep 3, 2008, 7:22:00 PM9/3/08

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Scott,

I'm running VS 2008 Pro - 32-bit SP1; Vista Home Premium 32-bit, no SP1
and there is a cl.exe in
C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\vc\bin.

cl.exe:
date: 7/30/2008 12:05pm
size: 127KB (size on disk: 129,520 bytes)

Frank

Victor

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Sep 4, 2008, 2:16:31 PM9/4/08

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Hi Scott,
my CL.exe is in C:\Program Files\Microsoft Visual Studio 9.0\VC\bin
Version: 15.0.21022.8
Product version: 9.00.21022.08
Signed on 8. November 2007 18:13:27 by Microsoft Corporation

Victor

"Scott McPhillips [MVP]" <org-dot-mvps-at-scottmcp> wrote in message

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Leo Violette

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Sep 23, 2008, 7:38:51 PM9/23/08

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Not sure if you got an acceptable answer yet or not.

Two things:
One, did you happen to install VS on a drive different than the OS Partition
drive? If so, a lot of times, some of it get's installed on the OS
partition drive and some of it gets installed on the drive you selected.

Two, are you running Vista x64? If so, then pay attention to Program Files
and Program Files (x86). It's quite likely cl.exe is under Program Files
(x86) if that is the case.

On a side note. I have VS 2005 and VS 2008 installed on the same box and
run them simultaneously without any issues.

Leo V.

"Scott McPhillips [MVP]" <org-dot-mvps-at-scottmcp> wrote in message

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Scott McPhillips [MVP]

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Sep 23, 2008, 8:16:50 PM9/23/08

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"Leo Violette" <lvio...@orrtax.com> wrote in message
news:OQ650VdH...@TK2MSFTNGP05.phx.gbl...

> Not sure if you got an acceptable answer yet or not.
>
> Two things:
> One, did you happen to install VS on a drive different than the OS
> Partition drive? If so, a lot of times, some of it get's installed on the
> OS partition drive and some of it gets installed on the drive you
> selected.
>
> Two, are you running Vista x64? If so, then pay attention to Program
> Files and Program Files (x86). It's quite likely cl.exe is under Program
> Files (x86) if that is the case.
>
> On a side note. I have VS 2005 and VS 2008 installed on the same box and
> run them simultaneously without any issues.

Thanks Leo, and the problem is not solved, but neither of those issues
applies in my case. It does seem as though it installed the 64 bit compiler
and not the 32-bit one, but it's on a 32-bit Vista machine.

Did you also install VB and C#? I did read somewhere that if those are not
selected then C++ doesn't install correctly. But I haven't tried that
option yet.

Scott McPhillips [MVP]

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Sep 26, 2008, 11:00:08 PM9/26/08

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Following up my own post...

I reinstalled VS 2008 with VB, C# and C++ all selected and this time it
(C++) worked! The first two times I tried the install I had selected C++
only, and those installs failed to install the 32-bit C++ compiler cl.exe.

David Wilkinson

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Sep 27, 2008, 5:19:12 AM9/27/08

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Scott McPhillips [MVP] wrote:
> Following up my own post...
>
> I reinstalled VS 2008 with VB, C# and C++ all selected and this time it
> (C++) worked! The first two times I tried the install I had selected
> C++ only, and those installs failed to install the 32-bit C++ compiler
> cl.exe.

Scott:

Ya just never know when you might need that VB.NET...

Thank God for disk space.

Leo Violette

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Sep 29, 2008, 8:40:54 PM9/29/08

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LOL! Yep, I say we all learned a lesson here. Don't attempt to avoid MS
Bloat. Just go the path of least resistance and embrace it.

At any rate, glad you got things going Scott. Your tips here are quite
helpful and I'd hate to think they would slow down if you couldn't get the
latest compiler up and running.

"David Wilkinson" <no-r...@effisols.com> wrote in message
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Scott McPhillips [MVP]

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Sep 29, 2008, 9:40:20 PM9/29/08

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"Leo Violette" <lvio...@orrtax.com> wrote in message

news:587E4B58-747B-4A74...@microsoft.com...

> LOL! Yep, I say we all learned a lesson here. Don't attempt to avoid MS
> Bloat. Just go the path of least resistance and embrace it.
>
> At any rate, glad you got things going Scott. Your tips here are quite
> helpful and I'd hate to think they would slow down if you couldn't get the
> latest compiler up and running.

Thank You!

Giovanni Dicanio

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Sep 30, 2008, 9:29:16 AM9/30/08

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"David Wilkinson" <no-r...@effisols.com> ha scritto nel messaggio
news:u5$haIIIJ...@TK2MSFTNGP03.phx.gbl...

> Ya just never know when you might need that VB.NET...

(assuming "ya" == "you"...)

There is a particular scenario in which I think VB.NET is the best
programming tool available (better than C#): automation of Office
applications (Word, Excel, etc.).

In fact, automation of Office applications is based on COM and IDispatch,
and this is a scenario in which VB.NET's "late binding" feature comes in
handy.
You can read here an example comparing VB.NET use of late binding vs. C#
code based on reflection:

http://www.hanselman.com/blog/BackToBasicsVarDim.aspx

In that particular case, I do prefer VB.NET simplicity over C#
reflection-based boilerplate code.

As we say: choose the best tool for the particular job.

Giovanni