XNA Game Studio requires you to do the following IN ORDER

1. Install Visual Studio 2008, or C# 2008 Express
2. Finally you can install XNA Game Studio 3.0
   

All downloads should come from the official Microsoft site - be very wary of any sites claiming to have mirrors.

Troublehooting:

• There are always a few reports of bad installs possibly caused by downloading errors especially on slow connections. Try using a different browser, clearing your internet cache or using a download manager
• Try running the MSI installers with the logging option and looking in the log for errors. If you want to post a log to the forums PLEASE use a pastebin as they are huge and your post will likely be deleted.
• Package Load Failure
• Trouble installing C# Express including speeding up install time - see Scott Guthrie tips and Heath Stewart tips

Hi there i'm completely new to this,ihave installed c# express 2008 SP1 and visual studio SP1 for vista. When i go to install game studio express it tells me i need visual studio 2005 SP1? Please help as im really looking forward to getting started.

this FAQ is a little outdated [I'll edit it later, when I get home]. You should install XNA Game Studio 3.0, from here.

You're installing the wrong version of XNA Game Studio. Try this version.

Hi is this all compleatly free to use and make games?.

Thanks

On Windows yes. For the 360, you need to purchase the Premium Creators Club membership to be able to deploy and test your game on the 360.

i have windows xp and i guess i need the sp2 for the xna game studio to work cause when i go to new project it doesnt let me select to make it on windows or zune or whatever

I couldn't get XNA Game Studio to install. It took me a little while to figure out the problem. The install logs showed this:

Action start 4:55:44: PublishProduct.
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:421]: Resolving source.
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:437]: Resolving source to launched-from source.
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:468]: Setting launched-from source as last-used.
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:484]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding SourceDir property. Its value is 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.0\Redist\XNA FX Redist\'.
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:515]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding SOURCEDIR property. Its value is 'C:\Program Files\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.0\Redist\XNA FX Redist\'.
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:546]: PROPERTY CHANGE: Adding SourcedirProduct property. Its value is '{3898934B-05AE-41CD-96BE-70DA9BFBCE1F}'.
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:562]: SOURCEDIR ==> C:\Program Files\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.0\Redist\XNA FX Redist\
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:593]: SOURCEDIR product ==> {3898934B-05AE-41CD-96BE-70DA9BFBCE1F}
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:609]: Determining source type
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:640]: Note: 1: 2203 2: C:\Program Files\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.0\Redist\XNA FX Redist\XNA_Framework30.msi 3: -2147287038
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:671]: Note: 1: 1316 2: C:\Program Files\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.0\Redist\XNA FX Redist\XNA_Framework30.msi
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:687]: Product: Microsoft XNA Framework Redistributable 3.0 -- Error 1316. A network error occurred while attempting to read from the file: C:\Program Files\Microsoft XNA\XNA Game Studio\v3.0\Redist\XNA FX Redist\XNA_Framework30.msi

Action ended 4:55:44: PublishProduct. Return value 3.
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:750]: Machine policy value 'DisableRollback' is 0
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:765]: Note: 1: 1402 2: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\Rollback\Scripts 3: 2
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:796]: Note: 1: 1402 2: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Installer\Rollback\Scripts 3: 2
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:828]: No System Restore sequence number for this installation.
MSI (s) (10:50) [04:55:44:859]: Unlocking Server
Action ended 4:55:44: INSTALL. Return value 3.


The solution ws to uninstall XNA Framwork 3 and reinstall it. Just posting this for anyone else who runs into the problem.

Creaper

Creaper:

The solution ws to uninstall XNA Framwork 3 and reinstall it. Just posting this for anyone else who runs into the problem.

Creaper

That's what worked for me, I also helped another friend out who had the same exact error. Thanks man. (My bad in advance if my posted uber bumps this topic)

Can someone help me? I'm really confused, i downloaded the C# thing and the Xna Game Studio Express 3.0. But then I dont get any shortcuts or anything just files that i cant run. Ive tried looking for them and this is a new laptop and I also heard that you need something like an microsoft express thing. I'm really new to programming (thought of doing it yesterday) and I hope to be a game programmer when I grow up (I'm only 13). Someone please help me.

If you have already installed Visual C# 2008 Express Edition and XNA Game Studio 3.0, then you can do the following to get started using XNA Game Studio 3.0:

 

1. Launch Microsoft Visual C# 2008 Express Edition using the shortcut on the Windows start menu
2. Go to the File menu and choose New Project...
3. In the Project types box, look under Visual C# and select the XNA Game Studio 3.0 node underneath it
4. Select one of the XNA Game Studio 3.0 templates on the right side to create a new project

There is also some introductory information in the XNA Game Studio 3.0 documentation at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/bb203928.aspx.

Hopefully this helps.

Thanks!

 

Aaron Stebner:

If you have already installed Visual C# 2008 Express Edition and XNA Game Studio 3.0, then you can do the following to get started using XNA Game Studio 3.0:

 

1. Launch Microsoft Visual C# 2008 Express Edition using the shortcut on the Windows start menu
2. Go to the File menu and choose New Project...
3. In the Project types box, look under Visual C# and select the XNA Game Studio 3.0 node underneath it
4. Select one of the XNA Game Studio 3.0 templates on the right side to create a new project

There is also some introductory information in the XNA Game Studio 3.0 documentation at http://msdn.microsoft.com/library/bb203928.aspx.

Hopefully this helps.

Thanks!

 

Thanks man, hope to learn how to program soon ^^

I cant seem to find the registration for my visual studio 2008 anywhere.  It says free download... do I need to buy something to get the registration number

No purchase needed. Just go to the Help menu and there should be an option for Register or Registration. Click that and it'll take you to a website. Fill out some stuff and it gives you the code to enter into Visual C# 2008 Express to register it.

Hello I am new here and I also got a similar problem. I have instaled Visual basic express ed and Visual C++ express ed, but When I try to instal XNA game studio it keeps telling me I have to instal visual C# express or visual studio. I cant instal 3.0 or 3.1

The solution is simple - install C# 2008 Express, then install XNA GS 3.1

XNA Game Studio only integrates with Visual C# Express Edition or Visual Studio Standard Edition or higher.  If you only have the Visual Basic and Visual C++ Express Editions installed, this error is expected.  You need to do as Jim (and as the instructions in the setup error dialog) suggests and install Visual C# Express Edition.  It can be installed side-by-side with the other Express Editions you already have.  Please let us know if you have any additional installation problems after doing that.

Thanks!