atl90.dll version 9.0.30729.4148 is missing in WinSxS folder

Question

I have the following problem: when starting Visual Studio 2008, it says "Cannot find one or more components. Please reinstall the application." and stops. With the help of Sysinternals ProcessMonitor, I found out that Visual Studio could not load the atl90.dll 9.0.30729.4148 from the WinSxS folder. I tried to manually copy the older atl90.dll 9.0.30729.1 with the result that Visual Studio works again. Now I call this a dirty workaround, and not a solution. Plus I still don't know the reason why the atl90.dll disappeared in the first place.

So my questions:
- Does anyone know of a reason why this might have happened?
- Does anyone know a real solution to the problem, e.g. a Microsoft download that includes the atl90.dll in the correct version 9.0.30729.4148 that installs into WinSxS?

Some details:
- WinXp SP3
- missing DLL: C:\WINNT\WinSxS\x86_Microsoft.VC90.ATL_1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b_9.0.30729.4148_x-ww_353599c2\atl90.dll
- workaround DLL: C:\WINNT\WinSxS\x86_Microsoft.VC90.ATL_1fc8b3b9a1e18e3b_9.0.30729.1_x-ww_d01483b2\atl90.dll
- manifests in WinSxS seem to be alright, but unfortunately all point to the missing version 9.0.30729.4148

Thanks, Markus

Answer 1

I have the said dll in my WinSxS folder. But I have Visual Studio 2008 SP1 installed. So I guess, you too may have installed Visual Studio 2008 SP1. And due to some reason one of the KBs that it installs may have been removed by some other installer. Hence the missing Dll.

If it is not too much of a trouble, I recommend you reinstall SP1.