Well, I can't be the only one not writing about Whidbey now, can I, so here goes with my sub-optimal installation guide:

1. Try to install SSE and find it depends on the the v2.0 runtime
2. Try to install v2.0 SDK (must include the runtime, surely) and find out it depends on the runtime
3. Install the runtime
4. Install the SDK, to save time later (who was I kidding ;)
5. Install SSE
6. Try to install Visual Web Developer - get a failure
7. Try to install C# Express - get a failure
8. Uninstall SDK in case that's the problem
9. Try 6 and 7 again - still get a failure
10. Uninstall SSE in case that's the problem
11. Try 6 and 7 again - still get a failure
12. Finally read the "readme" and see the problem concerning BITS (Background Intelligent Transfer Service) and enable that. Just for good measure check that XP (SP1) internet conenction firewall is disabled for the connection just in case
13. Currently retrying 6, but have good much further this time

It is a beta, so I guess I can forgive the lack of a better error message - I just wish that rather than having to check boxes for my exact preferences for languages and platforms when registrering MS had made me tick boxes that would ensure I'd checked my configuration.

I'll leave it as an exercise to the reader to improve of the sequence above, but as a big hint anything that moves (12) up the list would be a start...

UPDATE: SSE/VWD/C#/C++ Express betas now installed OK - now I just need to work out what to do with them. I guess it really ought to be WhaTBI? on Whidbey, so I'll dust off UMLet3 and post some more on this soon...