Thanks, IDBIWT. (How do you like that abbreviation? And I don't even text! :) I realize that I'm probably not the first to use that.) Sometimes these sites devoted to developers have useful tools for debugging the regular problems with your computer. I guess it's a variation on the old saw. Sort of "One man's unnecessary coding resource is another man's useful tool".

Coincidentally, while typing this I'm trying to repair a problem with .net framework 3.5 SP1 and getting an error message that has to do with an earlier version of Visual Studio. Sigh. Here's a real quote: "Simplicity is difficult, complication is easy" - K'ung Fu Tzu (Master K'ung, i.e. Confucius). I guess that's a quote that Bill Gates never heard of. Sheesh!

Microsoft Web Platform Installer 3.0

Description:
"It is a free tool that makes it easy to get the newest components of the Microsoft Web Platform."

Download Page:
http://www.microsoft.com/web/downloads/platform.aspx

Image:

Believe it or not, as I was in process of installing an Open-Source racing car game, the software requirements landed me on the MSDN website... ergo, this post.
I'm not a programmer myself, but in case you're interested, the "Visual Studio 2010 Beta 2 is now available!".
If you prefer, you can use Microsoft's automated Web Platform installer to get these free programs instead:
-- --- -- --- --
* Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition.
* Visual Web Developer 2008 Express Edition.
* Visual C# 2008 Express Edition.
* SQL Server 2008 Express.
* Visual C++ 2008 Express Edition.
* MSDN Express Library.
-- --- -- --- --
MS link to download page:
http://www.microsoft.com/express/download/#webInstall
-- --- -- --- --
Also — if you're not bored yet — the homepage for the MSDN Visual C++ Developer Center is:
http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/visualc/aa336402.aspx