Installing Windows Live Wave 3 beta on non-supported operating systems (like x64 and Server 2008)

In another frustrating move by a unified setup program, which I disagree with for the most part, the new Windows Live Wave 3 setup program will not allow installation on Server 2008 x64, even though it is technically running the same kernel as Vista SP1.

Not only can you not uncompress the ~140MB WLSetup-All.exe into individual .MSI files, which would be ideal, the web downloader, WLSetup-Web.exe, will not download the individual files on an unsupported OS.

I have, however, been able to install every single piece of Wave 3 on my x64 OS except the Family Safety product, which is strictly x86 only.

Unfortunately, this requires a supported OS, which in my case, was an XP VM. If you install all of the applications on a supported OS, you will have a new directory: %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\. The '.cache' directory will not show up in Explorer if you not have hidden files shown.

You will want to look into the %ProgramFiles%\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\cache.ini file to find out which directory contains the Wave 3 binary that you want to install on your unsupported OS.

A cut-and-paste of the contents of my cache.ini:

[neutral::Watson-x86::any]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\ddfb16b01c918f7
Name=DW 2.0 Client - x86

[neutral::crt80::any]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\e3d930001c918f7
Name=Microsoft Visual Studio Runtime

[neutral::Contacts-ship::ship]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\e6c900401c918f7
Name=Contacts

[neutral::SegoeFont::any]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\ea4257601c918f7
Name=Segoe UI Font

[en::wlc-ship::ship]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\ee1d7a801c918f7
Name=Windows Live Call

[en::signin-5.0::ship]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\f0716da01c918f7
Name=Windows Live Sign-in Assistant

[en::WLXSuite-ship-14.0.5025.904::ship]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\f35812c01c918f7
Name=Installer Beta

[neutral::choiceguard-w3::ship]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\f3b23ad01c918f7
Name=Choice Guard

[en::Messenger-14.0.5027.0908-ship::ship]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\4c8400d01c918f8
Name=Messenger Beta

[en::Mail-14.0.5027.0908-ship::ship]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\8a2e8ee01c918f8
Name=Mail Beta

[neutral::WindowsXP-KB954708-x86-ENU::any]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\8e1f16a01c918f8
Name=Windows Imaging Component Hotfix

[en::PhotoGallery-5026.0905-en::ship]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\d8e58ab01c918f8
Name=Photo Gallery Beta

[en::writer-14.0.5025.0904-ship::ship]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\ee9819401c918f8
Name=Writer Beta

[en::familysafety-14.0.5025.904-ship::ship]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\f86841801c918f8
Name=Family Safety Beta

[en::olc-12.0.6237.1003-ship::ship]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\56559801c918f9
Name=Microsoft Office Outlook Connector

[neutral::searchenhancementpack::any]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\ff77b9001c918fc
Name=Search Enhancement Pack

[en::toolbar-14.0.5023.902-ship::ship]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\8e923a01c918fd
Name=Toolbar Beta

[_CATALOG_]
Path=C:\Program Files\Common Files\Windows Live\.cache\wlc120.tmp
Type=CAB
Language=en
Build=ship

I'm sure as the files get revised, the file contents and version numbers will change. For now, you can use this as a 'cheat sheet' to find which product you want installed.

Ideally, I would like these available for download without jumping through hoops like this to get the actual binaries. I'm not a fan of unified installers like this.

Update: Rafael Rivera Jr. has provided a much more elegant method of providing support for unsupported operating systems:

#1. Download Resource Hacker.
#2. Open the Live installer executable (either WLSetup-All.exe or WLSetup-Web.exe) inside Resource Hacker.
#3. Locate CONFIG -> CONFIG0 -> 0
#4. Strip out the following XML, leaving the surrounding text:



#5. Compile the script.
#6. Save the modified executable.
#7. Run the modified executable, and the OS check is no longer there!