.NET Framework update hell

The latest batch of Windows updates included security updates for .NET Framework 1.0 and 1.1. Every day the automatic update feature helpfully notifies me that these updates are available, and since Security Updates are Good™ I've repeatedly tried to apply them. The installation invariably fails with this error message:

Sigh. There has never been a .NET Framework update which installed cleanly on my computer, and every time there's some unobvious error description like this one. I'm sure there's a good way to fix it, but right now I have more important things to do than research and troubleshoot this. If anyone reading this know what the problem is, please tell me.

Last time I gave up and reinstalled the entire 200 MB of .NET stuff from scratch. As far as I know the only thing I need that depends on the .NET runtime is Visual Studio, otherwise I'd simply remove it permanently. Ignoring security updates is not an option.

23 February, 2005