Windows 7: Multiple Install/Uninstall Problems, also VB projects

Windows 7 RC 64-bit, Build 7100

I've been having multiple problems with installing, uninstalling, and using applications in Windows 7. To summarize:


1) Visual Basic 2008 Express Edition cannot create projects. Whenever I try, I get the message "Project Creation Failed".

2) I tried uninstalling, reinstalling, and repairing VB2008EE, but it wouldn't work. Setup kept giving Error 2330, which said something was wrong with the "package". There seemed to be a corrupted folder involved, so I reinstalled VB2008EE in a new location. It seemed to be successful.

3) ...except when I tried to use it. I still get "Project Creation Failed" in the new install.

4) I had Access for MS-Office 2003 installed. Windows Update downloaded, but could not install, two recent updates for Office. 2003.

5) I tried reinstalling the other apps of Office 2003, but I got Error 1317, where it couldn't access a folder. I ran the Windows Install Clean Up Utility, and now instead I get Error 1402, Setup cannot open the registry key UNKNOWN\....... Please note that they had been installed once before.

6) The error message for many of these problems refered to folders that, on close inspection, did not exist! I suspect that the whole installation process is at fault. I wondered about the installtion software itself. I read that the only version of Windows Installer that works on Windows 7 is Version 5.0, but in my Control Panel "Unistall or Change a Program", there's no version of Installer displayed. And it doesn't seem to be available in the Microsoft Download Center.

Some errors, and some other forums, suggested that I don't have the correct permission to certain folders and registry entries, but I've checked the permissions several times.

Any thoughts? Thanks.