title: how to correctly identify vs2008 version level?
body: <p>At SO, I searched "identify version visual studio" but failed to find an answer.</p>
  
  <p>Scenario:</p>
  
  <p>A generally accepted best practice is to install all service packs related to the software that one is using.</p>
  
  <p>The applies to Visual Studio 2008 too.  In some cases, it is absolutely essential, for example VS2008 SP1 is required if one wants to install ASP.NET MVC v1.0 RTM.</p>
  
  <p>For most software, "Help, About ____" will reveal the version and often includes SP level.</p>
  
  <p>With my VS2008, I get a lot of information, some of it is clear:  </p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Microsoft .NET Framework<br>
    Verson 3.5 SP1  </p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>and some of it which is less clear:  </p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>Microsoft Visual Studio 2008<br>
    Version 9.0.30279.1 SP</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>The problem is that it is difficult to tell whether VS2008 SP1 has actually been installed.</p>
  
  <p>The same information appears to be displayed in Help, About on computers that have vs2008 SP1 as well as those that have not been upgraded.</p>
  
  <p>Likewise, different editions, example "Development" and "Professional" show the same results via Help, About.</p>
  
  <p>--<br>
  QUESTION:  how does one correctly identify her/his vs2008 version level?</p>
  
  <h3><strong>edit:</strong> found this:</h3>
  
  <p><a href="https://stackoverflow.com/questions/212896/how-do-the-net-framework-clr-and-visual-studio-version-numbers-relate-to-each-o">How do the .NET Framework, CLR and Visual Studio version numbers relate to each other?</a>  </p>
  
  <p>I wish Microsoft would make this easier.  </p>
  
  <p>@nos ... your QFE is a hotfix ... <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QFE" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QFE</a>.<br>
  AFAIK, you've likely applied a security patch.  </p>
  
  <p>I guessing the "30279" part of 9.0.30279.nnnn means SP1 and the "nnnn" is a subsequent update level.  </p>
  
  <h3>edit #2:</h3>
  
  <p>MORE  INFORMATION<br>
  The challenge I find is to identify the version easily.<br>
  While this may seem strange, and while unfortunately<br>
  I lack a time machine, at least once I was certain that<br>
  I already had vs 2008 SP1 but ASP.NET MVC would not install.<br>
  At that time I applied the MS SP1 upgrade;<br>
  while executing, the upgrade said it was upgrading SP1 !!<br>
  After upgrading SP1 to itself, ASP.NET MVC did install.<br>
  Ergo, I find this so confusing.  It would be so<br>
  much easier if Microsoft showed via Help, About, this instead:<br>
   Microsoft Visual Studio 2008<br>
   Version 9.0.30279.nnnn SP1  </p>
  
  <h3>edit #3:</h3>
  
  <p><a href="http://blogs.msdn.com/bharry/archive/2008/04/19/a-new-home-for-visual-studio-hotfixes.aspx" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://blogs.msdn.com/bharry/archive/2008/04/19/a-new-home-for-visual-studio-hotfixes.aspx</a><br>
  There are currently 169 hotixes:<br>
  <a href="http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/Project/ProjectDirectory.aspx?TagName=Hotfix" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/Project/ProjectDirectory.aspx?TagName=Hotfix</a><br>
  at least two to the hotfixes apply to vs2008 sp1:<br>
  <a href="http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/KB957912" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/KB957912</a>:<br>
  "KB957912 - Update for Visual Studio 2008 SP1 Debugging and Breakpoints"<br>
  <a href="http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/KB957507" rel="nofollow noreferrer">http://code.msdn.microsoft.com/KB957507</a>:<br>
  " KB957507 - Loc Intellisense to replace all Loc Int shipped with VS 2008 SP1"  </p>
  
  <blockquote>
    <p>"Please be aware [hotfixes may have
    NOT] gone through full Microsoft
    product regression testing nor has it
    been tested in combination with other
    Hotfixes."</p>
  </blockquote>
  
  <p>UPDATE:  on a windows 2008 web server R2,<br>
  I have <strong>Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Version 9.0.30279.1 SP</strong><br>
  which is "in theory" SP1 ~~ however, installing SQL 2008 Web Server<br>
  <strong>failed</strong> with the mysterious explanation that I required <strong>vs2008 SP1</strong>!!!</p>
  
  <p>UPDATE CONTINUED:  after applying the MSDN update to my<br>
  windows 2008 web server R2, I still have<br>
  <strong>Microsoft Visual Studio 2008 Version 9.0.30279.1 SP</strong><br>
  which now really should be SP1 ~~ and I assume it must be<br>
  because the pre-install validation "rules" for SQL 2008 Web Server<br>
  <strong>passed</strong> and the SQL server installation then ran and completed successfully.</p>