Can't install GameMaker on Win8 - 0x80070026 Reached the end of the file

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SHORT VERSION
If you're trying to install GameMaker and get a 0x80070026 error, run the FIX below. If you have a blank Windows Features dialog, the command below may work for you also.

FIX
If you're trying to install GameMaker and get a 0x80070026 error, run the fix steps as illustrated in my previous blog post for "Blank Windows Features dialog" at https://blogs.msdn.com/b/devfish/archive/2013/07/26/windows-features-blank-on-windows-8.aspx .

LONG VERSION
At a recent hackathon with the ACM at University of North Florida in Jacksonville, Mr. Brandon D had dug out an older laptop and installed Windows 8 on it to use as a dev machine for GameMaker. Typically, getting GameMaker to build Windows 8 apps is scariliy easy. Install Visual Studio Express. Get your Windows 8 developer license. Install the free version of GameMaker studio. And start cranking out out some awesome games using GameMaker.

Unfortunately, after running the GameMaker studio install file, Brandon received a wonderful, very descriptive error message of "0x80070026 - Reached the end of the file" . Yes, that clearly tells me whats wrong and how to fix it. NOT.

I binged around ( even googled, yuk) and found no solid results.  I also visited the GameMaker forums ( https://gmc.yoyogames.com ) and looked for 0x80070026 . No hits. I really couldn't find any good results for WinRT/Windows 8 about this error.

GameMaker requires the .NET Framework 3.5 and usually will install it during the GameMaker install process. So I decided to check the .NET 3.5 status and opened up "Windows Features" dialog. Surprise! We've got a blank Windows Features box. Indicative of a bigger problem, methinks.

The fix I used is documented at my "blank Windows Features Dialog" post at https://blogs.msdn.com/b/devfish/archive/2013/07/26/windows-features-blank-on-windows-8.aspx. If you're getting the "end of file 0x80070026" message, and have a blank Windows Features dialog, this should hopefully fix you up.

Posted here for the SEO gods in the hope it doesn't cost someone else the 4 hours of research and fix that it took to resolve the issue.

ADDITIONAL READING