Many times you download a software and find that its not working in your system. You get an error message that Microsoft .NET Framework needs to be installed.
Sometimes the developer of software mentions that you need Microsoft .NET Framework installed in your system to be able to use the software.
So what is .NET Framework and why do some software need it?
We have received such kind of questions many times and people find it difficult to install .NET Framework as most of the times software developer don't provide links to download it.
So today, in this topic we'll tell you what is .NET Framework and will also provide official Microsoft download links to download each version of .NET Framework.
What is Microsoft .NET Framework?
Microsoft .NET Framework is a software framework which is installed in Microsoft Windows. Software which are developed using .NET require .NET Framework to be installed in your system to be able to run.
Once you install .NET Framework, it creates the required software environment so that it can provide the appropriate runtime requirements to the software.
.NET Framework can be installed in Windows NT, 98, Me, 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008 and 7.
List of All Microsoft .NET Framework Versions
There are several .NET Framework versions available. Some are included in some Windows OS by default and all are available to download at Microsoft website as well.
Following is a list of all released versions of .NET Framework:
- .NET Framework 1.0
- .NET Framework 1.1 (comes installed in Windows Server 2003)
- .NET Framework 2.0
- .NET Framework 3.0 (comes installed in Windows Vista and Server 2008)
- .NET Framework 3.5 (comes installed in Windows 7 and Server 2008 R2)
- .NET Framework 4.0
Following are download links for all Microsoft .NET Framework versions available:
Download Link for Microsoft .NET Framework 1.0
Download Link for Microsoft .NET Framework 1.1
Download Link for Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0
Download Link for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.0
Download Link (Web Installer) (requires Internet connection at installation time)
Full Standalone Installer (x86)
Full Standalone Installer (x64)
Download Link for Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5
Download Link (Web Installer) (requires Internet connection at installation time)
SP1 (Web Installer) (requires Internet connection at installation time)
SP1 (Full Standalone Installer)
Download Link for Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0
Download Link (Web Installer) (requires Internet connection at installation time)
Above standalone installer supports x86, x64 and ia64 architectures but some features are not supported on ia64 for example, WPF.
If you need to install it in x86 system only, then use following direct download link:
Full Standalone Installer (x86)
And if you need to install it in ia64 system only, then use following direct download link:
Full Standalone Installer (ia64)
Phew... It took a lot of time to compile this topic and find out download links for each version.
Now you should not face any problem in installing the required .NET Framework version to use your favorite software which requires it. ;)
This article was posted by VG in following section: Software.
If you enjoyed this article, you can subscribe to our RSS feed or free newsletter to get all new articles directly in your Inbox. Also check out our most popular articles and archive to read other interesting articles. If you have some news or tip to share, please send us.
cclloyd9785
Isnt the architecture .amd64 not ia64. I though it was ia128.
MAMen
I'm looking for MS .NET 4.0 download link and i found it here. Thx Vishal.
Antony
Phew finally all links together ! Thanks Vishal I had a headache looking for all these links! :D
Julian
Pure Genius! Thank You for sharing these links and this useful topic.
Nipun
Hi Vishal!
Thanks a lot for the links. I've been looking for them since ages. Thanks a lot! =)
I have a query. Does the SP1 version of .NET Framework 3.5 contain the old .NET Framework 3.5 as well? I mean if I just install the SP1 version of .NET Framework 3.5, do I need to install the original .NET Framework 3.5 as well, or is it included in SP1?
Curious One
Hey,
I've downloaded a newer version of the framework and I don't know if it's safe to uninstall the previous one. Can you tell me if I can uninstall it or is it still important?
Shariq
This is awsome. Thank you Vishal! :)
Dementor
Great job of collecting all these links in one place VG! Thanks :)
Saleh
How do we know which version is currently installed in our PC?
prs
Dear VG
I am not able to install .NET Framework 3.5. It returns the error " Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0a: [2] Error: Installation failed for component Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0a. MSI returned error code 1603.[05/07/10,12:51:04] WapUI: [2] DepCheck indicates Microsoft .NET Framework 2.0a is not installed"