Uninstall .NET 2.0,2.0SP1,2.0SP2,3.0,3.0SP1,3.5 when installing 3.5SP1

[pstein]

Meanwhile on my computer I have a lot of previous .NET packages
2.0
2.0SP1
2.0SP2
3.0
3.0SP1
3.5

I thought they are cumulative. So why are older version not automatically uninstalled when a newer is installed?

When I install v3.5SP1 another version would be added.
Can I uninstall all the previous versions W(ithout loss of functionality)?

Does this work in Win7 and WinXP?

Peter

 

[DMHolt57]

The previous versions provide 'backward compatibility' for older programs...

 

[alphanumeric]

Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5
Brief Description
Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 contains many new features building incrementally upon .NET Framework 2.0 and 3.0, and includes .NET Framework 2.0 service pack 1 and .NET Framework 3.0 service pack 1.

I don't know about the version included in windows 7 but if you download and install Dot Net Framework 3.5 for XP it installs Dot Net 2.0, 3.0 and 3.5. Dot net framework 1.0 is a separate download. I wouldn't uninstall any of it. I have a couple of programs that specifically look for Dot Net 2, one of them I think is the Nvidia control panel.

 

[Phone Man]

Windows 7 includes .NET as a feature. They do not appear in the Program listing. .Net 4 is the only one that is not included since it came out later.
Go to Control Panel/Program and Features and on the left click on "Turn Windows Features on of off"



Everything from 2.0 through 3.5.1 is included.

Windows XP is different as they are installed like any other program. I do not know if you can get by with only 3.5.1. That would be for an XP person to clarify.

Jim

 

[niemiro]

Hello!

This question again! Don't worry about it, this confuses a lot of people. The issue is that cumulative can have two very subtly different meanings, and most people don't realise that it can, and so become confused. Allow me to explain.

Firstly, the answer. No, you cannot uninstall them without loss of functionality. If you want to stop reading here, then fine.

A developer writes a program which uses C# and .net Framework, as an example. He compiles it so that it uses .net Framework 3.5 Client Profile. Sadly, he wasn't a very good developer, and didn't include proper error handling. I know this sounds a bit technical. This bit can be ignored if you don't understand it. The program runs, and looks for .net 3.5. If it doesn't find it, then it crashes. Program dead. Very dead.

Another programmer writes a program for .net 2.0. Again, if .net 2.0 doesn't exist on the system, then it crashes.

The .net 3.5 program cannot run on .net 2.0, and the .net Framework 2.0 program cannot run on .net 3.5. Both need to be installed on your system side by side for good functionality of both programs.

So far, it appears that Cumulative is a word unknown to Microsoft. After all, if it is cumulative, why can't the .net 2.0 program run on .net 3.5?

For this, please navigate to C:\Windows\Microsoft.net\Framework\. Look in the folders of each version currently on your system. 2.0 has a lot of files in it. A massive number. Almost every file from 1.0 or 1.1 has been updated in version 2.0. If you target 2.0 in a program, you get mostly 2.0 assemblies. Now look in 3.0. How few files there are! Most of the time while targeting 3.0, you get 2.0 assemblies, except for very occasionally. Cumulative. Now look at 3.5. A lot are updated again. Much less likely to get 2.0 stuff now. 4.0 - a lot of new stuff. Most stuff has now been replaced since 2.0. This is what it means by cumulative.

I am willing to be corrected on any of this, and this final statement, but I am pretty sure I am right. A Service Pack will overwrite an original version quite happily. Therefore, to run every program, I think that you only need:

• 1.0.3705
• 1.1.4322
• 2.0.50727
• 3.0
• 3.5
• 4.0.30319

1 and 1.1 have passed. You can basically live without them now. Don't try to remove 3.5 pre-SP1. I think it has just been updated to SP1, and trying to remove it wouldn't be clever. More and more programs are using 4.0. It is a very nice library for a developer. I would recommend leaving everything alone, except for installing 4.0.

Good luck!

Richard

 

[cluberti]

It's important to note that 3.0 and 3.5 are NOT technically full versions of a framework - for these to work correctly, you MUST have 2.0 installed. 3.0 and 3.5x provide additional functionality, but they do NOT work without the base 2.0 package (which is why you see the 3.5 redistributable on the web installing 2.0, 3.0, and 3.5 components!!!). The simple answer is, please don't do that. You'll break the entire framework. If you really need 3.5 installed on machines, get the 3.5 SP1 full network installation package, and use that installer to install 3.5 SP1 - it will update the 2.0, 3.0, and 3.5 .NET runtime components on the machine, although there are still security updates for those versions that you will need to also install manually or via windows update after installing 3.5 SP1 on XP. If you need 3.5 for Windows 7 or Server 2008 R2, simply enable the .NET feature in the "Turn Windows features on or off" control panel applet within the Programs section (or if you're a CLI guy, use dism.exe to add or remove the feature from a cmd prompt).

 

[jawadiraq]

how can I remove all .net framework and reinstall them