Redistributing the .NET Framework

  • Article

 

Microsoft Corporation

January 2002

Summary: Applications and controls written for the .NET Framework require the .NET Framework to be installed on the computer where the application or control runs. The .NET Framework redistributable package is available as a stand-alone executable file, Dotnetfx.exe. This article describes where to obtain Dotnetfx.exe, and how to use it to deploy .NET Framework applications. (16 printed pages)

Note If you choose to use Dotnetfx.exe for distribution with an application created by you, you must have a validly licensed copy of the Microsoft .NET Framework SDK and you agree that any use or distribution of Dotnetfx.exe associated with your Licensed Product as "Licensed Product" is defined in the Microsoft .NET Framework SDK end user license agreement (the "EULA"), is subject to the terms of the EULA. If you do not have a validly licensed copy of the Microsoft .NET Framework SDK or you do not agree to these terms and conditions, you are not authorized to distribute Dotnetfx.exe.

Contents

Introduction
Where to Obtain the .NET Framework Redistributable
Dotnetfx.exe Deployment Scenarios
Installing Localized Versions of Dotnetfx.exe
Minimum Configuration Requirements

Introduction

The version 1.0 release of the Microsoft® .NET Framework provides one redistributable installer that contains the common language runtime and .NET Framework components that are necessary to run .NET Framework applications. The .NET Framework redistributable is available as a stand-alone executable file, Dotnetfx.exe. The .NET Framework requires a license agreement that gives you specific rights to redistribute Dotnetfx.exe. If you have previously installed the .NET Framework SDK, Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET, or downloaded Dotnetfx.exe from the Web, you have accepted the license agreement for Dotnetfx.exe. For the terms of the license agreement, see .NET Framework Redistributable EULA.

You can manually launch and install Dotnetfx.exe on a computer, or it can be launched and installed as part of the setup program for a .NET Framework application. Note that administrator privileges are required to install Dotnetfx.exe. If you have previously installed the .NET Framework SDK or Microsoft Visual Studio .NET, you do not need to install Dotnetfx.exe.

In addition to this whitepaper, information about deploying Dotnetfx.exe is available from the .NET Framework Deployment Guide. This Web site provides detailed deployment information including a whitepaper that addresses specific deployment scenarios for Visual Studio .NET users.

There are minimum configuration requirements that must be met in order to install Dotnetfx.exe. For more information about software and hardware requirements and recommendations, see Minimum Configuration Requirements.

Where to Obtain the .NET Framework Redistributable Package

Download Dotnetfx.exe or from the Microsoft® Windows® Update Web site.

Alternately, you can get the redistributable package on a product CD or DVD. Dotnetfx.exe is available on the .NET Framework SDK CD in the dotNETRedist directory in the CD's root directory. It is available on the Microsoft® Visual Studio® .NET Windows Component Update CD in the dotNetFramework directory, and on the Microsoft Visual Studio® .NET DVD in the \wcu\dotNetFramework directory.

If you need to have users install the .NET Framework from the Internet, do not post the .NET Framework Redistributable Package, instead direct users to the Microsoft Windows Update Web Site.

Dotnetfx.exe Deployment Scenarios

This section provides .NET Framework SDK users with deployment scenarios for redistributing the .NET Framework using Dotnetfx.exe. Scenarios are provided for deploying Dotnetfx.exe using an electronic software distribution tool, manually installing from a download location on a network share, intranet, or the Microsoft Web site, and using the Setup.exe Bootstrapper sample to create a single setup project to install both Dotnetfx.exe and a .NET Framework application. Because Dotnetfx.exe is a significant runtime component, you must have administrator privileges in order to install it on a computer. In addition, when you redistribute the .NET Framework using Dotnetfx.exe, we recommend that you perform a silent installation.

Distributing Dotnetfx.exe Using an Electronic Software Distribution Tool

Corporations that deploy .NET Framework applications will find it easier to deploy the .NET Framework once to all users' computers, rather than including it with each application that requires it. Various electronic distribution tools are available for deploying Dotnetfx.exe and, when necessary, MDAC 2.6 or later across a secure network. There are two requirements for any tool that you use to distribute Dotnetfx.exe:

  1. The tool must be capable of running a remote installation on a remote computer
  2. The tool must be able to run with administrator privileges.

This following section describes how to use Microsoft Systems Management Server (SMS) and Microsoft Active Directory® to deploy the .NET Framework redistributable package across a network.

Deploying the .NET Framework using Systems Management Server

Systems Management Server (SMS) allows you to deploy software with administrative privileges across a network. This section describes the specific procedures for using SMS to deploy the Windows Installer setup package for Dotnetfx.exe across a network. For additional SMS product information and documentation, see the Systems Management Server Home Page and Deploying Windows Installer Setup Packages with Systems Management Server 2.0.

To deploy the .NET Framework redistributable package, Dotnetfx.exe, with administrator privileges, you must extract the Windows Installer file, netfx.msi, from the Dotnetfx.exe file. Netfx.msi is the file you will use to deploy the .NET Framework. After you extract Netfx.msi, you can run the SMS Administrator console from the network administrator computer and configure it to deploy Dotnetfx.exe on a selected group of computers on the network.

Before you can install a Windows Installer setup package on an SMS client computer, the client computer must have the Windows Installer installation service installed. The procedures described in this section assume that Windows Installer 2.0 is installed on all client computers prior to the deployment of Netfx.msi. The network administrator is responsible for ensuring that all client computers meet this requirement. You can use SMS to install Windows Installer 2.0 on client computers. For more information, seeDeploying Windows Installer Setup Packages with Systems Management Server 2.0.

In addition, there are minimum configuration requirements that must be met in order to install the .NET Framework on a computer. For specific software and hardware requirements and recommendations, see Minimum Configuration Requirements.

After the network administrator has ensured that all networked computers on which Dotnetfx.exe will be installed meet the minimum configuration requirements, the following five tasks and their individual procedures must be performed on the SMS Server. These procedures must be performed in the order in which they are presented.

First, extract the Windows Installer file, netfx.msi, from the Dotnetfx.exe file. Netfx.msi is the file to use to deploy the .NET Framework.

To extract the Dotnetfx.exe file to deploy

  1. Download Dotnetfx.exe to the root directory of the C:\ drive on the SMS Server.
  2. Open a command prompt.
  3. Change the directory to the root of the C:\ drive.
  4. Type mkdir dotnetfx at the command prompt to create a directory in which to copy Dotnetfx.exe.
  5. Type dotnetfx.exe /T:c:\dotnetfx /C at the command prompt to extract the files to the dotnetfx directory.

Next, create an SMS package for the .NET Framework. An SMS package is the basic unit of software distribution. It contains the source files for the program and the details that direct the software distribution process.

To create a .NET Framework package

  1. Open the SMS Administrator console. Click the Start button, point to Programs, and choose Systems Management Server.

  2. Expand the Site Database node, and right-click the Packages node in the Site Database tree.

  3. From the Action menu, point to New, and choose Package. The Package Properties dialog box is displayed.

  4. In the Package Properties dialog box, click the General tab and complete the information as follows:

    Name: .NET Framework
    Version: 1.0.3429.0
    Publisher: Microsoft
    Language: English

  5. In the Package Properties dialog box, click the Data Source tab.

  6. Click the This package contains source files check box.

  7. Click the Always obtain files from source directory option button.

  8. Click the Set… button. The Set Source Directory dialog box is displayed.

  9. In the Set Source Directory dialog box, click the Local drive on site server option button.

  10. Click the Browse… button. The Browse for Folder dialog box is displayed.

  11. Select the C:\DotNetFx directory, where you extracted the files to previously.

  12. In the Browse for Folder dialog box, click the OK button.

  13. In the Set Source Directory dialog box, click the OK button.

  14. In the Package Properties dialog box, click the OK button.

Next, create a .NET Framework program for the .NET Framework package. Each SMS package contains at least one SMS program, which is a command line that runs on each targeted computer to control the execution of the package.

To create a program for the .NET Framework package

  1. Expand the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.0.3529.0 English node, located under the Packages node.

  2. Right-click Programs, point to New, and choose Program. The Program Properties dialog box is displayed.

  3. In the Program Properties dialog box, click the General tab and complete the information as follows:

    Name: .NET Framework Program
    Command line: msiexec /i netfx.msi /q ARPSYSTEMCOMPONENT=1 ARPNOREMOVE=1

  4. In the Program Properties dialog box, click the Environment tab.

  5. Clear the User input required check box.

  6. Click the option button Run with administrative rights

  7. Click the OK button.

Next, create a distribution point for the .NET Framework package. SMS Distribution Points are shares on site systems where package source files are copied for access by client computers.

To create a .NET Framework distribution point

  1. Right-click Distribution Points, located under the Microsoft .NET Framework 1.0.3529.0 English node
  2. Select New, and choose Distribution Points. The New Distribution Points Wizard appears.
  3. In the New Distribution Points Wizard dialog box, click the Next button.
  4. Select the distribution point to which you want to copy the .NET Framework package.
  5. Click the Finish button to start the distribution.

Finally, create an advertisement for the .NET Framework program. An advertisement specifies the program that is available to client computers, which computers will receive the advertisement, and when the program will be scheduled for installation.

To create a .NET Framework advertisement

  1. In the Site Database tree, right-click the Advertisements node
  2. Select New, and choose Advertisement. The Advertisement Properties dialog box is displayed.
  3. In the Advertisement Properties dialog box, complete the information in the General tab as follows:
    • Type .NET Framework Advertisement in the Name section.
    • Select Microsoft .NET Framework 1.0.3529.0 English from the Package drop-down list box.
    • Select .NET Framework Program from the Program drop-down list box.
  4. Click the Browse… button and select the appropriate collection of computers on which to deploy the .NET Framework. To determine the computers to which you can deploy the .NET Framework, see the Minimum Configuration Requirements.
  5. Click the OK button

Deploying the .NET Framework using Active Directory

Active Directory allows you to deploy software with administrative privileges across a network. This section describes the specific procedures for using Active Directory to deploy the Windows Installer setup package for Dotnetfx.exe across a network. For additional Active Directory product information and documentation, see the Active Directory Home Page.

Before you can install a Windows Installer setup package on an Active Directory client computer, the client computer must have the Windows Installer installation service installed. The procedures described in this section assume that Windows Installer 2.0 is installed on all client computers prior to the deployment of Dotnetfx.exe. Windows Installer 2.0 is available for download from the Microsoft Download Center. Note that these installer files are not designed for deployment using Active Directory. They must either be installed on each computer individually or electronically using Systems Management Server.

In addition, there are minimum configuration requirements that must be met in order to install the .NET Framework on a computer. For specific software and hardware requirements and recommendations, see Minimum Configuration Requirements.

After the network administrator has ensured that all networked computers on which Dotnetfx.exe will be installed meet the minimum configuration requirements, perform the following tasks and their individual procedures in the order presented.

First, extract the dotnetfx.exe file that you will use to deploy the .NET Framework.

To extract the Dotnetfx.exe file to deploy the .NET Framework

  1. Download Dotnetfx.exe to the root directory of the C:\ drive on your local computer.
  2. Open a command prompt.
  3. Change the directory to the root of the C:\ drive.
  4. Type mkdir dotnetfx at the command prompt to create a directory in which to copy Dotnetfx.exe.
  5. Type dotnetfx.exe /T:c:\dotnetfx /C at the command prompt to extract the files to the dotnetfx directory.
  6. Close the command prompt window.
  7. Navigate to the C:\dotnetfx folder in Windows Explorer and verify that the files were extracted.
  8. Move the dotnetfx folder and all its contents to the server that you will use for deployment.

After you have moved the dotnetfx folder to the proper location for deployment, the next step is to create an Active Directory package for the .NET Framework.

To create a .NET Framework package in Active Directory

  1. Click the Start button, point to Programs, and then point to Administrative Tools. Click Active Directory Users and Computers. The Active Directory Users and Computers tree is displayed.
  2. Right-click the domain node at the top of the tree. Click Properties on the shortcut menu. The Properties dialog box is displayed.
  3. Click the Group Policy tab.
  4. Click the Edit button. A window is displayed with the Default Domain Policy tree.
  5. There are two alternatives when choosing how the software will be assigned. You can select the Computer Configuration node in Group Policy to set policies that are applied to computers, regardless of who logs on to them. Alternatively, you can select the User Configuration node in Group Policy to set policies that apply to users, regardless of the logon computer. For the purpose of the example, select and expand the User Configuration node. Expand the Software Settings folder located under the User Configuration node.
  6. Right-click Software installation. Point to New, and then click Package on the shortcut menu.
  7. A dialog box is displayed that prompts you for the path to the Windows Installer file (.msi) for the package. Browse to the location where you copied the dotnetfx folder, and click the netfx.msi file.
  8. Choose the Advanced Published or Assigned selection and click the OK button.
  9. A window is displayed where you can choose to auto install or publish the software. If you choose Auto Install, the software will be installed automatically on every computer in the domain. If you choose Publish, the software is added to the list of available products, but is not installed unless a user chooses to install it. After you have modified all necessary items, click the OK button.
  10. Exit the Active Directory Users and Computers console.

After you complete the setup of the .NET Framework package in Active Directory, the next step is to verify that the package is available for installation.

To verify an Active Directory package

  1. Log on to any computer that is a part of the domain. Click the Start button, point to Control Panel, and then click Add or Remove Programs.
  2. Click the Add New Programs button. The .NET Framework installation package should appear in the list of available software.
  3. If the .NET Framework installation package does not appear in the list of available software, the package is incorrectly configured in Active Directory. Return to the Active Directory Users and Computers console and double-click the package to reconfigure it.

If the network administrator chooses the Publish option when creating the .NET Framework package in Active Directory, the package is added to the list of software available to computers in the domain. Users who want to install the package can follow these procedures on a client computer.

To install the .NET Framework package

  1. Click the Start button, point to Control Panel, and then click Add or Remove Programs.

  2. Click the Add New Programs button.

  3. In the list of available software, select the .NET Framework package and click the Add button. This will launch Microsoft .NET Framework Setup.

    Note   Windows Installer 2.0 must be installed on the client computer prior to launching Microsoft .NET Framework Setup. Set up will fail if Windows Installer 2.0 is not installed.

  4. When the installer displays the Microsoft .NET Framework Setup window, click the Next button.

  5. To proceed with installation, click the Accept option button, and then click the Next button. The installer will begin to copy files and update the system.

  6. When installation is complete, the installer displays a dialog box. Click the OK button.

Note   To properly uninstall the .NET Framework package, you should also use the Windows Add or Remove Programs option.

Manually Installing Dotnetfx.exe from a Network Share or Intranet Site

You can direct users to a download location for Dotnetfx.exe on a network share or a corporate intranet site. A user can run and install Dotnetfx.exe on the computer on which they want to deploy and run a .NET Framework application. Note that in order to install Dotnetfx.exe, you must have administrator privileges on the computer.

The .NET Framework also requires that MDAC 2.6 or later be installed for any application that includes data access. MDAC is available for download from the Universal Data Access Web site.

Manually Installing Dotnetfx.exe from the Microsoft Web site

You can direct users to a download location for Dotnetfx.exe or a location on the Microsoft Windows Update Web site. A user can run and install Dotnetfx.exe on the computer on which they want to deploy and run a .NET Framework application. Note that in order to install Dotnetfx.exe, you must have administrator privileges on the computer.

The .NET Framework also requires that MDAC 2.6 or later be installed for any application that includes data access. MDAC is available for download from the Universal Data Access Web site.

Creating a Single Setup Project to Install a .NET Framework Application and Dotnetfx.exe

The purpose of the Setup.exe Bootstrapper sample is to demonstrate how to create a single setup program that, when launched, installs the .NET Framework redistributable package Dotnetfx.exe, if necessary, and then installs a .NET Framework application. This sample bootstraps Dotnetfx.exe and a .NET Framework application's Microsoft Windows Installer-based setup program (.msi file). This sample is written in unmanaged code because it must be able to run on a computer where the .NET Framework is not installed. You can download a precompiled version of the Setup.exe.

The .NET Framework requires that MDAC 2.6 or later be installed for any application that includes data access. Microsoft provides MDAC_typ.exe, a stand-alone executable file that can be run to install MDAC. It is available for download from the Universal Data Access Web site. For .NET Framework applications that include data access, you can extend the Setup.exe Bootstrapper sample to silently install MDAC_typ.exe by checking for the existence of the registry key HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\DataAccess where the value of FullInstallVer is 2.6 or later. You can download a sample executable file that encapsulates the MDAC installation with a Windows Installer package (.msi file) from Install DCOM and MDAC Through a Windows Installer Package.

The Setup.exe Bootstrapper sample performs the following actions:

  1. Checks to see if a specified version of the .NET Framework is installed on the target computer.
  2. If the specified version is not installed, it launches a silent installation of Dotnetfx.exe and, if necessary, upgrades to Windows Installer 2.0. A computer reboot might be required.
  3. Installs the host .NET Framework application. If a computer reboot is required, it is suppressed until the host application is finished installing.

Detecting whether the .NET Framework is installed

The Setup.exe Bootstrapper sample demonstrates the code to use to wrap a setup program to verify if the .NET Framework is installed. The code checks for a specified version number of the .NET Framework in the following registry key.

HKLM\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\.NETFramework\policy\v1.0

The version number to check for is obtained from Dotnetfx.exe. The code performs a comparison between the build number in the registry key and the build number of the .NET Framework being hosted by the application. If there is not a matching build number in the registry key in this location, Setup.exe installs the version of the .NET Framework being hosted by the application.

Note that if you want Setup.exe to check for a build number and language version of the .NET Framework, you must specify the culture name of the language to check for in the settings.ini file. If you do not specify a culture name, Setup.exe checks for the English language version by default. See the Creating the Settings.ini File topic for instructions on specifying a culture name.

Launching a silent installation of Dotnetfx.exe

The following command launches a silent installation of Dotnetfx.exe.

dotnetfx.exe /q:a /c:"install /l /q"

A silent install suppresses the display of all user interface and error messages returned by Dotnetfx.exe and Install.exe, which is contained within Dotnetfx.exe. Specifying the /q:a and /q options for a silent install allows for a standardized user installation experience. Specifying the /l option creates a setup log file, netfx.log, in the %temp% directory where all errors are logged.

Processing common error codes

The following table describes the common errors that are processed by the Setup.exe Bootstrapper sample.

Error Default text
3010 Setup requires a reboot. Would you like to reboot now?

Reboot is required.
8192 Setup requires a reboot. Would you like to reboot now?

A computer reboot is required following the installation of Windows Installer.
4101 Another instance of setup is already running.

If another instance of setup is running, it will be allowed to continue and the current installation cannot proceed.
4097 You do not have the permissions necessary to install this application. Please contact your administrator.

On Windows NT, you must have administrator privileges to (un)install.
1633 Your computer is not configured properly to run this application. Please contact support.

Invalid platform.
All other errors Setup has encountered errors. Installation cannot proceed.

A fatal error occurred during setup. The installation of Dotnetfx.exe cannot proceed.

Calling an MSI setup for an application and suppressing reboot until the application is installed

The following command calls the MSI setup for the host application myapp.msi. The REBOOT=ReallySuppress option suppresses a computer reboot until myapp is finished installing.

msiexec /i myapp.msi REBOOT=ReallySuppress

Note that the Setup.exe Bootstrapper sample does not need to check for error codes generated by the host application, myapp, because this is not a silent install and all errors are displayed to the user through the Windows Installer user interface.

Creating the Settings.ini file

The Setup.exe Bootstrapper sample uses the external file, settings.ini, to determine the following:

  • The location of Dotnetfx.exe and the host application.
  • The language version of the .NET Framework for which it is checking.
  • Custom strings to use for Setup.exe dialog boxes.

The default location for settings.ini is in the same folder as Setup.exe. You can copy the settings.ini file provided with the Setup.exe Bootstrapper sample and then edit the file as necessary to specify the correct values for your application.

Specify the location of Dotnetfx.exe and the host application

The Setup.exe Bootstrapper sample requires Dotnetfx.exe and the host .NET Framework application to be in a known location relative to Setup.exe. The Setup.exe Bootstrapper sample uses the external file, settings.ini, to determine the location of Dotnetfx.exe and the host application. You can copy the settings.ini file provided with the sample and then edit the file to point to the locations of your .NET Framework host application and Dotnetfx.exe.

The following examples of settings.ini files illustrate how to point to a Windows Installer package (.msi file) for a host .NET Framework application and Dotnetfx.exe in various locations relative to the location of Setup.exe.

The following example settings.ini file points to the Windows Installer package for a .NET Framework application, mySetup.msi, and Dotnetfx.exe located in the same folder as Setup.exe.

[Bootstrap]
Msi=mySetup.msi
'LanguageDirectory=
ProductName= My Application 
DialogText=
CaptionText=My Application
ErrorCaptionText= My Application Error
FxInstallerPath=c:\myProjectFolder\

The following example settings.ini file points to the Windows Installer package for a .NET Framework application, mySetup.msi, and Dotnetfx.exe located on a network share, separate from Setup.exe.

[Bootstrap]
Msi=\\myNetworkShare\myProjectFolder\mySetup.msi
'LanguageDirectory=
ProductName=My Application
'DialogText=
CaptionText=My Application
ErrorCaptionText= My Application Error
FxInstallerPath=\\myNetworkShare\myProjectFolder\

The following example settings.ini file points to the Windows Installer package for a .NET Framework application, mySetup.msi, and Dotnetfx.exe located on the same computer as Setup.exe, but in different folders.

[Bootstrap]
Msi=c:\myInstallerFiles\mySetup.msi
'LanguageDirectory=
ProductName= My Application
'DialogText=
CaptionText=My Application
ErrorCaptionText= My Application Error
FxInstallerPath=c:\myExecutables\

The following example settings.ini file points to the Windows Installer package for a .NET Framework application, mySetup.msi, and Dotnetfx.exe located on the same CD as Setup.exe, but in different folders.

[Bootstrap]
Msi=myInstallerFiles/mySetup.msi
'LanguageDirectory=
ProductName= My Application
'DialogText=
CaptionText=My Application
ErrorCaptionText= My Application Error
FxInstallerPath=myExecutables/

Specify the language version

If you want Setup.exe to check for a build number and a language version of the .NET Framework, you must specify the culture name of the language to check for in the settings.ini file. If you do not specify a culture name, Setup.exe checks for the English language version by default.

The following table lists the available language versions and the culture name to specify in the settings.ini file.

Language Culture name
Chinese (Simplified) CHS
Chinese (Traditional) CHT
French fr
German de
Italian it
Japanese ja
Korean ko
Spanish es

The following example settings.ini file instructs Setup.exe to check for the French language version of Dotnetfx.exe.

[Bootstrap]
Msi=mySetup.msi
LanguageDirectory=fr
ProductName= My Application 
'DialogText=
CaptionText=My Application
ErrorCaptionText= My Application Error
FxInstallerPath=c:\myProjectFolder\

Customize strings for Setup.exe dialog boxes

You can edit the following variables in the settings.ini file to customize strings displayed in Setup.exe dialog boxes.

  • ProductName
    Specifies the name of the .NET Framework application Setup.exe will install. The product name that you specify is used to customize the text in the dialog box that appears after launching Setup.exe. For example, if you specify My Application as ProductName, the dialog box text reads, "To start My Application Setup, click OK. To quit without installing, click Cancel."

    If you do not customize the CaptionText variable, ProductName is also used to customize the title bar for the dialog box that appears after launching Setup.exe. For example, if you specify My Application as the ProductName, the title bar displays "My Application Setup." If you customize both ProductName and CaptionText, CaptionText is used to customize the title bar text in this dialog box.

    ProductName is also used to customize the title bar text in the success dialog box displayed when the application is finished installing. If you do not customize ProductName, the default text "Application Setup" is displayed.

  • DialogText
    Specifies the custom text to display in the dialog box that is displayed after launching Setup.exe. If you do not customize DialogText, the default text "To start Application Setup, click OK. To quit without installing, click Cancel" is displayed.

  • CaptionText
    Specifies the custom text to display in the title bar of the dialog box that appears after launching Setup.exe. If you do not customize CaptionText, ProductName is displayed. If ProductName is not customized, the default text "Application Setup" is displayed.

  • ErrorCaptionText
    Specifies the custom text to display in the title bar of Setup.exe error dialog boxes. If you do not customize ErrorCaptionText, the default text "Application Setup Error" is displayed.

Creating a readme file for a setup program

It is recommended that you distribute your setup program with a readme file that lists the minimum configuration requirements for the computer on which the setup program can successfully run. At a minimum, list Microsoft Windows 98 or later with Internet Explorer 5.01 or later installed as a requirement prior to installation. You should also list MDAC 2.6 or later, noting that it is not required for installation, but is required for .NET Framework applications that include data access. For more information on the minimum configuration requirements for installing Dotnetfx.exe, see Minimum Configuration Requirements.

Installing Localized Versions of Dotnetfx.exe

Dotnetfx.exe has been localized into eight languages. For a complete list of available languages, see the table in the previous section. You can download the localized versions of Dotnetfx.exe or the Microsoft Windows Update Web site.

When installing the .NET Framework redistributable package, Dotnetfx.exe, on a computer running the Microsoft Windows® 98 operating system, you must install the localized version of Dotnetfx.exe that corresponds to the localized version of Windows 98 running on the computer. For example, you must install the German version of Dotnetfx.exe on a computer running the German version of Windows 98. This limitation only applies to Windows 98. You can install any language version of Dotnetfx.exe on any language version of Windows ME, Windows 2000, Windows NT® 4.0, Windows XP, or the Windows Server 2003 family.

Minimum Configuration Requirements

This section describes the minimum configuration requirements for a computer where the .NET Framework redistributable package is to be installed. If the minimum requirements are not met, Dotnetfx.exe setup will block the installation of the redistributable package. Specifically, note that you cannot install the .NET Framework redistributable package on a computer running the Microsoft Windows 95 operating system.

Platform and Software Requirements

Minimum requirements

To install Dotnetfx.exe, you must have one of the following operating systems with Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.01 or later installed on your computer:

  • Microsoft Windows 98
  • Microsoft Windows 98 Second Edition
  • Microsoft Windows Millennium Edition (Windows Me)
  • Microsoft Windows NT 4 (Workstation or Server) with Service Pack 6a
  • Microsoft Windows 2000 (Professional, Server, or Advanced Server) with the latest Windows service pack and critical updates available from the Microsoft Security Web site.
  • Microsoft Windows XP (Home or Professional)
  • Microsoft Windows Server 2003 family

Caution   If you install Dotnefx.exe on Windows .NET Server Beta 3, you will break the version of the .NET Framework that is installed with the operating system. Windows .NET Server Beta 3 installs version 1.0.3215 of the .NET Framework. If you install a later version of the .NET Framework, version 1.0.3215 will be broken. If you install a later version, you can run and use the later version. However, you will not be able to use version 1.0.3215, even after uninstalling the later version.

Recommended software

Depending on your application requirements, you might also need to install one or more of the following:

Note   If the recommended software requirements are not met, setup will not block installation or warn you of their absence.

Recommended server software

Depending on your application requirements, you might also need the following server software:

  • MDAC 2.7 for data on the server, available at the Universal Data Access Web site.
  • Internet Information Services (IIS) on the server for Windows 2000, Windows XP (Professional), and Windows Server 2003. This is required for using ASP.NET applications.

Hardware Requirements

Minimum hardware requirements

Scenario CPU Required RAM Required
Client Pentium 90 MHz* 32 MB**
Server Pentium 133 MHz* 128 MB**

* Or the minimum CPU required to run the operating system, whichever is higher.

** Or the minimum RAM required to run the operating system, whichever is higher.

Recommended hardware requirements

Scenario CPU Recommended RAM Recommended
Client Pentium 90 MHz or faster 96 MB or higher
Server Pentium 133 MHz or faster 256 MB or higher