Uninstalling .NET framework?

Myles45

Hi All,

Looking for some advice please on this.

A good while back I was having some minor problems with a software program I had installed & the supplier had suggested that I should uninstall NET Framework & then re install the latest version, I never got round to it, as when I looked in add remove programs, there was a whole list of NET framework bits from version 1 to 3.5 & I wasn't sure what it would be safe to uninstall. Not even sure what NET Framework actually is, other than I know various programs use it

See the attached pdf which shows all that is installed.

Is it ok to remove the lot & reinstall just the latest version, & if so where would I get it from & how easy is it to install.

Thanks in advance for your help
Regards
Myles

AlmightyCushion

It's a set of libraries designed by microsoft. Various programmes would use it so uninstalling it may cause somethings to not work. There should be no disadvantage to leaving all the older ones there but if you want to get rid and re-install then definitely do it. The .net framework can be downloaded from microsoft. If I remember correctly windows update will pick it up as an optional install. If so, just un-install it. Then run windows update and select optional downloads. Then just tick the neccesary boxes and run the update.

Myles45

Thanks for the reply,

I've just done a bit more googling on this & it seems to be a real minefield, some people saying that you do need all versions of NFW from 1 to 3.5 + service packs etc & that they must be removed & installed in order. If I uninstall everything on the attached list, would windows update allow me to re install all the different versions & updates etc & how would I know which bits are needed & which are not?

Myles

Capt'n Midnight

I'm just waiting to see what the correct answer is on this one. The official line is yes it should work.

Yes I've come across badly programmed installers that demanded a particular version of dot net :mad::mad:

In an ideal world you could remove all the dotnet cleanly (ha) install the latest version and away you go.

Myles45

Thanks Capt'n, I will await the result of your investigation, as unfortunately the world is far from ideal...:)

ressem

Installing .Net version 3.5 and 3.5 Sp1 automatically changes the version of .net 2 and 3 to sp2. (Which did at the time result in programs breaking and needing patches by suppliers.)

If the software company can provide the information then it can be possible to add the paths pointing at the desired company supplied assemblies to the application config file.
edit: that's incomprehensible isn't it. The assemblies that make up each framework are usually registered in the Global Assembly Cache. If you know which assembly versions that the program is looking for then then can be placed instead in, say, an application subfolder. Then you can edit the application config file to point to them instead.

Otherwise at runtime the app looks up the windows GAC and can choose a non-working version.

Can you list the problem program and other programs on the machine? If it's not a critical server then attempting to reinstalling 3.5 SP1 might be all that's needed to update/reinstall the rest.

Edit2: more likely though you need to avoid installing framework 3.5 and just install the versions 2 and 3 as 3.5 might be breaking the old programs. If that works yell at your software supplier.

Myles45

Hi Ressem,

Thanks for the reply. I've just noticed, that there is a folder named "Net framework.2" in C: whereas the rest of the Net Framework folders appear to be in C:\WINDOWS\Microsoft.NET\Framework, labelled:
v1.0.3705
v1.1.4322
v2.0.50727
v3.0
v3.5

Could this be causing an issue, as the software in question requires v2. should I just drop that folder directly into the same place as the others?

Myles

ressem

No. Just copying the folder wouldn't help. Assuming it's contents have a similar folder structure to C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727

Many of the dlls would need to be registered first. If you look at the file
C:\Windows\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v2.0.50727\RedistList\FrameWorkList.xml it'll tell you which versions are provided by this version of the framework, and which should be registered in the GAC.

But that really is a horribly complex way of trying to fix this bug.

Note that it's a pretty confusing number system.
All of 2,3 and 3.5 use a CLR version of 2.0.50727.
But they have a build number of
2.0 RTM 2.0.50727.42 .Net 2 and 3 (3 is 2 with added bits)
2.0 SP1 2.0.50727.1433 .Net 3.5 RTM
2.0 SP2 2.0.50727.3053 .Net 3.5 SP1

And I'm guessing this is where your application is breaking.

In your situation, I'd create a virtual machine running windows and install your problem application on it, with it's old version of .net. Check that it works. Then install 3.5 SP1 and see if it still works.

If the app has a public demo version I'd try it for you this evening.

If these are not options for you then uninstall 3.5 only.

Reinstall .net 2 from
http://www.microsoft.com/downloads/details.aspx?FamilyID=0856EACB-4362-4B0D-8EDD-AAB15C5E04F5&displaylang=en
Try your app.

If there's an issue with another app then reinstalling 3.5 sp1 will return you to the old state.