What is Microsoft .Net Framework or Runtimes?

Odds are you've heard about Microsoft .Net. You probably know you have it. And, if you use your computer a lot, you've probably had problems with it. This tutorial explains what .Net is, why you need it, and how to get it or address any problems.

We had to think long and hard about how to explain Microsoft. Net because it has a complicated history dating back to the first release in 2000.

Video tutorial:

.Net is a library of shared code for developers. That shared code allows them to insert it to perform functions without writing the code from scratch. If you're not a software developer, all you care about is that it works.

Any program written in .Net needs to have the .Net runtime installed. Windows 10 comes with .Net installed should update it as needed, which isn't very often. Often, when you don't have the correct version of .Net installed, it will automatically update you.

Starting with Microsoft .Net 3.5, all versions released are supposed to be backward compatible. For example, if you needed .Net version 4.6.1 and you installed 5.0, it should work.

Another confusing aspect is which .Net to download. End-users only need to download the Microsoft Windows Desktop Runtime. Over the years, it's been called the redistributable package or end-user runtimes. As of 5.0, it's now called Runtime and appears in Apps & features as Microsoft Windows Desktop Runtime.

Developers have the option of downloading .Net Core (cross-platform) or .Net Framework (Windows only). These are also known as Software Developer Kits or SDK.

Finally, running into .Net problems is nothing new. The biggest problem comes with applications built with Microsoft .Net before version 3.5 when backward compatibility was solved. For example, you might have a game that requires .Net 3.0. You have to find the exact version you need. Here's how to find out what versions of .Net you have installed.

The basic rule is if you need .Net 3.5 or older, download 3.5 and if you need .Net 3.5 or higher, download version 5.0.

Otherwise, if you know you need an older version of .Net, you can download them from MajorGeeks:

Microsoft .NET Framework Redistributable 5.0

Microsoft .NET Framework Redistributable 4.8

Microsoft .NET Framework Redistributable 4.5

Microsoft .NET Framework Redistributable 4.0

Microsoft .NET Framework Redistributable 3.5

Microsoft .NET Framework Redistributable 3.0

Microsoft .NET Framework Redistributable 2.0

Microsoft .NET Framework Redistributable 1.1

Microsoft .NET Framework Redistributable 1.0

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How to Check Which Microsoft .NET Version is Installed

Troubleshooting Microsoft .NET Framework Installations and Uninstallations