Why is .NET Framework 3.5 important?
While the latest version of may be .NET Framework 4.5.2 which comes pre-installed in Windows 8.1, there is always a need for the earlier version of the framework which is necessary to run applications requiring the version 3.5 or earlier specifically. Version 3.5 can also be installed along side version 4 or above. This is why it’s important to have .NET Framework 3.5 installed on your system for older applications to work properly. There are various ways of installing the framework. Some of them are discussed below:
Installing .NET Framework 3.5 on demand
If you are installing an app which requires .NET Framework 3.5 but doesn’t find it on the system, it will automatically show the following dialog. You will only need to select Install This Feature to automatically download and install the framework. This will include both version 2.0 and 3.5 so that the application has all the required files for execution.
Installing .NET Framework 3.5 from the Control Panel
If you want to install .NET Framework 2.0 and 3.5 yourself, you can follow the steps below: This will download all the required components from the Internet and automatically install the framework for you.
Installing .NET Framework 3.5 in offline mode without connecting to the Internet
If you don’t have an Internet connection, you’ll need to follow the steps below to install the framework in offline mode. Make sure you have the Windows 8 or 8.1 DVD or the source files to install the framework in offline mode. Otherwise, you can download .NET Framework 3.5 offline installer from the below location and install it by double clicking the downloaded setup. If you don’t have an active Internet connection, Windows will give the following error:
Download .NET Framework 3.5 offline installer
If none of the methods for installing works, then you can just download the standalone installer of .NET Framework 3.5 and install it anywhere you want. Download .NET Framework 3.5 from here.
Troubleshooting the errors during installation of the framework
0x800F081F and 0x800F0906 errors
These are the most common errors that you will encounter while installing .NET Framework 3.5. Here’s an explanation of both the codes: 0x800F081F – The source files could not be found 0x800F0906 – The source files could not be downloaded If you are connected to the Internet and still are encountering this issue, this is because you have installed the following Windows updates: These are the security updates for .NET Framework 3.5 which must be installed on the current installation of the framework. But since Microsoft applies these updates regardless of whether framework 3.5 is installed or not, they get installed even when the framework is not installed. If these updates are installed first and then you try to install the framework, you will get the above mentioned errors. You will need to uninstall the above mentioned updates, install the .NET Framework 3.5 through one of the methods mentioned above and finally install the updates again.
Using Group Policy to control the installation
If the above mentioned method doesn’t work and you still can’t install the framework, just follow the instruction below and try again: Hopefully this will let you install the .NET Framework 3.5 without any further errors. If you are still having problems with your installation, please let us know through comments below and we’ll try to solve the problems for you. Also see:
How to Install .NET Framework 3.5 in Windows 114 Ways To Repair .NET FrameworkDownload Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5.1 Offline Installer.NET Framework All Versions Offline Installers Direct Download LinksMicrosoft .NET Framework 4.7.1 Offline Installer [All Languages]
