Greetings,

   The microsoft doco on dotnet 4.5 doesnt make this clear.

   If I am installing a brand new server, do I need to install dotnet v4.0, then dotnet V4.5 or does installing dotnet v4.5 fully include all of dotnet v4.0?

Thanks

David Z

It depends. If you need to run a program/application that is developed using .Net technology, that is when you have to install .Net Framework.

.Net 4.5 is an in-place replacement for .NET 4.0. That be said, when .NET 4.5 is installed it effectively replaces .NET 4.0 on the machine.

Thanks.

Let me put it another way.

I am building brand new servers. I want the latest and greatest but also want to allow for backward compatibility. I also want to minimise my install time by not having to install unnecessary components.

In my server builds I have added the .net framework 3.5 sp1 thingy.

I have in my possession both the .net 4.0 and .net 4.5 full installers.

I want any program that requires .net 4.0 functionality to work without failure of missing any .net 'bits' (Im an administrator, not a developer) and I want any program that needs .net 4.5 to work also.

Do I need to install .net 4.0 then 4.5, or can I just run the .net 4.5 full installer and will all .net 4.0 programs work just fine?

Thanks

David Z

Please read through this post in .Net Framework forum.

Does installing .NET 4.5 REALLY replace .NET 4.0 assemblies?
http://social.msdn.microsoft.com/Forums/vstudio/en-US/b5f69d36-0246-4c0d-b9a3-04760e78f544/does-installing-net-45-really-replace-net-40-assemblies

The latest version is 4.5; however, 4.0 is the base which links to all versions to support a unified solution for apps regardless of what os is installed on the server, client side, and end user. The app becomes backwards compatible across multiple platforms.