How to install .NET 4 Framework in Windows 10

If you really want to install the development part of .NET 4.0 or 4.5.2 in Windows 10 you need, depending on the version, the following:

1. The libraries:

   • for 4.5.2, grab the .NET framework 4.5.2 Developer Pack

   • for 4.0, grab the Microsoft Windows SDK for Windows 7 and .NET Framework 4 (ISO), mount it and run Setup\SDKSetup.exe (the autorun will cry that .NET 4 isn’t available in Windows 10 so go directly to SDKSetup.exe). Note that you’ll need to grab GRMSDKX_~, which is probably the x64 version out of the 3 available there, {x86, itanium, x64}, otherwise it cries about not finding some file.

     Anyways, install from there only 1 package – .NET Development\Intellisense and Reference Assemblies and move further.

     • upgrade 4.0 to the latest 4.0.3 with the Multi-Targeting Pack for Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0.3 (KB2600213)

2. The tools (csc, msbuild): grab the 2017 versions, the newest, as they’ll work with both 4.5.2 or 4.0 from before. Go to the Visual Studio downloads site, scroll down and download from way below the Build Tools for Visual Studio 2017 package.

   From the setup you’ll need the following Individual components:

   • .NET Framework 4.6.1 SDK
   • .NET Framework 4.6.1 targetting pack (they’re useful because they bring nice executables such as tlbimp.exe for example)
   • C# and Visual Basic Roslyn compilers (brings csc.exe and msbuild.exe)

You should be golden now!