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Uninstalling .NET Framework 3.5 SP1

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You may have a need to uninstall .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, perhaps for testing purposes or because you find it causes you some specific issue with an application you have. If this is the case, it's important to realise that when you install .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 it actually updates the .NET 2.0 bits and the .NET 3.0 bits as well:

image

The thing to bear in mind is that .NET 2.0, .NET 3.0 and .NET 3.5 are not independent versions of the framework that can sit side by side or can co-exist without each other. The later versions are layered on top of the previous one. So you can have 2.0 without 3.0 and 3.5, and you can have 3.0 without 3.5 (but it still has 2.0 at its core) but you cannot have 3.5 without 3.0 and 2.0.

I think of it like this:

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And after you've installed .NET 3.5 SP1 you have this:

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Also, since the updates for the "inner" parts of the framework are "slipstream" installs it means that when you uninstall the service pack you are not just removing the update, you are removing "the framework and the service pack".

In other words, to get your system back to the state it was before the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 install you need to remove .NET Framework 3.5 SP1, .NET Framework 3.0 SP2 and .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 and then, assuming you want to have .NET Framework 3.5 on there you need to then reinstall that. Took me about 20 minutes and one reboot altogether.

Aaron Stebner has written a very useful blog post on doing this.

HTH

Doug

Comments

  • Anonymous
    August 18, 2008
    PingBack from http://blog.a-foton.ru/2008/08/uninstalling-net-framework-35-sp1/

  • Anonymous
    April 09, 2009
    The Issue: In the last few months, we have seen quite a few cases where after installing .net framework

  • Anonymous
    April 09, 2009
    The Issue: In the last few months, we have seen quite a few cases where after installing .net framework

  • Anonymous
    April 09, 2009
    The Issue: In the last few months, we have seen quite a few cases where after installing .net framework

  • Anonymous
    January 01, 2010
    I cannot install 3.0 Net framework...... it says that i already have an newer version of NF but i already uninstalled 3.5 , 3.0 , 2.0

  • Anonymous
    February 13, 2010
    i want to uninstall net framework !!!!!!!!!!!

  • Anonymous
    June 24, 2010
    The comment has been removed

  • Anonymous
    June 28, 2010
    For all .NET Framework installation, de-installation, repair and troubleshooting I strongly recommend this blog: blogs.msdn.com/.../unified-net-framework-troubleshooting-guide.aspx HTH Doug

  • Anonymous
    June 03, 2012
    best tool ever to uninstall net framework [code]    * cid-27e6a35d1a492af7.skydrive.live.com/.../dotnetfx_cleanup_tool.zip [/code]

  • Anonymous
    February 09, 2015
    I ran into an issue with uninstalling 3.5.1 this past weekend and it came down to something as simple as ensuring WMI service was running. It wasn't running because I had placed an account in the service that didn't have the correct perms. As soon as I switched the service to the default admin the service started working and I was able to successfully uninstall .net 3.5 and then reinstall it.

  • Anonymous
    February 09, 2015
    Hi James, thanks for sharing your experience!