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Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.1 coming to WSUS

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Hi WSUS Admins,

The Microsoft .NET Framework 4.6.1 will be made available via Windows Server Update Services for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2012 R2 platforms on 26 January 2016 and this blog highlights some of the key aspects.

The .NET Framework is a development platform for building apps for Windows, Windows Phone, Windows Server, and Windows Azure. The .NET Framework 4.6.1 is a highly compatible, in-place update to the .NET Framework 4, 4.5, 4.5.1, 4.5.2 and 4.6. The .NET Framework 4.6.1 can be installed fresh or can be used to upgrade your previous .NET 4 or 4.5 or 4.5.1 or 4.5.2 or 4.6 installation. Applications built against and running on .NET 4, 4.5, 4.5.1, 4.5.2 or .NET 4.6 will automatically roll forward to using the newer .NET 4.6.1 runtime without any need to recompile the application. 

The .NET Framework 4.6.1 installs side by side with older Framework versions lower than .NET 4 such as .NET 3.5 SP1. Applications that are based on earlier versions of the Framework such as .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 will continue to run on .NET 3.5 SP1 and will not automatically roll forward to using .NET 4.6.1.

You can learn more about .NET Framework 4.6.1 here.

Useful information about this release:

  1. The .NET Framework 4.6.1 and its corresponding language packs are being released via WSUS and WU for Windows 7 SP1 and Windows Server 2012 R2. For other platforms, such as Windows 8.1, Windows Server 2008 R2 SP1 or Windows Server 2012, an offline installer is available here.
  2. The .NET Framework 4.6.1 Language Packs will also be available via WSUS, both to support the upgrade of previous language packs for .NET Frameworks 4, 4.5, 4.5.1, 4.5.2, 4.6 and for computers that either have the localized version of the base operating system or have one or more Multilingual User Interface (MUI) packs installed.
  3. When you synchronize your WSUS server with Microsoft Update server (or use Microsoft Update Catalog site for importing updates), you will see that there are two updates with .NET Framework 4.6.1 being published for each platform. The difference in the updates is scoped to the different applicability logic for targeting different computers. Please read the details included in the description of the respective update to get more information. We recommend that you import both the updates, if you plan to deploy .NET Framework 4.6.1 in your Enterprise.
    • One of the .NET Framework 4.6.1 updates will install only on computers that have an earlier version such as .NET 4, 4.5, 4.5.1, or 4.5.2 installed
    • The other .NET Framework 4.6.1 update will install on those computers that either have .NET 4.6 installed or no .NET Framework installed.
  4. Computers that do not have .NET Framework 4.5.2 or a higher version installed with be offered both .NET Framework 4.5.2 and .NET Framework 4.6.1. You have an option to choose the .NET Framework version you need.
  5. Enterprises that have a specific need to block offering .NET Framework 4.6.1 on computers which can directly connect to Microsoft Update servers can do so by deploying the blocker registry key as described in following Microsoft Knowledge Base:  

KB3133990: How to temporarily block the installation of the .NET Framework 4.6.1 and its corresponding language packs

Comments

  • Anonymous
    January 27, 2016
    212 Microsoft Team blogs searched, 44 blogs have new articles. 139 new articles found searching from
  • Anonymous
    March 21, 2016
    My classroom computers all have .NET Framework 4.6.1, but when I check the version of Powershell it is only version 2 (I thought version 4 of Powershell came with .NET Framework 4.5).How do I get version 4 or higher of Powershell running on my computers?
  • Anonymous
    April 08, 2016
    .NET Framework 4.6.1 breaks the Windows 2012 R2 Cluster Management Tool.NET Framework 4.6.1 will install on a Windows 2012 R2 Server even if 4.5.2 is not installed