How to add .NET 3.5 feature without an Internet connection and without Windows 8 DVD?

Question

Hi,

To my knowledge there are only 2 ways to add the .NET 3.5 feature in Windows 8: 

1. Download it with an internet connection

2. Install it with a dism.exe command line targetting the sources of Windows 8 DVD (dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFX3 /Source:d:\sources\sxs /LimitAccess)

Many customers have restricted access to the Internet, even if they have one, i cannot ask them to download 10 times .NET 3.5 on 10 different machines. I also cannot ask them to use the Windows 8 DVD, sometimes they don't have it, they only have a recovery image of their machine (delivered when they bought the laptop).

Can we add .NET 3.5 feature with a standalone setup?

Thanks.

Olivier

Answer 1

Currently these are the only 2 ways to add .NET 3.5 in windows 8. Will communicate if this chnaged in future versions.

Answer 2

Or you can use the "dotNetFx35setup.exe /lang:enu" command boot the installation after you extract the .exe package. 

This way will let you install the .Net Framework 3.5 offline totally.

This way also used in the SDK6.0 bootstrapper, so you can copy it into your SDK7.0 directory, so that you can use this way for your application, if you application is using Visual Studio 2010 developed.

C:\Program Files (x86)\Microsoft SDKs\Windows\v6.0A\Bootstrapper\Packages\DotNetFX35 

I have not found any document mentioned these ways for users products released, but I tested this way in my Windows 8, you can test it before you decide use those undocument way in your product deployment.

Best wishes,

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Mike Zhang[MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 3

Hi Mike,

I have already tried out ot run dotNetFx35Setup.exe from the command line. I have tried again to be sure, but each time you do this, Windows 8 circumvents the installation and shows a the Windows 8 dialog for adding a .NET feature. You have no choice and must click "Download and Install", and if the internet connection is down, the processing fails.

Unfortunately Devendar is right, currently there is no way to perfom a standalone installation, and it's a big concern! I can't validate my software for Windows 8 if i'm unable to do this. I already hear my managers yelling :-(

Olivier

Answer 4

I don't know why yours cannot work, maybe this way is really not very fine, since I cannot find any document provide this way to install the .Net Framework. The difference between you and me would be that I tested it in my Windows 8 x86 Consumer Preview System and extract the files form the .Net Framework 3.5 SP1 package, then start a Command Line to execute the "dotNetFx35setup.exe /lang:ENU" command. And it really can work for me after times failed to install the .Net Framework 3.5 SP1 (Full package) to my Win8. 

https://connect.microsoft.com/VisualStudio/feedback/details/732510/failed-to-install-net-framework-3-5-full-package-to-windows-8-consumer-preview 

Now, I submit this issue to MS Connect.

Best wishes,

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Mike Zhang[MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 5

I have tried:

- running dotnetfx35-SP1.exe with /lang:ENU

- extracting the content of dotnetfx35-SP1.exe then run dotNetFx35setup.exe with /lang:ENU

i have the same result => Windows 8 forces a download of the .NET 3.5 feature.

I use Windows 8 Consumer Preview 64-bit in English.

Answer 6

Yes, my personal computer system is also the same as you described.

I remembered that I tried to install the .Net Framework 3.5 SP1 times by just double click on the package, and all failed.

At last i found this way form internet, and tried it in my computer, it works.

If yours always cannot work, then I have no idea, now, I would say that we only can wait for the MS Connect response.

Have a good weekend!

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Mike Zhang[MSFT]
MSDN Community Support | Feedback to us

Answer 7

Hi,

does Anyone knows the solution to solve the probem of installion .Net 3.5 from a local .net download setup exe?

I followed the link above but MS does not seem to have the answer.

Thanks

Answer 8

Oliver, you are 100% right. This method works 100%, just used it on a fresh install of Windows 8 professional

Answer 9

Hi,

You shouldn't need to do this. If the user has Windows 8 installed, .NET 3.5 does not need to be installed, it is just a feature that needs to be enabled. If you have .NET 3.5 specified as a prerequisite, Windows 8 will recognize it and enable the feature, not download the package and install it.

RobinDotNet

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Click here to visit my ClickOnce blog!
Microsoft MVP, Client App Dev

Answer 10

I have a clean win 8 computer without internet access and I can assure you this is a problem. I tried to install SQL Express 2012 and couldn't because the Framework 3.5 feature is a dependency. The error given stated that I needed the Feature enabled before I could install which I tried to do. However, since I have no internet it failed. I then downloaded the standalone install of the 3.5 and ran that. It provided a message stating that a feature needed to be enabled and volunteered to enable it for me (the only other option was to cancel). I selected enable and after 20 secs was told that it could not be enabled because it could not find an internet connection. So even though I had a full install handy, I still needed internet.

Makes no sense to me. I would think there would be a way to run the full install provided through Microsoft that doesn't require internet access.