How to: Install the .NET Compact Framework
If you have installed Visual Studio on your computer, you can begin to develop and deploy applications using the .NET Compact Framework. Smart Device applications in Visual Studio use the .NET Compact Framework.
Some devices come with .NET Compact Framework installed in ROM. On other devices, the .NET Compact Framework must be installed to RAM. To see what version of the .NET Compact Framework is installed in ROM, see Devices and Platforms Supported by the .NET Compact Framework, and go the section on ROM Versions. If the .NET Compact Framework is installed in ROM on your device, but you need to develop for a more recent version, you can install the software to RAM.
If you have installed Visual Studio on your computer, you can install the .NET Compact Framework to RAM in two ways:
Install the software when you deploy your project.
Install the software using Windows Explorer.
For more information about using these methods, see How to: Install the .NET Compact Framework on a Device.
If you installed the Windows Software Development Kit (SDK) without Visual Studio, you must run a setup wizard to install the .NET Compact Framework assemblies and development files on your desktop computer and then install the .NET Compact Framework on your device to run your applications.
If the .NET Compact Framework has not yet been installed on your desktop computer, you can obtain the software from the .NET Compact Framework downloads page.
To install the .NET Compact Framework using the setup wizard
Connect your device to your computer with Windows Mobile Device Center or Microsoft ActiveSync.
Run netcfsetupv35.msi by downloading it from the .NET Compact Framework downloads page.
The Microsoft .NET Compact Framework - Setup Wizard appears.
Note
If you installed the Windows SDK, you can find netcfsetupv35.msi in \Program Files\Microsoft.NET\SDK\version\CompactFramework.
Complete the wizard steps.
The wizard checks to ensure that a compatible version of Windows Mobile Device Center or Microsoft ActiveSync has been installed. If the version is not compatible, a warning is displayed indicating that deployment to the device will not be available.
The wizard first installs the files for developing applications under the CompactFramework directory and then installs the .NET Compact Framework on your device.
Note
If you are installing the .NET Compact Framework version 2.0 SP1 or later, see Device Memory Management in the .NET Compact Framework for information about installing the global assembly cache to a storage card.
See Also
Tasks
How to: Compile at the Command Prompt
Other Resources
Building Applications and Core Tasks in the .NET Compact Framework