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Working on some old projects targeting .NET Framework 4.0. I used VS 2022 to open the solution and was told to install 4.0 targeting pack.
I can't find the download link on the dotnet website, nor the installation option in Visual Studio Installer.
Anyway to install it?
(Of course I know it's no longer supported. But I cannot just make it target a newer version, because my boss does not let me do that.)
OK I found a solution. Hope it can help if you are facing the similar problem.
Just download VS 2019. In the installer check .NET 4 multi targeting pack only (no need to install other payloads). Install.
Then VS 2022 should be able to build projects targeting 4.0.
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(288, 79%, 37%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EGG%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Lee, thanks so much man, your solution worked perfectly for me!
Odd. I still have several ancient projects using .NET 3.5 and .NET 4.0, and they still compile just fine under the latest 2022 17.6.4 and even 2022 17.7.0 Preview 2. Maybe it is also because I have 2019 and 2017 installed? But I know they compiled and ran before 2017 and 2019 were added. I added the older Frameworks, all the way back to 3.5, via the Visual Studio Installer (using the installer makes everything easier, especially for it clearly flagging updates). Maybe that makes a difference? The only things 2022 does not like is old OLE2/ActiveX Controls, like MAPI and the AVI Animation control. I also noticed that 2022 will run fine the Power Packs Shape controls version 9 (later versions, like version 12, though, have compatibility issues with 2022).
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(316.8, 51%, 40%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EDP%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Thanks Lee , you saved my day ))))
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(240, 12%, 33%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3ENH%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Thanks Lee
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(70.4, 44%, 16%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EHB%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
This way could be a solution without the whole payload:
Use a VS 2019 installer as mentioned above and then proceed from command line:
Microsoft.Net.4.TargetingPack vs_<Edition> --layout <TargetDirectory> --add Microsoft.Net.4.TargetingPacknetfx_dtp.msi from directory Microsoft.Net.4.TargetingPack,version=4.0.30319.2![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(198.4, 28.000000000000004%, 29%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3ELE%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Hi, just download the reference assemblies from nuget.org (click on the "Download package" link) open the file as zip and paste the content of the folder build\.NETFramework\ into Program files (x86)\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETFramework.
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This worked for me. Thank you!
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(102.4, 85%, 19%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EM%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
You saved my day. Thanks a lot!
It's been a long time since the last time I visited this page. But this answer is actually heading the right way. Furthermore, you can just add Microsoft.NETFramework.ReferenceAssemblies package. And read more about this here.
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Download the packages, open them as an archive, and extract \build\.NETFramework to the corresponding folder under "C:\Program Files (x86)\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\.NETFramework".
Credits: Building a project that target .NET Framework 4.5 in Visual Studio 2022
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Wonderful answer, other times i resorted to installing vs 2019 but this it the most logical, clean and straight solution. Thanks !
For reference, i downloaded 4.0 from here https://www.nuget.org/packages/Microsoft.NETFramework.ReferenceAssemblies.net40/
![](data:image/svg+xml, %3Csvg xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2000/svg' height='64' class='font-weight-bold' style='font: 600 30.11764705882353px "SegoeUI", Arial' width='64'%3E%3Ccircle fill='hsl(153.6, 89%, 24%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EJL%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Hi @Lee Feng ,
According to Install .NET Framework for developers
Starting with Visual Studio 2022, Visual Studio no longer includes .NET Framework components for .NET Framework 4.0 - 4.5.1 because these versions are no longer supported. Visual Studio 2022 and later versions can't build apps that target .NET Framework 4.0 through .NET Framework 4.5.1. To continue building these apps, you can use Visual Studio 2019 or an earlier version.
Best Regards.
Jiachen Li
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Hello,
Thanks for posting the query here and I'm happy to help you regarding this Dot NET upgrade.
If you have VS 2022 installed, it should have included latest dot net versions.
Please find below link to download load latest version of .Net 4.8.1 - https://dotnet.microsoft.com/en-us/download/dotnet-framework/net48
Here is a helpful page with information on .NET
https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/dotnet/
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(Of course I know it's no longer supported. But I cannot just make it target a newer version, because my boss does not let me do that.)
I guess you didn't notice the restriction mentioned by the questioner.
Just an observation.
Although the .NET 4 Multi Targeting Pack is not available to Community Editions, one might notice we can still build existing .NET 4 Framework projects in VB2022 Community Edition. Therefore, take a copy of any old VB project, strip it down to bare bones, and use it as a "Framework4" Project Template to build fresh .NET 4 Framework Class Library projects under VB2019 or VB2022 Community Editions. I use a tiny already-bare-bones test console application and added a form window. This can be easily transformed into a windowed project with quick selections in the project properties.