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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.)
.NET: Microsoft Technologies based on the .NET software framework. Runtime: An environment required to run apps that aren't compiled to machine language.
A core feature of Visual Studio that allows developers to inspect, analyze, and troubleshoot code during execution.
An object-oriented and type-safe programming language that has its roots in the C family of languages and includes support for component-oriented programming.
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I want to upgrade Netframework to NET 8.0. On sqlproj file I am mentioning frameworkVersion
<TargetFrameworkVersion>net8.0<TargetFrameworkversion> but cant load project getting error:
The expression "[MSBuild]::VersionGreaterThanOrEquals(net8.0, 4.0 )" cannot be evaluated. Version string was not in the correct format.
trying load without TargetframeworkVerison it recommends I should upgrade it .net framework 4.8 but I want .net 8.0 how to fix?
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)
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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(256, 17%, 34%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3ETM%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Thanks for sharing this solution. It got me out of a tight spot.
![](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(108.80000000000001, 54%, 20%)' cx='32' cy='32' r='32' /%3E%3Ctext x='50%25' y='55%25' dominant-baseline='middle' text-anchor='middle' fill='%23FFF' %3EOQ%3C/text%3E%3C/svg%3E)
I don't download vs 2019, please help me to download vs 2019?
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I had to go to archive.org to get an installer for VS2019 Community Edition - the only other way is to buy an MSDN Subscription. Grrrrrrrrrr! Why is MS doing this? What's going to happen with VS2026, WinForms suddenly vanish? Oh no, you can't download VS2022...
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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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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/
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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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how to download vs 2019? I can't download it!
Sadly, we cannot download VS2019 anymore. However, we can still use Dot Net 4.0 and lower frameworks in VS2022.
When ready, select Modify on the Installed tab for Visual Studio 2022 (even Community), then select the Individual Components tab, where we can select any needed 32-bit Framework SDK's and their matching Targeting Pack; from .NET Framework 3.5, all the way up to .NET Framework 4.8.1. If desired targets already have a checkmark in their selection box, this means they are already installed (for me, I just make sure they are all selected).
Fire up VS2022 and then select Create a New Project. We might have to slide down the list a bit, but what we are looking for is not just a [Visual Basic] [Windows] [Desktop] project, but more specifically we want a Windows Form App (.NET Framework), not just a Windows Form App in its long list of Visual Basic Windows Desktop application templates.
When we select the Next button, we enter the Configure your new project dialog. Here, we can select the Framework dropdown and choose the actual .NET Framework we want to build our application under, such as .NET Framework 4.7.2.
Finally, name the project and select the Create button. That is all there is to it.
Oops! Forgot to mention we are launching the Visual Studio Installer, not Visual Studio 2022. The installer is preinstalled on VS stations.
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.
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.