ASP.Net? What is this?

Question

Do I need ASP.net? Where did it come from? Is it harmful? What is it for?

Answer 1

ASP.NET is a Microsoft web development framework for building websites, web apps, and web APIs. It's part of the .NET Framework (and now .NET 6/7/8 under “ASP.NET Core”). It lets developers use languages like C# or VB.NET to build dynamic web content like company websites or intranets, Web services (APIs), Web portals or dashboards, authentication and data-driven applications

ASP.NET was created by Microsoft around 2002 as the successor to classic ASP (“Active Server Pages”). It's built into Windows and IIS (Internet Information Services), the Windows web server. If you have .NET Framework installed, ASP.NET components are often included automatically. That's why you might see:

• ASP.NET entries under “Windows Features”
• IIS folders like C:\inetpub\wwwroot
• Services such as ASP.NET State Service

Even if you never used it yourself, it can appear because:

• Some software (like SharePoint, WSUS, or Exchange) depends on it.
• Windows installs it as part of the IIS/web server components.

ASP.NET is not harmful. It's a legitimate Microsoft technology — not malware or bloatware. However, if you don't use it, it just takes up a bit of disk space. If you're running a web server and leave it enabled unnecessarily, it could expose attack surfaces if not properly secured — but on a normal desktop, it's inert.

Your need for it depends on what you use your computer for:

Situation	Do you need ASP.NET?
You're a typical Windows user (web browsing, Office, etc.)	No
You run or host websites using IIS	Yes
You develop .NET web apps (C#, Visual Studio)	Yes
You use software like WSUS, SharePoint, or some enterprise tools	Yes (it's required)

If you don't use any web server or .NET web apps, you can remove it by using the following steps:

1. Open Control Panel → Programs → Turn Windows features on or off.
2. Uncheck:
   • Internet Information Services (IIS)
   • ASP.NET (under .NET Framework)
3. Click OK.

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hth

Marcin