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Migrate to .NET Framework 4.8, 4.7, and 4.6.2

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If you created your app using an earlier version of .NET Framework, you can generally upgrade it to .NET Framework 4.6.2, .NET Framework 4.7 and its point releases (4.7.1 and 4.7.2), or .NET Framework 4.8 easily. Open your project in Visual Studio. If your project was created in an earlier version of Visual Studio, the Project Compatibility dialog box automatically opens. For more information about upgrading a project in Visual Studio, see Port, Migrate, and Upgrade Visual Studio Projects and Visual Studio 2022 Platform Targeting and Compatibility.

However, some changes in .NET Framework require changes to your code. You may also want to take advantage of functionality that is new in .NET Framework 4.6.2, in .NET Framework 4.7 and its point releases, or in .NET Framework 4.8. Making these types of changes to your app for a new version of .NET Framework is typically referred to as migration. If your app doesn't have to be migrated, you can run it in .NET Framework 4.6.2 or a later version without recompiling it.

Migration resources

Review the following documents before you migrate your app from earlier versions of .NET Framework to version 4.6.2, 4.7, 4.7.1, 4.7.2, 4.8, or 4.8.1:

  • See Versions and Dependencies to understand the CLR version underlying each version of the .NET Framework and to review guidelines for targeting your apps successfully.

  • Review Application compatibility to find out about runtime and retargeting changes that might affect your app and how to handle them.

  • Review What's Obsolete in the Class Library to determine any types or members in your code that have been made obsolete, and the recommended alternatives.

  • See What's New for descriptions of new features that you may want to add to your app.

See also