Install .NET Framework 3.5 on Windows Server

We like to start an application that we just installed on Windows Server. After starting the application, the Windows Features screen shows up that .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0) feature couldn’t be installed. We like to enable .NET Framework 3.5 on Windows Server to run the application. In this article, you will learn how to install .NET Framework 3.5 on Windows Server.

The following feature couldn’t be installed: .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0)

After opening the application, the Windows Features screen shows up with the message:

The following feature couldn’t be installed: NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0). Windows Server roles and features cannot be automatically installed or uninstalled via the Windows Features Control Panel. To Install Windows Server roles and features, start Server Manager, or use the Server Manager cmdlets for Windows PowerShell.

How to install .NET Framework 3.5?

There are a couple of ways to install .NET Framework on Windows Server. In this article, we are going to use:

1. Windows PowerShell
2. Add Roles and Features in Server Manager

Check .NET Framework 3.5 with PowerShell

Find .NET Framework 3.5 on Windows Server with PowerShell. Run PowerShell as administrator. Use one of the cmdlets.

PS C:\> Get-WindowsFeature -Name "NET-Framework-Core"

Display Name                                            Name                       Install State
------------                                            ----                       -------------
    [ ] .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0)  NET-Framework-Core               Removed


PS C:\> (Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v3.5").Version
Get-ItemProperty : Cannot find path 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v3.5' because it does not exist.
At line:1 char:2
+ (Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\ ...
+  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    + CategoryInfo          : ObjectNotFound: (HKLM:\SOFTWARE\... Setup\NDP\v3.5:String) [Get-ItemProperty], ItemNotFoundException
    + FullyQualifiedErrorId : PathNotFound,Microsoft.PowerShell.Commands.GetItemPropertyCommand

The first cmdlet output shows that the install state is Removed. The second cmdlet output shows that it can’t find the registry path because it does not exist.

Now that we can see that the .NET Framework version is not installed on the system, we will install it in the next step.

Install .NET Framework 3.5 with PowerShell

If there is an internet on the Windows Server and you can retrieve Windows Updates from Microsoft, you can install .NET Framework 3.5 with PowerShell.

PS C:\> Install-WindowsFeature NET-Framework-Core

Success Restart Needed Exit Code      Feature Result
------- -------------- ---------      --------------
True    No             Success        {.NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and...

The column Exit code with value Success means that it’s installed successfully.

Verify .NET Framework 3.5 with PowerShell

Verify that .NET Framework 3.5 is installed on Windows Server with the cmdlets.

PS C:\> Get-WindowsFeature -Name "NET-Framework-Core"

Display Name                                            Name                       Install State
------------                                            ----                       -------------
    [X] .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0)  NET-Framework-Core             Installed


PS C:\> (Get-ItemProperty -Path "HKLM:SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v3.5").Version
3.5.30729.4926

Install .NET Framework 3.5 with Server Manager

Start Server Manager and click Manage. Click Add Roles and Features in the menu to start the wizard.

Click Next.

Again, click on Next.

One more time on Next.

Check the checkbox .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0). Click Next.

Click Install to confirm the installation.

Installation succeeded. Click Close.

Verify .NET Framework 3.5 with Server Manager

Go through the same steps as above. This time you will see a greyed out checked checkbox in front of .NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0).

I hope that this helped you to install .NET Framework 3.5 on Windows Server. If the installation is giving you errors, and .NET Framework 3.5 is not installing, read the documentation by Microsoft.

Keep reading: Check which NET Framework versions are installed »

Conclusion

In this article, you learned how to install .NET Framework 3.5 on Windows Server. In my example, it was Windows Server 2016. It will work for Windows Server 2012/R2, Windows Server 2016, and Windows Server 2019. Run the PowerShell cmdlet to download and install the feature .NET Framework version. You can also use Server Manager and the Add Roles and Features to install the .NET Framework version.

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