How To: Install DotNet3.5 Offline In Windows 8

Now-a-days almost all 3rd party software require Microsoft .NET Framework installed in your system. The required .NET Framework version might be different for different software and the most required .NET Framework version is 3.5 which comes preinstalled in Windows 7.

If you are using Windows 8, you might face a problem while trying to run a program which requires .NET Framework 3.5 version. Windows 8 doesn't come with .NET Framework 3.5 version. It comes with the latest .NET Framework 4.5 version preinstalled.

Whenever you try to open a program requiring .NET Framework 3.5, you get following message:

An app on your PC needs the following Windows feature:
.NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0)

There are 2 buttons given to install the .NET Framework version or to skip the installation. If you decide to install it, Windows tries to connect to Internet to download the setup files of .NET Framework 3.5.

That's strange because Windows 8 setup contains .NET Framework 3.5 setup files but still Windows tries to connect to Internet. It would have been better and easier if Windows 8 installed the .NET Framework 3.5 without Internet connection just like it does for other Windows components such as Media Center, Internet Explorer, etc which can be installed or uninstalled using "Programs and Features" applet in Control Panel.

If you don't have an Internet connection or if you don't want to waste time and bandwidth in downloading the setup files, here is a way to install .NET Framework 3.5 offline in Windows 8.

Today in this tutorial, we'll tell you how to install .NET Framework 3.5 in Windows 8 without any need of Internet connection. You can install it offline with the help of a single command. This method requires Windows 8 setup disc or ISO file so make sure you have Windows 8 setup files with you.

 The following are the steps to enable .NET Framework 3.5 (include .NET 2.0 and 3.0) feature in offline mode :

Step 1 :
Insert Windows 8 DVD or mount ISO image. The source of this feature can be found in folder E:\sources\sxs. (In this case E:the user’s drive letter on which the user has loaded Windows 8 Media.)
 

Step 2 :
Open CMD.EXE with Administrative Privileges. 

Step 3 :
Run the following command Dism.exe /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFX3 /All /Source:E:\sources\sxs /LimitAccess, and hit Enter. 

After completing the installation of .NET Framework 3.5 you can see that the feature is enabled!