Prerequisite Conditions and .NET

[marketware]

Our application was designed to use .NET 2.0. We have a prerequisite to download and install 2.0, and its condition is the standard condition looking for the non-existence of the v2.0.50727 key in the registry.

My question is, since .NET is compatible with all versions greater, we don't need to install version 2.0 if 3.0, 3.1, etc. are already installed.

Is there a way to reconfigure this prerequisite condition so that it won't install if a later version of .NET is already there?

Thanks.

[chrislynn5]

.NET 3.0 and 3.5 are add-ons to .NET 2.0. You can't have 3/3.5 without 2.0. The first major revision change since 2.0 was to .NET 4 which is in fact different/stand-alone.

So:
Framework 1.0
Framework 1.1
Framework 2.0 add-ons; 3.0, 3.5
Framework 4.0

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/.NET_Framework

Version Version Number Release Date Visual Studio Default in Windows
1.0 1.0.3705.0 2002-02-13 Visual Studio .NET
1.1 1.1.4322.573 2003-04-24 Visual Studio .NET 2003 Windows Server 2003
2.0 2.0.50727.42 2005-11-07 Visual Studio 2005 Windows Server 2003 R2
3.0 3.0.4506.30 2006-11-06 Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008
3.5 3.5.21022.8 2007-11-19 Visual Studio 2008 Windows 7, Windows Server 2008 R2
4.0 4.0.30319.1 2010-04-12 Visual Studio 2010


And IS2010 doesn't do 4.0 well at all (i.e. test and deploy framework). the solution I was given was get IS2011.

[marketware]

Thank you. But I am still a bit confused. Are you saying that if 3.0 or 3.5 of .NET is already installed, then the key (2.0.50727) that we normally test for in the registry will return true (exist)?

bob

[marketware]

I asked previously that if .NET version 3.0 or 3.5 was installed that it would also include the key that we use to verify that version 2.0 is installed. So if 3.5 is installed, we won't install 2.0, if we just look for the 2.0 key in the registry (which is the default rule for the 2.0 prerequisite).

[chrislynn5]

I assumed you figured this out? This forum doesn't let you know when someone posts again apparently so I didn't see your reply.

You could test for the framework folders, again 3.0 and 3.5 will have folders in addition but I was merely pointing out they are add-ons for Framework 2.0.
Attached is what you'd see in the WINDOWS directory for frameworks.

If your product is targeting a specific framework you might want to use a pre-req set option (in IS select the pre-req's) or test for those folders. or use the reg as you said for the key. Also watch the version of the framework they do get updated so that might be important for you if 2.0 goes from 50727 to newer.