VS bootstrapper packages for .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 and 3.0 SP2 available for download

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Visual Studio 2008 SP1 shipped with a bootstrapper package for the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1.  This bootstrapper package can be used with ClickOnce and setup/deployment projects to install the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 as a prerequisite before installing your application.

This past week, new VS 2008 bootstrapper packages were released for the .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 and the .NET Framework 3.0 SP2.  The 2.0 SP2 and 3.0 SP2 versions of the .NET Framework are installed as prerequisites during .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 setup, but they were not previously available as standalone bootstrapper packages.

Here are some links for the .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 and 3.0 SP2 bootstrapper packages for VS 2008:

There are a few caveats to keep in mind when using the .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 and 3.0 SP2 bootstrapper packages:

  • They only support installing on Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.  You cannot use them on Windows Vista or Windows Server 2008.  If you need to install the .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 or 3.0 SP2 on Vista or Windows Server 2008 as a part of your application installer, you should use the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 bootstrapper package that is included with Visual Studio 2008 SP1 instead.
  • They do not support the "Download components from the component vendor's web site." option.  This means when you build your installer and include one of these bootstrapper packages, you will see build warnings about the HomeSite attribute, and the full contents of the .NET Framework 2.0 SP2 and/or 3.0 SP2 installers will be included next to setup.exe in your build output.  If you would prefer to have download-on-demand functionality for the .NET Framework in your setup, then you should use the .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 bootstrapper package instead.