This is a quick fix for Windows 2000, in which a standard installation of Microsoft .NET 3.5 is not possible (the installer will refuse to continue as it only supports Windows XP and newer versions of the OS).

If you are still using Windows 2000 on some of your workstations (for some reason or another) and wish to install .NET 3.5, there is a workaround.

What you need to start with:

• A PC with Windows 2000 SP4 (won't work with earlier service packs)


• Another PC running a newer version of Windows with .NET 3.5 installed

Now, on your Windows 2000 PC, install the KB 835732 update (Windows2000-KB835732-x86-ENU.EXE) and the Windows Installer 3.1 (WindowsInstaller-KB893803-v2-x86.exe). Restart the PC.
This prepares the ground for .NET 2.0 which, unlike version 3.5, can be installed on Windows 2000.

Done? Now install the .NET Framework 2.0 Service Pack 1.
The last step is to access the other PC with .NET 3.5 installed in order to copy the .NET 3.0 and 3.5 libraries.

Grab these folders on the other PC:

C:\Program Files\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\v3.0
C:\Program Files\Reference Assemblies\Microsoft\Framework\v3.5

Copy them into the Windows 2000 PC as this:

C:\WINNT\Microsoft .NET\Framework\v3.0
C:\WINNT\Microsoft .NET\Framework\v3.5

All should be done now, .NET 3.5 apps working on your Windows 2000 PC (with some possible minor issues (take into consideration that the OS is not officially supported)).
The idea behind this simple trick is that .NET 3.0 and .NET 3.5 are just supplementary libraries, extending the .NET 2.0 basis (and since the latter functions in Windows 2000, there is no reason the former should not).