Microsoft .net Framework Cleanup Tool

Martin Brinkmann
Dec 2, 2008
Updated • May 28, 2017
Software, Windows software
|
14

.NET Framework Cleanup Tool is a free program for Microsoft Windows devices to remove .Net Framework versions from PCs it is run on.

The Microsoft .net Framework is used by a wide variety of software applications. Microsoft made the decision to provide the different .net Framework versions as separate installations. This effectively means that someone who installs the Microsoft .net Framework 3.5 on a computer will automatically install the previous .net Framework versions as well for backwards compatibility, or have the functionality included in that new version of the framework.

What this means is that you will end up with several versions of the Microsoft .NET Framework installed on your computer, and that number is growing.

It can happen that the uninstallation or repair of a .net Framework installation fails which can have the effect that a new installation wont succeed either. Manually removing the leftovers to install the framework anew is a complex process.

A far better solution would be to run a cleanup tool that will remove all traces of the Microsoft .net Framework from the computer system.

.NET Framework Cleanup Tool

Aaron Stebner's Microsoft .net Framework Cleanup Tool is that software program. The portable application scans the computer system for installed .net Framework versions.

It will display them in a list with the option to uninstall a specific .net Framework version or all of them from the computer system. The software developer points out that his application should be used as a last resort if the regular installation or uninstallation of the Microsoft .net Framework fails on the computer.

Running the program may break certain applications on the PC. Basically, any program that relies on a particular framework version that is removed during cleanup will fail to work afterwards.

Verdict

The program has been designed for situations where you cannot upgrade to new framework versions, or remove old ones using built-in uninstallation options. It should not really be used as a way to remove all .NET Framework versions from a Windows PC if other means are available and working.

Update:  The Microsoft .Net Framework Cleanup Tool is no longer available on Aaron Stebner's website. It is not clear at this point if the website and program have been abandoned, or if it is caused by a technical issue that will be fixed in the future. We have replaced the link, and it is now pointing to Major Geeks, a software download portal where the latest version of the program can be downloaded to the system.

Keep in mind that it supports all Microsoft .Net Framework versions from 1.0 to 3.5, and that it is compatible with all versions of Windows up to Windows 7.

Update 2: And a new page is up again. The latest version of the cleanup tool supports all existing Microsoft .Net Frameworks up to 4.7.

Summary
Author Rating
2 based on 8 votes
Software Name
.Net Framework Cleanup Tool
Operating System
Windows
Software Category
Administration
Landing Page
Advertisement

Tutorials & Tips


Previous Post: «
Next Post: «

Comments

  1. M. Paquet said on June 12, 2017 at 11:11 am
    Reply

    The link provided to the cleanup tool page is not right. It links to the “.NET Framework Setup Verification Tool User’s Guide” page.

    The link for the “.NET Framework Cleanup Tool User’s Guide” is:

    https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/astebner/2008/08/28/net-framework-cleanup-tool-users-guide/

  2. monish said on April 9, 2013 at 5:54 am
    Reply

    Sir ,

    Pls tell me where to find files created by double clicking “dotnetfx35.exe” ???

    ie Microsoft . NET Framework 3.5 Service pack 1 ( Full Package)

    People say that folder get created in C:\ root ,
    But in my case there is no such folder ..
    but somewhere hidden , files are consuming space in C Drive
    Ccleaner is not able to remove those files ..

  3. ogawa said on February 10, 2010 at 6:52 am
    Reply

    It was useful.

  4. kai said on October 18, 2009 at 3:15 am
    Reply

    thankyou

  5. Anonymous said on September 27, 2009 at 5:41 pm
    Reply

    there isn’t a dl link

  6. hibino said on May 22, 2009 at 10:53 pm
    Reply

    thank you

  7. saggy said on December 17, 2008 at 9:55 pm
    Reply

    Thanks a Lot bro…! wonderful tool..

  8. Anonymous said on December 17, 2008 at 4:03 am
    Reply

    thank you

  9. Anonymous said on December 13, 2008 at 4:07 am
    Reply

    aaa

  10. garbanzo said on December 3, 2008 at 7:27 am
    Reply

    i’ve never been able to get the ‘regular’ uninstaller for .NET to work. i always resort to Revo, which makes me realize that .NET 2.0 literally puts thousands of entries in your registry. hope this tool works as well as Revo to clean those up!

Leave a Reply

Check the box to consent to your data being stored in line with the guidelines set out in our privacy policy

We love comments and welcome thoughtful and civilized discussion. Rudeness and personal attacks will not be tolerated. Please stay on-topic.
Please note that your comment may not appear immediately after you post it.