Microsoft details .NET Framework 3.5 End of Support
Microsoft published a .NET Framework lifecycle FAQ update on October 20, 2018 to highlight changes in regards to the end of support for the company's .NET Framework 3.5 software product.
The main change is that Microsoft considers the .NET Framework 3.5 a standalone product as opposed to a component of the operating system. The change begins with Windows 10 version 1809 and Windows Server 2019.
Microsoft plans to support the .NET Framework 3.5 with 5 years of mainstream support and 5 years of extended support. In other words: the company will support the Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 until October 2028 with security updates.
.NET Framework 3.5 SP1, beginning with Windows 10 version 1809 and Windows Server 2019, is a standalone product and receives 5 years of mainstream support followed by 5 years of extended support. For operating systems released prior to Windows 10 version 1809 and Windows Server 2019, .NET 3.5 SP1 remains a component of the Windows version on which it is installed.
Future operating system releases won't affect the support lifecycle of the .NET Framework 3.5.
Nothing changes for operating system versions prior to Windows 10 version 1809 and Windows Server 2019. The .Net Framework 3.5 is considered a component of the operating system and follows the same support cycle as the operating system itself (means support ends when the operating system reaches the end of the extended support phase).
Some programs do require the Microsoft .Net Framework 3.5 and not a newer version of the framework; this is for instance the case for programs that have not been updated for a while.
Windows 10 detects the missing framework automatically when a program is run on the system that requires a framework version that is not installed on the device and prompts for installation of the missing components.
Net Framework 3.5 End of Support
- Windows 7 Service Pack 1 -- January 14, 2020
- Windows 8.1 -- January 10, 2023
- Windows 10 version 1607 -- April 9, 2019
- Windows 10 version 1703 -- October 8, 2019
- Windows 10 version 1709 -- April 14, 2020
- Windows 10 version 1803 -- November 10, 2020
- Windows 10 version 1809 -- October 2028
- Windows Server 2019 -- October 2028
Microsoft ended the support for the .NET Framework versions 4.0, 4.5, and 4.5.1 in 2015.
No changes were announced for the lifecycle policies for the .NET Framework 4.x which continue to be defined as a component of the operating system as opposed to a standalone component. The .NET Framework 4.x follows the support lifecycle of the Windows operating system version that is used.
Closing Words
The .NET Framework 3.5 will be supported for another ten years until October 2028 or, in the case of pre-Windows 10 version 1809 and Windows Server 2019 versions, until the operating system itself reaches end of support. (via Deskmodder)
When was the end of support for dotnet framework version 3.5 service pack 1 for windows server 2012???
Windows 18 version 1803 — November 10, 2020
Are you sure its Windows 18 ????
Thanks, corrected.
Good article and right to the point. Thanks for sharing info Microsoft details .NET Framework 3.5 End of Support. Keep sharing such informative articles.
@stefann,
Don’t like the idea of downloading files from a non-SSL site. Thanks anyway for the thought.
Do I need the massive .Net updates I’m offered via MS’s Auto updates? I use win 7 w/ firefox on a lenovo lap, v570 [ ab 7 yrs old, ] core i5. I have not been accepting them for years.
@Carl,
Disable auto-updates and join the rest of us who update manually. Martin publishes a list of OS updates every month together with links to the Microsoft Catalog site where you can download them from.
I only have 3.5 and 4.5.2 installed and have yet to come across an app which requires a later version. Also, I only install security updates both for the OS and avoid any for .NET Framework which don’t include security issues. This month’s batch of .NET Framework updates didn’t include any security updates so I didn’t bother updating the above two at all. https://blogs.msdn.microsoft.com/dotnet/2018/10/09/net-framework-october-2018-security-and-quality-rollup/
http://download.wsusoffline.net
(Note: Tick USE ONLY SECURITY UPDATES when they are downloaded by WSUS OFFLINE INSTALLER)
An end of technical support for a Microsoft product to its users should coincide with an end of legal protection to Microsoft respecting its product in question. Maybe, this notion could be successfully litigated in a U.S. court of law.
@gris ma:
What legal protection are you talking about? Copyright? Whether or not a copyrighted work is in use, let alone “supported”, is not a factor in copyright law. There would be no basis for litigation. To accomplish what you suggest requires new legislation.