Installing dotNet 2.0 on Windows 10

In theory it is simple to install the dotNet 2.0 framework on Windows 10: Just go to “Programs and Features”, select “Turn Windows Features on or off”, set the checkmark for “.NET Framework 3.5 (includes .NET 2.0 and 3.0)”, press OK and let Windows download the necessary files from Windows Update.

Unfortunately this only works most of the time. If you are unlucky like me and it doesn’t, you will start an odyssey of downloading installers from Microsoft (which also fail, because they try to download files from Windows Update for whatever reason), using the dism tool and possibly Power Shell to install it offline (both of which failed too in my case) and then either despair or find a reference to the “Missed Features Installer”.

When I arrived there, I was very suspicious (and so should you!) of downloading and using such a 3rd party installer. I used the download from Computer Bild not because I think they are the most brilliant computer magazine in Germany (they are not) but at least I trust them not to distribute malware (which is more than I trust the computer magazine CHIP). In addition, I used Virus Total to scan the installer. It gave me a thumbs up, so I was brave enough to run it.

Guess what? It worked. I now have a working .NET 3.5 and 2.0 framework on my computer and could finally install the program I actually wanted to install: The AVT Universal Package for accessing a camera.