ARM64
exedownload.microsoft.com · publisher domain- File name
- NDP481-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe
- SHA-256
- c0ca2e0c9cd18a24a0a77369a13fae2c2c4e8bc83355dd24e5ddc00f9d791fe3
- Silent install
- /passive /AcceptEULA /norestart
Microsoft .NET Framework Runtime 4.8.1
by Microsoft Corporation · Proprietary (Freeware)
100/100how this is calculated
Do you want to run apps? The runtime includes everything you need to run existing apps/programs built with .NET Framework. Not necessarily to be confused with «Microsoft .NET Runtime».
Getting the right .NET Framework offline installer
The .NET Framework runtime is what a large amount of older Windows software still needs in order to start at all. Microsoft publishes it in two shapes and only one of them is any use offline, which is the whole reason this page exists.
The offline installer is NDP481-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe and it is about 74 MB. One file covers 32-bit and 64-bit and every supported Windows version, which is what the "AllOS" in the name means.
The other one Microsoft offers is a web installer of roughly a megabyte and a half. It works fine on a connected machine and is useless on the one you were actually trying to fix, which is usually a machine with no network yet.
Version 4.8.1 installs in place over any 4.x you already have. There is no side-by-side: if something asks for 4.5, 4.6 or 4.7 and you have 4.8.1, you already satisfy it and installing an older one is not the fix.
If you came here for 3.5, there is no download to run
This is the single most searched corner of the whole .NET Framework topic and the answer is not an installer. On Windows 10 and 11, .NET Framework 3.5 ships as an optional Windows feature rather than as something you fetch: you turn it on in "Turn Windows features on or off", or from an elevated prompt with dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /all. Microsoft still hosts a standalone 3.5 SP1 package for much older systems, but on a current machine it is the feature you want, not a file from a download site.
4.8.1 is the end of the line, and that is on purpose
There will not be a .NET Framework 4.9. Microsoft moved new development to .NET (the one with plain version numbers: 8, 9, 10), which is a separate product that installs alongside rather than replacing this. So "update my .NET Framework" has a definite finish, and a page promising you something newer than 4.8.1 is promising something that does not exist.
Runtime or developer pack
The runtime is what you want to make a program start. The developer packs, which we also list, add the reference assemblies and targeting packs you need to build against a specific version, and they are much larger for it: the 4.5.2 pack alone is over 300 MB. If you are here because an application refused to launch, you want the runtime.
Record
- Latest version
- 4.8.1
- Package identifier
- Microsoft.DotNet.Framework.Runtime
Official downloads
These URLs are the ones Microsoft Corporation declares in its own manifest. We do not proxy or shorten them, and we do not host a copy.
64-bit
exedownload.microsoft.com · publisher domain- File name
- NDP481-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe
- SHA-256
- c0ca2e0c9cd18a24a0a77369a13fae2c2c4e8bc83355dd24e5ddc00f9d791fe3
- Silent install
- /passive /AcceptEULA /norestart
32-bit
exedownload.microsoft.com · publisher domain- File name
- NDP481-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe
- SHA-256
- c0ca2e0c9cd18a24a0a77369a13fae2c2c4e8bc83355dd24e5ddc00f9d791fe3
- Silent install
- /passive /AcceptEULA /norestart
any
exedownload.microsoft.com · publisher domain- File name
- NDP481-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe
- SHA-256
- c0ca2e0c9cd18a24a0a77369a13fae2c2c4e8bc83355dd24e5ddc00f9d791fe3
- Silent install
- /passive /AcceptEULA /norestart
Verify the file you downloaded
Run this against the file on disk. If the output does not match the hash below, the file is not what Microsoft Corporation published. Delete it.
Windows · PowerShell
Get-FileHash "NDP481-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe" -Algorithm SHA256macOS · Linux
shasum -a 256 "NDP481-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe"Expected output
c0ca2e0c9cd18a24a0a77369a13fae2c2c4e8bc83355dd24e5ddc00f9d791fe3
Got a different hash, or one you cannot place? Paste it into the hash checker and it will tell you which program and version it belongs to, past releases included.
Install Microsoft .NET Framework Runtime 4.8.1 silently
The unattended switch below is the one Microsoft Corporation declares in the installer manifest, not one we guessed by trying flags.
ARM64 · publisher-declared
.\NDP481-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe /passive /AcceptEULA /norestartRun it from the folder holding the downloaded file, in a terminal opened as administrator when the package installs for all users. Silent means no window and no prompts, so check the exit code rather than waiting for something to appear: 0 is success and 3010 means it worked but wants a reboot.
How we scored this 100 out of 100
| Signal | Finding | Points |
|---|---|---|
| SHA-256 hash published | 4 of 4 installers ship a SHA-256 hashWithout a published hash there is no way to prove the file you downloaded is the file the publisher built. | 30 / 30 |
| Binary provenance | 4 on the publisher's own domainThe strongest signal against a repackaged installer: the file should come from the publisher, not from a mirror nobody vouches for. | 35 / 35 |
| Served over HTTPS | 4 of 4 over HTTPSAn installer fetched over plain HTTP can be modified in transit. | 15 / 15 |
| Licence declared | Proprietary (Freeware)A declared licence tells you what you are actually allowed to do with the software. | 5 / 5 |
Is Microsoft .NET Framework Runtime 4.8.1 safe to download?
Yes, in the sense we can actually verify: the installer downloads from microsoft.com, which is a domain we have tied to Microsoft Corporation.
Every one of the 4 installers on this page comes with the SHA-256 Microsoft Corporation declared, so you do not have to take our word for it: hash the file you downloaded and compare.
What this does not tell you is whether the software itself is any good, or whether you want what it does once installed. A publisher can ship something you would rather not run and the download is still authentic. We answer the question we can measure and leave the other one to you.
How the 100/100 score is calculated · why the source matters more than the reputation
Every version on record1
Every Microsoft .NET Framework Runtime 4.8.1 version with a published manifest, newest first. The most recent ones are listed above with their file names and hashes.
- 4.8.1
Common questions
- Where is the official .NET Framework offline installer?
- From Microsoft, at download.microsoft.com. This page lists the exact URL taken from Microsoft’s own package manifest along with the SHA-256, so you can check the file before running it. The offline build is NDP481-x86-x64-AllOS-ENU.exe, around 74 MB.
- What is the difference between the .NET Framework web and offline installers?
- The web installer is about 1.5 MB and downloads the rest while it runs. The offline installer is around 74 MB and contains everything, which is the one you need for a machine with no connection, for an image, or for a deployment where you want a hash you can verify in advance.
- How do I install .NET Framework 3.5?
- On Windows 10 or 11 you enable it rather than download it: "Turn Windows features on or off", or dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /all from an elevated prompt. There is no current-Windows installer file to fetch, which is worth knowing before you download something that claims to be one.
- Do I need .NET Framework 4.5 if I already have 4.8.1?
- No. The 4.x releases update in place, so 4.8.1 already satisfies an application asking for 4.5, 4.6 or 4.7. Installing an older 4.x on top is not a fix and is not supported.
- Is .NET Framework the same as .NET 8?
- No, they are separate products. .NET Framework is Windows-only and ends at 4.8.1. .NET 8 and 9 are the current cross-platform line and install alongside it, so having one does not give you the other.