Deploying the .NET Runtime

When an application is developed using .NET, there is a dependency on the .NET runtime. This may seem rather obvious, but sometimes the obvious can be overlooked. If the application does not use any .NET 3.0 features, then dotnetfx.exe will be the only runtime installation required. If .NET 3.0 features are used, then dotnetfx3.exe will need to be used as well.

In the following discussions on creating deployment packages, the inclusion of the runtime is optional. The installer can check to see if the proper runtime is installed, and if it isn’t, the installer can then install the runtime from local media or even go to a specified download site and download and install the runtime.