.NET Framework 4 Beta 2 on WU (Satter Ramblings)

.NET Framework is considered part of the operating system. What will happen with .NET 4 once it is officially released and how can you help?

.NET 4 will be released on Windows Update (WU). In addition, it will show up in Windows Server Update Service (WSUS). Specifically .NET Framework 4 Client Profile will be released as a recommended update on Vista and Windows 7. A recommended update will be automatically installed depending on the Automatic Update settings. Client Profile will also be released as an optional update for XP. With XP a user will have to manually run WU and select the .NET Framework 4 Client Profile. Windows 2003, Windows 2008 and Windows 2008 R2 will see .NET Framework 4 as an optional update.

IT administrators using WSUS will see a slightly different story. .NET Framework 4 will be optional on all the above OSs, while .NET Framework 4 Client Profile will be optional on XP and recommended on Vista and Windows 7.

To ensure a smooth rollout on WU of .NET 4, beta 2 is being made available via WU. It is running under the same rules with a few exceptions. First it will only be running until 1/15/2010 2/8/2009 (extension made). Secondly, you must opt-in to receiving the update.This is accomplished by using a registry key.

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4B2WU]
"OptIn"=dword:00000001

An alternative is to use a the reg.exe command. From a command prompt (run as administrator if using Vista, Win7 or W2K8) copy the following command to add the key.

reg.exe add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4B2WU" /v OptIn /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Thirdly, the Beta 2 update is not available via WSUS and WU catalog. Finally, sometime after the RTM version comes out you will get the RTM version via WU.

And here is where your help is needed. If you have a machine or VM please use this keep and test out the WU beta. Below are the instructions and a FAQ. If you have any problems let us know via the .NET 4 beta forum on setup and deployment.

Thank you for assisting us in making .NET 4 a better experience for all our users.

Instructions

Remove any prior installed version of .NET Framework 4 from your machine.

Important Note: You should not attempt to remove the .NET Framework 4 from a machine which is running Visual Studio 2010, Team Foundation Server 2010, or any other software which may have a dependency on the .NET Framework 4.
Open up the command prompt. Command prompt can be found under Accessories in the Start Menu. In Vista or Win7 rather than click on command prompt menu item, right click and select run as administrator. This requires that you have administrator access to your PC.
Type or copy and paste the following:

reg.exe add "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4B2WU" /v OptIn /t REG_DWORD /d 1 /f

Go to Windows Update and use the option to Check for Updates. If you PC is managed on an organization IT administrator you might have to click the link "Go online to check for updates".
Enssure that install .NET Framework 4 Beta 2 is checked. On XP and server OSs you will need to check the checkbox as .NET Framework 4 is optional. On Vista and Windows 7 it is a recommended update.
Check the machine to see if .NET 4 Beta2 is successfully installed (see FAQ)

For Issues/Bugs:
If you have any problems let us know via the .NET 4 beta

forum on setup and deployment.
FAQ

What build of .NET Framework is this?

21006.01. This is the same as the official .NET Framework 4 Beta2 build.

What operating systems are supported for this test?

XP SP3 (x86), XP SP2 (amd64), Windows Server 2003 SP2, Vista SP1, Vista SP2, Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 R2

What updates will be offered?

There are 2 SKUs of the .NET Framework 4 - Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile and Microsoft .NET Framework 4. Depending on your installed OS, the appropriate .NET Framework 4 version will be offered to you.

For Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7 you will be offered the Client Profile SKU and for Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 and Windows Server 2008 R2 you will be offered the Full SKU (Client & Extended)

In addition, we will also make the .NET Framework 4 Japanese language packs available to machines with the corresponding Beta 2 framework installed on Japanese OS.

What update designations are these?
They are recommended or optional updates depending on your installed Operating System.

Does this have any impact if my machine has already installed .NET 4 Beta?

No. .NET Framework 4 Beta 2 on Windows Update will be offered ONLY to machines without prior versions of .NET 4 installed. Therefore you may want to use a separate machine with no .NET 4 versions installed for this test. Also note that there is not a supported uninstallation method for LCTP releases; machines with an LCTP version of the .NET Framework 4 will need to be paved per the original LCTP release notes.

When will this Windows Update release happen?

The beta updates are available from 11/24/2009 to 2/8/2010. The real public release is targeting 6/22/2010

How can I verify if the update is installed successfully?

Look for the corresponding products below in "Add/Remove Programs" or "Programs and Features":
Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile Beta 2
Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Extended Beta 2

Why don’t I get the .NET 4 Beta 2 updates offered to my machine via Windows Update?

Please check the following prerequisites:
The updates are available only from 11/24/2009 to 2/8/2010
You need to install the opt-in regkey mentioned above on the machine before receiving the update
The machine must not have any version of .NET Framework 4 installed
The machine must be on one of the supported OS’es mentioned above
If your machine is managed please click the link "Go online to check for updates"

How do I send report bugs/issues related to this Windows Update?

If you have any problems let us know via the .NET 4 beta forum on setup and deployment.

Will this update be available via WSUS?

No. This will not be available via WSUS.

Will this reg key have any impact on the RC or RTM install?

No.

Will this reg key have any impact on our RTM install or any future releases via WU?

No.

Why do I need to reboot my machine?

There are some .Net Framework 4 installation scenarios that cause your computer to reboot. These scenarios are definitely a pain, and we are working very hard to minimize their impact on applications. In fact, we have whittled down the list of components that are capable of causing reboots to a mere handful and have spent considerable effort on minimizing the likelihood that they will cause problems in the future.

Though .Net 4 is a side-by-side release, there are a few files that it shares with previous frameworks. These files, called the Shared Components, are used to determine which version of the Framework should be loaded for a given application. Since these files were installed by previous frameworks, they might be in use by managed applications when we try to update them and thus cause reboots. I expect that your machines rebooted because they were both running apps that happened to use one of these Shared Components during installation.