Internet connections today are faster than ever before and you can download the complete Windows 10 DVD in under 10 minutes. But there are those folks who like to use the mobile internet over 4G LTE and 3G networks. These data connections over mobile networks are very costly and should be used wisely where any other type of internet access is not possible. I have used Verizon 3G 3GB pack before and they charged me US$ 60 for that – that comes down to $20 for 1GB data. If you are also on such a costly internet connection, and want to install .NET 3.5 framework in your Windows 10 PC then you do not have to the internet at all.
You can install .NET 3.5 from your Windows disk itself. Here is how:
- Insert or attach the Windows 10 install disk to your PC. It does not have to a DVD. You can use USB disk or any other type of disk containing Windows 10 installation files. Note down the disk drive letter of this disk. For example, my Windows 10 install USB disk shows up as driver I: in the File Explorer.
- Press the hotkey Win+X and select Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu that opens up.
- In the command prompt, type the following and press Enter:
DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:NetFx3 /All /LimitAccess /Source:I:\sources\sxs
Obviously, you have to change I:\sources\sxs to the correct path on your Windows installation media.
- You will have to wait for 2-3 minutes while the .NET 3.5 feature is installed on your Windows 10 PC. When it is done, you will see a message confirming the installation in the command prompt interface.
Although you can download and install .NET 3.5 in Windows 10, it is much quicker and easier to do offline from the Windows installation media. This method is great for computers that somehow have no or slower internet connections.