How to check your .NET Framework version

Windows ships .NET Framework as part of the system, and it gets its own monthly update, separate from the Windows one. Which update you get depends on two things: your Windows version and your .NET Framework version (3.5, 4.7.2, 4.8 or 4.8.1).

The quickest way: PowerShell

Open PowerShell (right-click Start, then Terminal or Windows PowerShell) and paste:

> Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4\Full' | Format-List Version, Release

The Release number tells you the version:

For .NET Framework 3.5, which many older apps still need:

> Get-ItemProperty 'HKLM:\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v3.5' -ErrorAction SilentlyContinue | Format-List Version, Install

Install : 1 means 3.5 is turned on. No output means it is not installed, which is normal: Windows adds it only when an app asks for it.

These commands print version numbers only, nothing about you or your PC.

Which update is mine?

Each month Microsoft releases one .NET Framework update per Windows version, and each update covers one .NET Framework version plus 3.5:

• Windows 11 and Windows Server 2025: one update for 3.5 and 4.8.1.
• Windows 10 (22H2 and LTSC 2021), Windows Server 2022 and Windows Server 2019: one update for 3.5 and 4.8 and another for 3.5 and 4.8.1 (4.7.2 on Windows Server 2019 and Windows 10 LTSC 2019). Windows Update shows a single combined update, for example "Cumulative Update for .NET Framework 3.5, 4.8 and 4.8.1", and installs the one that matches your version.
• Windows 10 LTSB 2016 and Windows Server 2016: one update for 4.8.

The combined update has its own KB number: our update history check shows the updates it installs.

End of support

.NET Framework 4.7.2, 4.8 and 4.8.1 are supported as long as the Windows version they run on. .NET Framework 3.5 has its own end date: January 9, 2029.