Distributing .NET 4.0 redistributable with application

Question

I want to pack the .NET 4.0 redistributable with our application. We will be installing onto systems that may not have external network or Internet access.

I went to the Microsoft site to download this and the redistributable package is listed as 48MB in size. I always thought it was close to 1GB in size. I am looking at the wrong thing?

Here is the link I used.

http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=17718

I need something that I can install on any qualifying Windows platform and have it perform a complete install of the .NET 4.0 framework without any Internet access.

Urba

Answer 1

You are looking at the correct download. The full .NET 4 framework is less than 50MB. In addition, if you're sticking to the Client Profile, you can use this installer instead, which is even smaller.

Waldack

Okay, what baffles me is why when I go to install my application and the install for the .NET 4.0 framework comes up it says that it needs 1.6GB of disk space. I know all about compression, but how can a 48MB executable expand into 1.6GB? – Urba

@WPFNewbie: I don't know - you can contact MS support for details, but..> I suspect this is partially due to the fact that it needs to make temporary copies of a lot of system files that will get replaced. As such, a small file may require a lot of extra working space during the install. It also, I believe, may be doing some ngen compilation on the IL distributed as the installer. Granted, I have no idea what happens, so this is just speculation... – Waldack

@WPFNewbie: That being said, the 50MB .NET 4 installer is the complete, standalone installation. – Waldack

(Remember, it says it needs the disk space, not that the entire thing will be used up when it's done ;) ) – Waldack

Thanks, that makes sense. Now I can just figure out why my setup package still wants to get it from the Internet it'd be great. – Urba

Answer 2

1 Gb! No way man :) This one is the rigth one.

Bassinet

Should this be considered as an answer? – Chilson

@Desolator: Having in mind that the answer has like 3 year and 0 downvotes I will take the risk :) Thanks for caring anyway. – Bassinet