March 1, 2011 19 Comments
Solving error “Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Setup requires Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 to be installed” when you have dotnet .NET 4.0

Solving error “Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Setup requires Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 to be installed” when you have dotnet .NET 4.0

Screenshot Microsoft SQL Server 2008 Setup requires Microsoft .NET Framework 3.5 SP1 to be installed

SQL Server Setup error .NET 3.5 SP1

You may receive the following error when trying to install Microsoft SQL Server 2008 on Windows 2008 Server R1 or R2. The error is raised regardless of you having .NET 3.5 SP1 installed or not.

Several solutions suggest that you reinstall .NET 3.5 SP1. However that doesn’t work when you have Microsoft .NET 4.0 or Microsoft .NET 3.51 installed (the latter not being equal to SP1).

Other solutions suggest that SQL Server 2008 setup is distributed with a corrupted dotnetfx35setup.exe and they suggest to download a fresh copy of this and placing it in the “redist” directory. While this certainly can be true is certain situations where .NET 3.5 SP1 or newer is not yet installed, in scenario’s where .NET 4.0 is already available, this obviously won’t work. I didn’t get the dotnetfx35setup.exe to run at all: the process started and ended without showing any screen or message.

Fixing SQL Server 2008 setup error in the registry

Fixing SQL Server 2008 setup error in the registry

No, the real solution is much easier than all this:

The problem lies in the setup erroneously assuming that the SP-bit must be set to “1″. It checks the registry for this. To resolve, simply change this bit. Open the registry editor and browse to the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v3.5

Now locate the value SP. Double-click it and change it from zero to “1″ (hexadecimal or decimal) and rerun the setup. The screenshot on the right shows how this is done.

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  • Robbie

    This fixed an issue I had with installing SQL Server 2012 on WIndows 7 Ultimate 64bit with Framework 4.0 installed.

    Thanks Mate!!! Much appreciated

  • James

    After a week of searching and trying to find the solution to the SQL Server 2008 install problem. I made sure that all .Net versions 2,3, and 3.5 had the right install directories, service pack numbers, and install codes. The install started up and completed! Thanks, I wish I had found this answer last week when I was stressing

  • toby

    I did so, but still not

  • Adam

    Abel,

    I think the problem is your wording and choosing a grand title like “Resoved:…” suggesting you’ve soved the problem once and for all, which you haven’t. The truth is there are many potential resons for this error and you have found just one possible solution that fixed your specific case. Criticising other solutions out there are incorrect is the wrong thing to do as you do not have all the details of everyone elses environments.

    For instancem I was having the same problem installing SQL Server 2008 R2 from an ISO file mounted using Virtual CloneDrive. All I did was to copy the media from the ISO file to a local directory and run it from there without making any changes and it completed succesfully.

    • http://undermyhat.org Abel Braaksma

      Thanks, Adam. It’s true that this error can be caused by other situations. This post is about a clean system having .NET 4.0 installed, in which case it applies.

      Good to hear that a simpler solution than the one mentioned here worked for your situation.

  • ali

    Is it necessary to install Microsoft .Net framework 3.5 SP1 even we have Microsoft .Net framework 4.0 to install Microsoft sql server management studio 2008 ??????????????……

    • http://undermyhat.org Abel Braaksma

      Hi Ali,

      I’m not sure, but I’d think not, because any .NET 3.5 solution works on .NET 4.0. The only problem here is with SQL Server detecting the wrong version and assuming it cannot install itself, in which it assumes wrong.

      As described above: the error is faulty. You can work around it by editing the registry. But it didn’t help for everybody’s situation, so I’d be interested to know what helps for you.

  • Bushyyy

    Here is the solution :
    go to the path you are installing from eg
    E:\x86\redist\DotNetFrameworks
    and under “DotNetFrameworks”folder you’ll find a file dotnetfx35setup.exe ,delete it and download a new one from the web and replace it with the one you deleted there..

    Thats how i got mine working

    • http://undermyhat.org Abel Braaksma

      Hi Bushy,

      That’s the recommendation you get on several sites. However, as I describe (i.e. “and they suggest to download a fresh copy”), there are many situations (like mine) where reinstalling from a downloaded version does not work. Unfortunately. In which case editing the registry _might_ work.

  • shilpa

    My sql server 2008 installation stops in between without any error

  • mattiascc

    Jump to
    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v3.5
    in registry

    then also the following values must be entered (if not present)

    Install (DWORD) = 1
    Version (STRING) = 3.5.30729.01

    It fixed for me on Win XP + VS 2010. Found out with process monitor from sysinternals.

    • CJ

      This worked for me. Thanks

    • http://undermyhat.org Abel Braaksma

      Thanks, these values were already available in my situation, but thanks for mentioning this is required if they aren’t here.

  • Sashi

    Hi, mine is set to 1 too, and I still get the error. Were you able to resolve it? Appreciate your help

  • http://jaderobbins.com Jade Robbins

    Hmmmm this didn’t work for me, in fact that bit was already set to 1. Still getting the same issue. This is frustrating! Thanks for the possible solution though!

    • http://undermyhat.org Abel Braaksma

      Hi Jade,

      This one should work when you installed it _after_ installing .NET 4.0. If you haven’t installed .NET 3.5 SP1, or .NET 4.0, this won’t work.

      There are many other “solutions” out there. Mine was tested on a clean system (Win 2008 R2 + .NET 4.0 + SQL Server 2008). The other solutions didn’t work for me, but perhaps they work in your situation?

    • Rick

      Hi, did you resolve this. I have the same error with the sp bit already set to 1. Thanks, Rick

      • http://undermyhat.org Abel Braaksma

        See also comment by Mattiascc, maybe you need to add more values in the registry.

    • Ethiopian

      @JADE ROBBINS
      i put this comment even if it is late 4 z requester it may help someone in the future like i face and solve it 2day.

      1st check there is the following ‘dotnetfx35setup.exe’ file in this directory x86\redist\DotNetFrameworks and this file ‘dotnetfx35′ in the following directory x86\redist\DotNetFrameworks\dotNetFX35\x86

      If the files are there and display the requested error download the latest version and replace it respectivly. if the files are not there or you can copy from the x64\redist\DotNetFrameworks file /dotnetfx35setup.exe/and x64\redist\DotNetFrameworks\dotNetFX35\x64 file /’dotnetfx35′/

      it is a versioning problem.
      kid

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