.NET Framework 3.0 Versioning and Deployment Q&A

In June 2006, Microsoft Corporate Vice President S. Somasegar announced that WinFX would be renamed the .NET Framework 3.0. Check out his blog post for more information.

This document includes some frequently asked questions about this renaming. For additional questions on deployment, take a look at the .NET Framework 3.0 deployment paper on MSDN.

Q: What is the .NET Framework 3.0 (formerly WinFX)?
A: The .NET Framework 3.0 is Microsoft's managed code programming model. It is a superset of the .NET Framework 2.0, combining .NET Framework 2.0 components with new technologies for building applications that have visually stunning user experiences, seamless and secure communication, and the ability to model a range of business processes. In addition to the .NET Framework 2.0, it includes Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Windows Workflow Foundation (WF), Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), and Windows CardSpace.

Q: What happens to the WinFX technologies?
A: The WinFX technologies will now be released under the name .NET Framework 3.0. There are no changes to the WinFX technologies or ship schedule — the same technologies you're familiar with now simply have a new name.

Q: How does the .NET Framework 3.0 relate to the .NET Framework 2.0?
A: The .NET Framework 3.0 is an additive release to the .NET Framework 2.0. The .NET Framework 3.0 adds four new technologies to the .NET Framework 2.0: Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF), Windows Workflow Foundation (WF), Windows Communication Foundation (WCF), and Windows CardSpace. There are no changes to the version of the .NET Framework 2.0 components included in the .NET Framework 3.0. This means that the millions of developers who use .NET today can use the skills they already have to start building .NET Framework 3.0 applications. It also means that applications that run on the .NET Framework 2.0 today will continue to run on the .NET Framework 3.0.

Here's a look at the structure of the .NET Framework 3.0:

Q: What happens when I install the .NET Framework 3.0? How can I upgrade if I already have the .NET Framework 2.0 installed?
A: When you install the .NET Framework 3.0, the installer will check to see whether you already have the .NET Framework 2.0 (released version) installed. If not, the .NET Framework 3.0 installer will install the .NET Framework 2.0 for you, and then install the new .NET Framework 3.0 components. If you do have the .NET Framework 2.0 installed, the .NET Framework 3.0 installer will only install the new components of the .NET Framework 3.0.

Q: My organization went through the approval process of supporting the .NET Framework 2.0 in production. Do we need to go through the same process all over again for the .NET Framework 3.0? Do I need to do any application compatibility testing for my .NET Framework 2.0 applications?
A: Because the .NET Framework 3.0 only adds new components to the .NET Framework 2.0 without changing any of the components released in the .NET Framework 2.0, the applications you've built on the .NET Framework 2.0 will not be affected. You don’t need to do any additional testing for your .NET Framework 2.0 applications when you install the .NET Framework 3.0.

Q: Will the name change be reflected in any of the existing .NET Framework 2.0 APIs, assemblies, or namespaces?
A: There will be no changes to any of the existing .NET Framework 2.0 APIs, assemblies, or namespaces. The applications that you've built on .NET Framework 2.0 will continue to run on the .NET Framework 3.0 just as they have before.

Q: Which version of the Common Language Runtime (CLR) does the .NET Framework 3.0 use?
The .NET Framework 3.0 uses the 2.0 version of the CLR. With this release, the overall developer platform version has been decoupled from the core CLR engine version. We expect the lower level components of the .NET Framework such as the engine to change less than higher level APIs, and this decoupling helps retain customers' investments in the technology.

Q: Why is the .NET Framework 3.0 a major version number of the .NET Framework if it uses the .NET Framework 2.0 runtime and compiler?
A: The new technologies delivered in the .NET Framework 3.0, including WCF, WF, WPF, and CardSpace, offer tremendous functionality and innovation, and we wanted to signal that with a major release number.

Q: How does "Side by Side" work for the .NET Framework 3.0?
A: Since the .NET Framework 3.0 includes only new components that are added to the .NET Framework 2.0 and there is no overlap between the assemblies of the .NET Framework 2.0 and the .NET Framework 3.0, there's no real "Side by Side" scenario. You can run applications based on the .NET Framework 2.0 and applications based on the .NET Framework 3.0 on the same machine.

Q: I'm running an application built on WinFX today. Do I need to do anything different to make it run on the .NET Framework 3.0?
A: No, applications running on WinFX will now run on the .NET Framework 3.0 without any changes. Of course, since the .NET Framework 3.0 is still under development, there may be changes to the framework in the future.

Q: Can I remove particular .NET Framework 3.0 components?
A: No, the .NET Framework 3.0 components (WPF, WCF, WF, and CardSpace) are part of a single package, and are installed together.

Q: Will C# 3.0, VB.NET 9.0, Atlas, or Linq be included in the .NET Framework 3.0?
A: No, these features are planned for future releases of the .NET Framework. The .NET Framework 3.0 includes only the technology formerly described as WinFX.

Q: Will there be a .NET Compact Framework 3.0 release with release of .NET Framework 3.0?
A: No. We are currently working on developing a version of the .NET Framework 3.0 functionality that will be supported on the Compact Framework, but shipping plans and included functionality have not been announced.

Q: What is the version number for the next version of the .NET Framework, codenamed "Orcas"?
A: We're still planning the "Orcas" release, and so this number is not yet defined.

Q: Where is the new functionality in the .NET Framework 3.0 (such as WCF, WF, WPF, and CardSpace) installed to? Is that different from where the .NET Framework 2.0 is installed to?
A: Components shared with the .NET Framework 2.0 are installed at %windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\V2.0.50727. Components that are new to the .NET Framework 3.0 are installed to %windir%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\V3.0. Check out the .NET 3.0 Deployment whitepaper for more information on installation and deployment.

Q: How large is the .NET Framework 3.0? Does this change make the release larger?
A: There's no change to the size of the .NET Framework 3.0 as a result of the name change from WinFX. It is about 49Mb, and that includes the .NET Framework 2.0, which is about 22Mb.

Q: How does servicing work for the .NET Framework 3.0? If I install the .NET Framework 3.0, can I get service updates for the .NET Framework 2.0?
Servicing will be available for the .NET Framework 2.0 components as long both it and the operating system it is installed on are still in service. Any service updates for the .NET Framework 2.0 will work for the 2.0 components installed as a part of the .NET Framework 3.0 as well.

Q: What operating systems will the .NET Framework 3.0 be available for?
A: The .NET Framework 3.0 will be available for and supported on Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 (SP1), Windows Server 2003 SP2, and Windows XP (SP2).

Q: When will the .NET Framework 3.0 be released?
A: The .NET Framework 3.0 is included as part of Windows Vista, and customers who get Windows Vista will receive the .NET Framework 3.0. The first release of Windows Vista to business customers is currently planned for November 2006, although the final date will depend on customer feedback.

At the same time, we will make the .NET Framework 3.0 broadly available for download to all customers using Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

Q: How does the .NET Framework 3.0 relate to Windows Vista?
A: The .NET Framework 3.0 is a core component of the Windows Vista operating system, and is installed by default on Windows Vista. It will also be available for Windows XP and Windows Server 2003.

Q: Are there any parts of the .NET Framework 3.0 that only work on Windows Vista?
A: Though there are some optimizations in the .NET Framework 3.0 that take advantage of new functionality in Windows Vista, we've striven to provide a consistent experience for the .NET Framework 3.0 across Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003, and Windows XP.