Targeting a Specific .NET Framework Version or Profile

In Visual Studio, you can specify the version or profile of the .NET Framework that you want your project to target. For an application to run on another computer, the Framework version that the application targets must be compatible with the Framework version that is installed on the computer.

A .NET Framework profile is a subset of the .NET Framework that provides a limited set of libraries and features. An example of a Framework profile is a client profile that can be used for creating client applications. Applications that target a profile can run on the corresponding full Framework. For example, an application that targets the .NET Framework 4 Client Profile can run on a computer that has the .NET Framework 4 installed. For more information about the Client Profile, see .NET Framework Client Profile.

This section contains topics that describe how to target specific versions of the .NET Framework in your projects.

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