How to create a .NET application, supported by default in Windows 7 and Windows 8?

Question

Using Visual Studio 2013 Pro, I created my first small console application. This console application should be quickly launched on every computer in our network. We have at least Windows XP SP3 running up to Windows 8.1.

Therefore, I created an application for the target .NET 2.0, but, to my surprise, the Windows 8 machine complained that for this it had to install / activate .NET 3.5. Windows 8 is not activated by default!

When I target 2.0, it works on all of our XP and W7, but not on W8. When I target 4.0, it works on all W8 and some W7, but not XP.

This is the same application .. is it really impossible to tell the OS to use the available infrastructure?

I tried to add the configuration file "MyAppName.exe.config" and "App.config" to the project, containing:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> <configuration> <startup> <supportedRuntime version="v2.0.50727"/> <supportedRuntime version="v4.0"/> </startup> </configuration> 

I changed the order and set the client profile for .NET 2.0, 3.0, 3.5, and 3.5. But when not targeting> = .NET 4, W8 continues to request activation of .NET 3.5

How can I get this small application running on XP SP3, W7 and W8, without having to install any additional frameworks when the client has .NET 2.0 or higher?

Answer 1

I believe that you just skipped the startup element:

 <?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8" ?> <configuration> <startup> <supportedRuntime version="v2.0.50727"/> <supportedRuntime version="v4.0"/> </startup> </configuration> 

Just try creating it again with the target version 3.5 using this configuration.

Including other options. Do you have the .NET Framework 4.0 installed on Windows XP and Windows 8? If so, you can try to use this version as the target version when creating your application.

Answer 2

I currently solved the problem by putting a batch file in front of the executable:

 @ECHO OFF IF EXIST "%systemroot%\Microsoft.NET\Framework\v4.0.30319" ( %~dp0MyApp40.exe %* ) ELSE ( %~dp0MyApp20.exe %* ) 

But this, of course, is not an ideal solution! Is there then no other way to pack the necessary .net 4 files? If so ... does anyone have a short and simple guide on how to do this?