Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile Beta 2 Web Bootstrapper

Brief Description

The Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile redistributable package installs the .NET Framework runtime and associated files that are required to run most client applications. This download consists of a new Web-based installer that simplifies the installation process.

Overview

The Microsoft .NET Framework 4 Client Profile provides a subset of features from the .NET Framework 4. The Client Profile is designed to run client applications and to enable the fastest possible deployment for Windows Presentation Foundation (WPF) and Windows Forms client applications. Application developers who require features that are not included in the Client Profile should target the full .NET Framework 4 instead of the Client Profile.

Earlier version of the .NET Client Profile was only available to XP x86 machines without any .NET Framework installed. With .NET Framework 4, supported OS and machine architectures with or without earlier versions of the Framework can install the Client Profile to take advantage of the faster deployment and improved features of .NET Framework 4.

The .NET Framework 4 works side by side with older Framework versions. Applications that are based on earlier versions of the Framework will continue to run on the version targeted by default.

Improvements in CLR and BC

Performance improvement including better multicore support, background garbage collection, and profiler attach on server.
New memory mapped file and numeric types
Easier debugging including dump debugging, Watson minidumps, mixed mode debugging for 64 bit and code contracts.

Innovations in the Visual Basic and C# languages, for example statement lambdas, implicit line continuations, dynamic dispatch, and named/optional parameters.
Improvements in ADO.NET

Entity Framework, which simplifies how developers program against relational databases by raising the level of abstraction. The Entity Framework has many new features in the .NET 4 Framework. These features include persistence ignorance and POCO support, Foreign Key Associations, lazy loading, test-driven development support, functions in model, and new LINQ operators.
Data Services framework consists of a combination of patterns and libraries that enable the consumption of REST-based data services for the web. ADO.NET Data Services has many new features in the .NET 4 Framework. These features include: enhanced BLOB support, Data Binding, Row Count, Feed Customization, Projections, and Request Pipeline improvements. Built-in integration in Microsoft Office 2010 now makes it possible to expose Microsoft Office SharePoint Server data as a data service and access that data using the ADO.NET Data Services client library.

Improvements in WPF

Added support for Windows 7 multi-touch, ribbon controls, and taskbar extensibility features.
Added support for Surface 2.0 SDK.
New line-of-business controls including charting control, smart edit, data grid, and others that improve the experience for developers who build data centric applications.
Improvements in performance and scalability.
Visual improvements in text clarity, layout pixel snapping, localization, and interoperability.

New Windows Workflow (WF) that includes an improved activity programming model, an improved designer experience, a new flowchart modeling style, an expanded activity palette, and new message correlation features. The .NET Framework 4 also offers significant performance gains for WF-based workflows.
Improvements to Windows Communication Foundation (WCF) such as support for WCF Workflow Services enabling workflow programs with messaging activities, correlation support. Additionally, .NET Framework 4 provides new WCF features such as service discovery, routing service, REST support, diagnostics, and performance.
Innovative new parallel-programming features such as parallel loop support, Task Parallel Library (TPL), Parallel LINQ (PLINQ), and coordination data structures which let developers harness the power of multi-core processors.

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System Requirements

Supported Operating Systems: Windows Server 2003; Windows Server 2008; Windows Vista; Windows XP

Windows XP SP3
Windows Server 2003 SP2
Windows Vista SP1
Windows 7
Windows Server 2008 (not supported on Server Core Role)
Windows Server 2008 R2 (not supported on Server Core Role)

Supported Architectures:

Hardware Requirements:

x86: 850 MB
x64: 2 GB

Minimum: Pentium 400 MHz, 96 MB RAM
Recommended: Pentium 1 GHz or faster, 256 MB or more RAM

Other System Requirements:

Windows Installer 3.1 or later
Internet Explorer 5.01 or later

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Instructions

NOTE: Vista RTM/SP1 and Windows Server 2008 RTM/SP1 users -- If you have previously installed Visual Studio 2010 or .NET Framework 4 Beta 1 on your system, you will need to fully uninstall the previous beta release prior to installing Beta 2. For more information and a workaround, please go here.

Important: Make sure that your computer has the latest Windows service pack and critical updates. To find security updates, visit Windows Update.

On this page, click Download to start the download.
To save the download on your computer so that you can install it later, click Save.
To cancel the installation, click Cancel.

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