Windows Desktop Runtime question

I was trying to find out what this is and came across this article

When i tried the methods given to check the version, the cmd and powershell ones didn't work - they don;t like s at the end
The registry one gave me Netsetup under Microsoft, not under Software as stated.
On checking the versions, I have two v 4 - see screenshot. The upper one is version 4.8.09032 and the lower one 4.0.00
Is this normal? If not, what do i do about it?

That article is full of inaccurate things.

The NDP registry key that it refers to is for the .NET Framework. The Windows Desktop Runtime that you are asking about is part of .NET. While they sound the same and have a lot in common, they are not the same thing.

Here are some proper ways to detect .NET, which relates to the Windows Desktop Runtime.

Here are some proper ways to detect .NET Framework, which is an ancestor of modern .NET.

With regard to your screenshot and the registry keys, they are perfectly normal.
Edit: If you look at the v4.0 registry key (HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\NET Framework Setup\NDP\v4.0), you'll see the default value is "deprecated." It's there for legacy reasons.

Thanks, pseymour. Maybe I'm not as stupid as I was beginning to think! I'll use your links, but it's good to know the registry keys are normal

Not stupid at all. It's a little difficult to keep straight: .NET Framework, .NET Core, .NET Standard, just plain old .NET.

Not to mention, UWP (or Store) desktop apps depend on a different set of .NET libraries unrelated to those previously listed. These are solely for UWP apps, and aren't shared with Win32 apps. Windows Update will silently update these .NET packages for you.

C:\Windows\System32>powershell "Get-AppxPackage *NET.Native* | Select PackageFullName"

PackageFullName
---------------
Microsoft.NET.Native.Framework.2.2_2.2.29512.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime.2.2_2.2.28604.0_x64__8wekyb3d8bbwe
Microsoft.NET.Native.Framework.2.2_2.2.29512.0_x86__8wekyb3d8bbwe
Microsoft.NET.Native.Runtime.2.2_2.2.28604.0_x86__8wekyb3d8bbwe

should i install in windpws 11 pro 24h2?what the mostly version Net desktop must have on my pc?

yusop86 said:

should i install in windpws 11 pro 24h2?what the mostly version Net desktop must have on my pc?

Click to expand...

Regardless of your Windows release, .NET 4.8 (or 4.8.1) and .NET 5 are the most popularly used .NET frameworks in use by today's apps.

Some apps, for example ImageGlass, may require you to install an even later version of .NET (8). Multiple versions of .NET are designed to be installed side-by-side, but most users can survive on 4.8 and 5 alone. Some app installers will try bundling a version of .NET, just in case your PC doesn't have it.

You can uninstall the oldest version of the same .NET family (4.8, 5, etc.) as you only need the latest of each generation.