UPDATE: Dec 2016 – While the process below works very well, you can eliminate future .NET install problems by installing FEATURES ON DEMAND on your companies WSUS server.

If you are unable to install .NET 3.5 on Windows 8 or 8.1 and end up with errors like 0x800F0906 and 0x800F081F you will find that errors relate to corrupt or limited access to the source files.  In ALL of the times I have tried to get around this, the source has NOT been the issue.

Often you can just install .NET 3.5 by bringing up a CMD window (don’t forget to right click and RUN AS ADMININISTRATOR) and then type either:

Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /All /Source:<drive>:\sources\sxs /LimitAccess

or

DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:NetFx3 /All

In my most recent situation I would then error out with 0x800F081F  and the logs would show:

2014-09-10 19:07:54, Error                 DISM   DISM Package Manager: PID=5116 TID=4028 Failed finalizing changes. – CDISMPackageManager::Internal_Finalize(hr:0x800f081f)
2014-09-10 19:07:54, Error                 DISM   DISM Package Manager: PID=5116 TID=4028 The source files could not be found; their location must be specified using the /source option to restore the feature. – GetCbsErrorMsg
2014-09-10 19:07:54, Error                 DISM   DISM Package Manager: PID=5116 TID=4028 Failed processing package changes with session options – CDISMPackageManager::ProcessChangesWithOptions(hr:0x800f081f)
2014-09-10 19:07:54, Error                 DISM   DISM Package Manager: PID=5116 TID=4028 Failed ProcessChanges. – CPackageManagerCLIHandler::Private_ProcessFeatureChange(hr:0x800f081f)
2014-0910 19:07:54, Error                 DISM   DISM Package Manager: PID=5116 TID=4028 Failed while processing command enable-feature. – CPackageManagerCLIHandler::ExecuteCmdLine(hr:0x800f081f)

 

If this is your case, then .NET may have been patched on your machine… but wait, you say, it is not installed so how could it be patched… that is a good question.  If you look at your WINDOWS UPDATES > HISTORY, you may see some .NET 3.5 patches that have been installed.  If that is the case go to PROGRAMS AND FEATURES > VIEW INSTALLED UPDATES (from the menu on the top left) and find them by KB number.  Note that I have found the names of the patches Windows Update History do NOT match what is in INSTALLED UPDATES… go figure.

Specifically I suggest you look for (and uninstall) KB2966826 & KB2966828 .  In my most recent case I only found KB2966828 but after I uninstalled it and rebooted (yes, the reboot was necessary)  I could install .NEt3.5 on my Win8 PC.


48 Comments

sodiq · October 24, 2017 at 10:57 am

have problem with .net framework error code 0x800f922

David Nguyen · July 13, 2017 at 1:30 pm

I had the same issue on Windows 10. I found some articles that said to place a copy of Windows 10 on my local drive and then use command line to reinstall .NET 3.5. Here is the command I used below. You will have to change the a path if you place your Windows 10 folder somewhere else other than C:\

C:\WINDOWS\system32>DISM.EXE /Online /Add-Capability /CapabilityName:NetFx3~~~~ /Source:C:\Windows10\sources\sxs

Deployment Image Servicing and Management tool
Version: 10.0.15063.0

Image Version: 10.0.15063.0

[==========================100.0%==========================]
The operation completed successfully.

C:\WINDOWS\system32>

Prateek · January 3, 2017 at 7:07 am

I don’t have the KB2966826 & KB2966828 updates. What should I do?

Shahrukh Parvez · January 14, 2016 at 12:20 pm

Please help still i getting an errors installing .Net 3.5. I have tried all solutions.

the referenced assembly is not installed on your system

Error code: 0x800736b3

Please help me to install

    Ian Matthews · January 25, 2016 at 9:37 pm

    What error / message do you receive when you try to install it from the disk using the Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /All /Source::\sources\sxs /LimitAccess command?

      Cristina Corrales · May 2, 2017 at 2:22 pm

      I have the same issue, I can’t install .net framework for IIS in Windows server 2012 R2 but I don’t have installed KB2966826 & KB2966828.

      When I execute the Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /All /Source::\sources\sxs /LimitAccess command I received the Error: 0x800f081f

      And in the log it says: Failed while processing command enable-feature

      What else I can do? 🙁

        Ian Matthews · May 24, 2017 at 4:51 pm

        I see that what you typed in included TWO colons after /SOURCE . Did you put the drive letter in? For Example, assuming your DVD is in D:

        Dism /online /enable-feature /featurename:NetFx3 /All /Source:d:\sources\sxs /LimitAccess
        alternately it can pull the files from the web using
        DISM /Online /Enable-Feature /FeatureName:NetFx3 /All

        Also, make sure you have RIGHT clicked on CMD.EXE and selected RUN AS ADMINISTRATOR

Lenny Ankireddi · September 4, 2015 at 7:28 am

Thank you! Found the Security Update KB2966828 installed and removed it. Worked like a charm on retry.

Frank · August 28, 2015 at 4:40 am

Hi. im having similar issues on my windows 10. error code 0x800F081F while trying to install .net 3.5. there are no kb installed updates. none @ all, yet none of these solutions has worked for me. please i need a help and a solution asap

    Ian Matthews · December 27, 2015 at 4:43 pm

    I just had the same problem on Windows 10 myself and found this fix of using DISM to pull the files from the DVD to work without problem. I know this does not solve your Windows 10 issue, but I can say that it did work. I would try again and let us know how it goes.

vikrant · August 21, 2015 at 10:35 am

i have recently install a window and i have tried all the above thing but still failing to download the framework

    Ian Matthews · December 27, 2015 at 4:44 pm

    Last week I used the DISM solution to solve this issue on Windows 10.

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